18TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

In this same Savior, dear hearers.

There is no doctrine of divine revelation which has not been attacked by false prophets. Among these doctrines is also the doctrine of the Law. Should we suspect that a person could reject the Law, since this doctrine is not only written in the Bible but is also engraved on the hearts of all, even the heathen, with indelible characters? And yet that is so.

When 300 years ago Luther again brought the sweet Gospel to light, when he used it to cheer frightened consciences, who had tormented themselves in vain by their own works, and comforted them with the doctrine of God's free grace in Christ, against all of Luther's expectation there soon arose a sect which claimed that the Law must no longer be preached in the Christian Church but only the

Gospel. This sect was called the Antinomians; its founder was a certain Agricola, a preacher in Eisleben in Saxony.

Do not think, however, that these Antinomians did not appeal to the Scriptures. No error in Christendom, no matter how plain, has ever arisen which has not been defended and justified by misinterpreted Bible passages; so also here.

The chief passage to which the Antinomians appealed was the statement of Paul, "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man." 1 Tim 1:9. From this they want to prove that the Law must not be preached to those who are baptized and are righteous by faith; they dare not be frightened by the Law but dare be led to heaven only by the preaching of grace. However, that word of Paul has an entirely different meaning. He wants to say as much as this: insofar as he is righteous by faith, insofar as a Christian has a new heart and a spirit willing to do God's will in all things, insofar a believing, reborn Christian does not need the Law; he need not be first frightened and forced by threats; out of love he does what is right of his own free will.

Yet what Christian can say that he is already completely spiritual, that one finds in him only the desire and love of all good things, and that his flesh is absolutely dead? In the name of all Christians, John gives answer, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,... and we make God a liar." 1 Jn 1:8,10. And St. Paul agrees with that when he confesses, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing." Rom 7:18a.

Here, my friends, you have the reason why even Christians still need the Law; they still have their sinful flesh with them, which lusts against the spirit, which must be crucified and frightened and kept within bounds by the Law. What would, therefore, happen if the Law would no longer be preached but only the Gospel? One would soon lose both, and all would fall into security and wickedness. In his Postills on the Gospel of today, Luther says the following of the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel, "If one of the two is lost, it takes the other along with it; and on the other hand, if the one remains and is rightly used, it brings the other along with it."

Since, sad to say, there is no mistaking the fact that many of us nowadays wish to hear practically only the Gospel and set aside the eternally binding doctrine of the Law, I today wish to warn you against the disastrous results of despising the Law.

The text. Matthew 22:34-46.

My friends, the text just read treats both, the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of Christ, or the Gospel. I take the opportunity to speak to you on

WHICH ARE THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF DESPISING THE LAW

I. It is the Reason why so Many Despise the Gospel, and it is also the reason

II. Why so Many Deceive Themselves with a False Faith.

You are a holy God; you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness whoever is wicked cannot stand before you. We therefore pray, rule us through your Holy Spirit that we do not play with sin and wantonly abuse your grace but by good works seek eternal life. Awaken us now to do that by your Word for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I.

It is true, my friends, that only the doctrine of the Gospel 3hows sinners the way to salvation; yet why did Christ, as our text reports, preach not only the Gospel to the Pharisees, but also answered the question of the true content of the Law, which was brought to him? Because without the help of the Law no one arrives at the proper understanding of the Gospel, and despising the Gospel arises chiefly from the fact that the Law is despised.

Those who in our day reject the Gospel allege, as the Pharisees of Christ's day did, that they want to be satisfied with the Law alone, or as they say today, with ethics, with the doctrine of virtue, uprightness, and good works. For, they say, all depends upon whether one is a good person; he and only he who lives a clean moral life has religion. Sad to say, these are merely so many empty words.

That in Christ's time the Pharisees, and that today the unbelievers, want to know nothing of the Gospel, is not that they would rather bear the entire burden of the Law and keep it as God wants, it kept. On the contrary, because they today no longer heed the demands and threats of the Law and refuse to believe them, that is why they think little, yes, nothing of the comfort of the Gospel.

The Gospel shows how one receives forgiveness of sins, how one is delivered from God's wrath and is pardoned by him, how one is rescued from hell and eternal damnation and saved by pure mercy. As only the sick seeks the doctor, as only the hungry desire bread, as only one in danger cries for help, so only he can treasure the Gospel and joyfully accept it, if in terror he perceives that he is a sinner, if he believes that he is really burdened with God's wrath and has deserved death and damnation by his sins.

