Epistle Sermons Volume III Part 31

34. Our wisdom and understanding of the knowledge of G.o.d should serve to make us characters that are an honor and praise to G.o.d, in whom he may be glorified, and who live to G.o.d unto all pleasing, that is, please him in every way, according to his Word. And because of such wisdom and knowledge, we should, in our lives, in our stations and appointed work, not be unfruitful nor harmful hypocrites and unbelievers, as false Christians are, but doers of much good, useful characters to the honor of G.o.d's kingdom. All the time we are to make constant growth and progress in the knowledge of G.o.d, that we may not be seduced or driven from it by the cunning of the devil, who at all times and in all places a.s.sails Christians and strenuously seeks to effect their fall from the Word and from G.o.d's will, even as in the beginning he did with Adam and Eve in paradise.

ONLY G.o.d'S POWER CAN OVERCOME THE DEVIL.

35. The apostle continues: "strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory." Here is preparation to sustain the conflict against the devil, the world and the flesh, and to overcome. Not our own power, nor the combined power of all mankind, can effect it. Only G.o.d's own divine, glorious power and might can overcome the devil and win honor and praise in the contest with the gates of h.e.l.l. Christ in himself proved such efficacy of the divine strength when he overcame all the devil's superlative a.s.saults.

36. By this power and might of G.o.d must we be strengthened in faith.

We must strive after such divine agency and by the help of the Word persevere and pray, that there may be not only a beginning, but a continuation and a victorious end. So shall we become ever stronger and stronger in G.o.d's might. Whatever we do, it must not be undertaken in and by our own strength. We must not boast as if we had ourselves accomplished it, but must rely upon G.o.d, upon his strength and support. Certainly it is not due to our ability but to his own omnipotent agency if one remains a Christian, steadfast in the knowledge of G.o.d and not deceived nor conquered by the devil.

PATIENCE ESSENTIAL TO ENDURANCE.

37. But, the writer tells us, the attainment of strength and victory calls for "all patience." We must have patience to endure the persistent persecution of the devil, the world and the flesh. Not only patience is required here, but "longsuffering." The apostle makes a distinction between the two words, regarding the latter as something more heroic. It is the devil's way, when he fails to defeat by affliction and trouble, to try the heart with endurance. He makes the ordeal unbearably hard and long to patience, even apparently without end. His scheme is to accomplish by unceasing persistence what he cannot attain by the severity and mult.i.tude of his temptations; he aims to wear out one's patience and to discourage his hope of conquering. To meet these conditions there is necessary, in addition to patience, longsuffering, which holds out firmly and steadfastly in suffering, with the determination: "Indeed, you cannot try me too severely or too long, even though the trial continue to the end of the world." True, knightly, Christian strength is that which in conflict and suffering is able to endure not only severe and manifold a.s.saults of the devil, but to hold out indefinitely. More than anything else do we need to be strengthened, through prayer, with the power of G.o.d, that we may not succ.u.mb in such grievous warfare, but achieve the end.

CHRISTIANS SHOULD REJOICE AND BE THANKFUL.

38. And your patience and longsuffering, Paul says, must be exercised "with joy." In these severe, multiplied and long temptations you must not allow yourselves to be filled with sad and depressing thoughts.

You are to be hopeful and joyous, despising the devil and the troubles and tumults of the world and himself. Rejoice because you have on your side the knowledge of the divine will in Christ, and his power and glorious might, and doubt not that his omnipotence will help you through.

39. Finally the apostle enjoins us to give thanks, or to be thankful.

Forget not, he would say, the unspeakable benefits and gifts G.o.d has bestowed upon you above all men on earth. He has richly blessed you, and liberated you from the power and might of sin, death, h.e.l.l and the devil, wherein you would, for all you could help yourselves, have had to remain eternally captive; he has appointed you for eternal glory, making you co-heirs with the saints elected for his eternal kingdom; and he has made you partakers of all eternal, divine, heavenly blessings. In your sufferings and conflicts, remember these glories ordained for and given to you, and remembering rejoice the more and willingly fight and suffer to obtain possession, to enjoy the fruition, of what is certainly appropriated to you in the Word and in faith.

40. The writer of the epistle calls it "the inheritance of the saints in light," or of the "light" saints, that is, the true saints. Thus he distinguishes from false saints, intimating that there are two cla.s.ses of saints. To one cla.s.s belong the many in the world who have only their own claim to sainthood: the Jews, for instance, with their holiness of the Law; and the world generally, the philosophers, jurists and their kind, with their self-righteousness. These are not saints of light; they are saints of darkness, unclean, even defiled.

