The Three Cs

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" I had struggled with today's passage for a long time. But it dawned on me, I had been misunderstanding these words at the end of Jesus' sermon on the mount. I kept reading this passage and hearing the 'Lord, Lord,' as though these were people who had faith in God. I mean, who would prophesy, who would cast out demons, who would do mighty works ... if they didn't believe? Right? But that isn't what Christ is noting here. Read the words, again. "Did  we  not ... do this." They aren't expressing their faith in God. They are praising themselves. Look at me...

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. No one likes to be called ungodly. (Well, at least most people don't like it; I am sure you, like me, have met some profoundly proud atheists at one time.) But ungodly living is so unbecoming. Most of us don't like to be around arrogant people. We don't like heartlessness. We condemn ruthlessness, senselessness, those who harm the innocent. We rightfully take offense at boastful blasphemers. And let's be honest, who likes to be around drunks all the time ? Of course, you know the truth, don't you? You know you are just like that. Maybe not all the time ... maybe not even most of the time ... maybe rarely ... but we are all  like that. There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11) Yes, it's true: We are all  like that. Ungodly. Unrighteous. Yes, ...

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. I made a horrible mistake. For the longest time I thought godliness was something that came from me. Godliness, one dictionary will tell you, is a piety by virtue of being a godly person, or having a righteousness by virtue of being pious, or devout, or reverent. Therefore, if I am pious; therefore, if I am doing something righteous; therefore if I am being reverent, then I am living a godly life, the dictionary will tell you. Apparently, the people who wrote the definition haven't read the Bible. God has revealed a mystery to us here: Godliness isn't something you do. Godliness is something God does through you. Listen to the words of Timothy, again, as God reveals the mystery. The mystery of godliness is Jesus was manifested in the flesh (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35); Th...

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. I don't know anyone who will agree with Paul on this passage. Really, Paul? Worst of sinners? I know you stoned Christians for confessing that Jesus is Lord, that you are a murderer (Acts 8:1), persecutor (1 Cor 15:9), and worst of all, blasphemer (Matt. 12:31; Lev. 24:15-16). But the worst of sinners? Really? I ...

Check out Fort Wayne Professor Pless' post Fanaticism is Not the Answer ... The New Testament bids us be “sober-minded” (1 Tim 3:11; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 1:13; 1 Pet 4:7). Rather than becoming intoxicated with a fanaticism to the left or the right, we pray the Lord would give us minds of discernment rooted and grounded in the Holy Scriptures that do not overlook or brush aside the real threat of which the Newtown prayer vigil was a symptom of, namely, the pluralism of American civil religion that requires an even more stringent “no” to unionism and syncretism of every stripe. Indeed, it is for the sake of witness in the public square that we will decline to worship there. Fanaticism is never the answer; faithfulness is. 

Jesus wept. They're two of the most powerful words in Scripture. I am not sure they are the most powerful because I will never lose sight of simply being forgiven because I believe (John 11:25-26). But as verses go, few show the humanity of the Christ as John 11:35. Not only was Jesus the great physician, giving sight to the blind, giving legs to the lame, forgiving the outcasts, he was raising the dead. But all the while he bled. He cried. He wept. As a carpenter, his back surely ached from time to time. His feet undoubtedly hurt. But maybe more importantly, he wept. Think about this. God wept. The creator of the universe wept ... with us.  I think that is just marvelous news. God wept. In other words, he knows exactly how I feel. He saw us crying and came to comfort us. He saw us trying to repent, and freed us. Here was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16) crying with us because he was one of us (Gen. 1:27). I don't think Jesus wept because his friend Lazarus ...

The streams of consciousness are beginning to flow regarding the LCMS pastor who gave the benediction at a interfaith "community" service in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings. Apparently, even the media has been weighing in on how our church has responded. For starters, we have our president, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, explaining in a post at " Witness, Mercy and Life Together " how he handled the situation ...  I asked Pastor Morris to apologize for taking part in this service. I did this for several reasons: I believe his participation violated the limits set by Scripture regarding joint worship, particularly with those who reject Jesus (Romans 16:17), and was thus a violation of Article VI of the LCMS Constitution. Pastor Morris’s participation gave offense in the Synod, something we are to avoid, even if we are doing something we believe might be appropriate (1 Corinthians 8). I most sincerely desire to avoid deep and public contention in t...

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer  or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.    We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.  We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,  for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and p...