Now if he despises the Gospel, is he going to be more strict in regard to the Law? Not at all. Most of the foes of faith live in manifest sins and shame, in cursing and blaspheming, in wrath and thirst for vengeance, in drunkenness and gluttony, in unchastity and adultery, in lies and deceit, in false oaths, yes, in hatred so great as to commit murder; yet they do not ask about the Law, human or divine, nor about God, hell, heaven, or a future judgment; they say with Pharaoh, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" Ex.5:2; or as Isaiah says, "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not." Is 3:9a. Isn't that despising God's Law?

Nevertheless it cannot be denied that there are many unbelievers, who abstain from all such gross outbreaks of sin; many live honorably in the eyes of the world, and by their way of acting before men earn for themselves the reputation of being strict, moral people. Where, however, is the unbeliever who really perceives the consequences of sin? Which, unbeliever believes that God has the right to demand that he be holy and perfect? Which unbeliever perceives that some day he must even give account to God of every idle word which fell from his lips? Which one knows that merely an evil desire, an impure lust, an ungodly thought is a great sin? Which unbeliever considers it true that before God he is an abomination, if he merely has proud thoughts, if he seeks the least honor before men, if he exalts himself over the most insignificant person in the world, if he is not gentle and humble and regards himself as nothing? Which unbeliever believes that the mere seeking for riches and good days plunges him into eternal damnation? that in God's eyes he is a murderer if he is just angry with his neighbor? that even the least sin is a terrible insult to the great God and that he then becomes guilty of eternal death? What unbeliever, though he may live ever so honestly and blamelessly before men, is filled with fear and trembling at the smallest sin? Which unbeliever watches and prays daily,

that he may not fall into temptation? Which one battles unceasingly that his heart is filled with nothing but pure love to God and his neighbor? Are they not guilty of thousands of sinful thoughts, words, and deeds, which they consider insignificant? over which they themselves often laugh and joke?

Here, my friends, you have the real reason why so many despise the Gospel of Christ and his grace; that does not happen because they live so piously that they do not need a Savior; nor is the fact that they are now too wise and enlightened the reason; no, that happens because they despise God's Law in which God tells them how a person should be; they do not believe God's threats, his righteousness and stern judgment, and the eternal punishment which will follow sin. See, that, this contempt of sin, this Pharisaical conceit of their great worth, this horrible blindness because of which they do not recognize their daily, hourly transgressions in their greatness and huge number, that is the real root of their unbelief; that is why they loathe the doctrine of grace, hate Christ the crucified, and his holy precious reconciliation so greatly.

If a person earnestly begins to believe in God's Law, he is also not far from Christ and his kingdom.

Why was it that at Luther's time the Gospel was received with such great, almost universal joy? Why was it that then in a short time entire countries were converted, that the message of peace spread like wildfire over the whole known world, and thousands upon thousands of hearts throbbed as one with that of the courageous herald of the Gospel, kissed the little book which he published, with tears of gladness, and joyfully thanked God for his gracious visitation? Why did the preaching of the Gospel have such great results then, and not now? This is the reason: At the time of the Reformation the poor people had been oppressed by the burden of the Law; even though it had been so dark, the irreligious priests still continued to apply the Law in all its sharpness. Great numbers were, therefore, filled with deep concern for their salvation and with great fear and anxiety of eternal damnation. Great numbers were afraid of the coming of Judgment Day. Great numbers felt their sins. That is why they listened to the Gospel as such a blessed message, as those rejoice whose prison gates are opened and are told, You are free! But this preparation of hearts by the workings of the Law is now generally missing.

And what was the reason why Luther had to complain so soon that the men of his times were tired of the Gospel? The reason was that most misused the Gospel freedom and again became secure, did not heed the threats of the Law, and again considered their sins of little significance. Soon contempt of the Gospel also returned, a contempt which in our days has reached its highest point.

II.

That many deceive themselves with a false faith is also a part of the ruinous results of despising the Law. This is our second point.

Sad to say, there are not a few who live in manifest sins and yet imagine that they have faith. Wrath may be their besetting sin and yet they think: Faith makes up for that. They are not honest and scrupulous in their dealings; they grab as much as they can get; and faith should make that good also. They are delinquent debtors who cause their creditors to lose their money because they act as though no one could demand anything of them, and that also should be made good again by faith. They tell lies, are irreconcilable toward those who offend them, vain about their clothes,worldly in their conduct, friends of the children of the world, insolent, inflated with self-esteem, greedy, slan-

derous, and all this faith is supposed to make amends for.

Oh those wretches! They, of course, think that according to St. Paul a person is saved by grace, but they do not recall that the same apostle also said, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest,...of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit thekingdom of God." Gal 5:19,21. And in another place, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Heb 10:26,27.

On the other hand, others do not live in such manifest sins, but they are lukewarm and indolent; they are not earnest about their Christianity; it is nothing more than idle talk, a phantom; their prayers come from their lips only; their reading and hearing of God's Word is not a thirsty drinking from the well of eternal life; they use it merely to become smarter and in proud conceit to criticize the sermon; they do not watch their heart; they do not battle against flesh and blood; they are surly toward their family; they argue about temporal and foolish things. If they are not completely hardened, they suppose that though they are not the best Christians, they are still Christians and righteous before God because they have faith.

That's the way Christ is made a servant of sin and faith a cloak for disgrace; such deceive themselves in regard to life and salvation. A faith which produces such fruit is a faith of froth and, foam, nothing else but fleshly security; a dead lifeless thing, by means of which one hurries away to hell.

Whence comes this self-deception? It arises from nothing else than contempt for God's holy Law. They think that the Law no longer concerns the believer; he no longer need turn to its demands nor fear its threats. But how dreadfully they deceive themselves'.. Christ clearly says, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, hie shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven," that is, nothing. Mt 5:17-19a.

Oh yes, it is true: the believer as a believer is not subject to any law; he is free and above all laws, for in Christ he has perfect fulfilment of the Law and has the. Holy Ghost, who wants him to do good without any Law. But the believers as God's creature and as a sinner is still under the Law. The Law is the revelation, of God's will; it is., therefore, eternal and unalterable; it cannot possibly be repealed by faith, as little as God can change himself and permit a creature to sin. St. Paul, therefore, says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Rom 3:31. The apostle means to say: Our sins are not forgiven so that we can act contrary to the Law but because we have received the Holy Ghost, through whom, we have become new men, received a new heart and mind, so that we actually begin to fulfil the Law from our hearts.

My dear hearers, if you do not wish to apply yourselves diligently to fulfil the Law, to love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself, if you do not want to live in constant dread of sin and God's wrath, if you do not wish to pursue sanctification with great earnestness,, then know that your pretended faith does not help you; it will rather make you only the more reprehensible before God and condemn you the more; for you confessed that you wanted to accept Christ as your Redeemer and you merely turned him into a servant of sin and count the blood of his holy reconciliation an unclean thing.

No one should think that because he has accepted the Gospel he can despise the Law, live on carelessly without earnestly battling sin day and night, for then the threats of the Law still apply to him. If will not help him at all that he wanted to pretend that he sought in Christ protection against the accusation and condemnation of his conscience; only those whom the Law has frightened, who gladly would fulfil it and yearn for grace, for power, for the help of the Holy Spirit, only they find protection in Christ. If you do not earnestly want to be free of your sins, God also will not cover your sins by forgiveness.

Ah, how many of us receive from our text perhaps a blow which awakens his sleeping heart! I beg all these: For the sake of Christ and your own salvation keep yourselves busy with this impulse of the Holy Spirit, do not thoughtlessly suppress it again, begin a better Christianity this hour, ponder in solitude your former empty life whereby you comforted yourselves, and call upon God to convert pretence into reality, a Christian in name to a Christian in fact, hypocrisy into deed and truth. Do not despise my voice; it is not I who am speaking to you; it is God who stands before you in his Word. Of what help is the lamp of pretence when, as the foolish virgins, you lack the oil of true faith, the Spirit, and power? Think of the last hour when you will hear, "The bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him!" Mt 25:7. Then there will be no time to buy oil; then you will cry in vain, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" The Lord will answer you, "Verily I say unto you, I know you not." Mt 25:12. Therefore, my dear Christians, arise! Seize the Word with the courage of faith; with fear and trembling see to it that you will receive the greatest treasure. After the hard battle will follow, peace, rest, and salvation! Amen.

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