In Philippians 3, 8 Paul counts such righteousness loss and refuse.

To this cla.s.s belong also many false, hypocritical saints in the company of Christians who have the Gospel; they, too, hear the Gospel and attend upon the Holy Supper, but they remain in darkness, without the least experience of the wisdom and understanding that knows the divine will. But they who exercise themselves in these spiritual graces by faith, love and patience in temptation, and perceive the wonderful grace and blessing G.o.d imparts through the Gospel--these honorably may be called the saints, destined, even appointed, to eternal light and joy in G.o.d's kingdom.

"Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins."

41. Paul now expatiates on the things that call for our grat.i.tude to G.o.d the Father. He sums up the whole teaching of the Gospel, showing us what is ours in Christ and giving a glorious and comforting description of his person and the blessing he brings. But first, he says, we ought, above all, to thank G.o.d unceasingly for the knowledge of his revealed Gospel. In it we have no small treasure. Rather, it is a possession with which all the gold, silver and other riches of this world, all the earthly joy and comfort of this life, are not to be compared. For it means redemption from eternal, irreparable loss and ruin under G.o.d's eternal, unbearable wrath and condemnation. And this wretchedness was the result of our sin. We were committed to sin and without help, without deliverance, ay, we were captive in such blindness and darkness that we did not recognize our misery; much less could we devise and effect our escape. Now, in place of this misery, we have, without any merit on our part, any preparation, any deed or design, ay, without even a thought, a.s.suredly received, through G.o.d's unfathomable grace and mercy, redemption, or the forgiveness of sins.

G.o.d'S GRACE INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

42. The measure of such graciousness and blessing no tongue can express; indeed, in this life no man can understand it. In h.e.l.l the wicked shall become sensible of it by the realization of their condemnation and the never-ending wrath of the eternal, divine Majesty and of all creatures. No created thing shall they be able to behold with joy, because in these ever shall be reflected the condemned one's own unceasing, lamentable sorrow, terror and despair.

Nor, on the other hand, can the creature behold the condemned with pleasure, but must abhor them; it must be an object of further terror and condemnation to the d.a.m.ned. However, in this life G.o.d in his unspeakable goodness has subjected the creature to vanity, as Paul says in Romans 8, 20, and to the service of the wicked. Yet it serves against its will, travailing as a woman in pain, with the supreme desire to be liberated from this service of the wicked, condemned world. It must, however, have patience in its hope of redemption, for the sake of those children of G.o.d yet to come to Christ and finally to be brought to glory; otherwise it is as hostile to sin as G.o.d himself.

43. But because an eternal, unchangeable sentence of condemnation has pa.s.sed upon sin--for G.o.d cannot and will not regard sin with favor, but his wrath abides upon it eternally and irrevocably--redemption was not possible without a ransom of such precious worth as to atone for sin, to a.s.sume the guilt, pay the price of wrath and thus abolish sin.

44. This no creature was able to do. There was no remedy except for G.o.d's only Son to step into our distress and himself become man, to take upon himself the load of awful and eternal wrath and make his own body and blood a sacrifice for the sin. And so he did, out of his immeasurably great mercy and love towards us, giving himself up and bearing the sentence of unending wrath and death.

45. So infinitely precious to G.o.d is this sacrifice and atonement of his only beloved Son who is one with him in divinity and majesty, that G.o.d is reconciled thereby and receives into grace and forgiveness of sins all who believe in this Son. Only by believing may we enjoy the precious atonement of Christ, the forgiveness obtained for us and given us out of profound, inexpressible love. We have nothing to boast of for ourselves, but must ever joyfully thank and praise him who at such priceless cost redeemed us condemned and lost sinners.

46. The essential feature of redemption--forgiveness of sins--being once obtained, everything belonging to its completion immediately follows. Eternal death, the wages of sin, is abolished, and eternal righteousness and life are given; as Paul says in Romans 6, 23, the grace, or gift, of G.o.d is eternal life. And now that we are reconciled to G.o.d and washed in the blood of Christ, everything in heaven and earth, as Paul again declares (Eph 1, 10), is in turn reconciled to us. The creatures are no longer opposed, but at peace with us and friendly; they smile upon us and we have only joy and life in G.o.d and his creation.

47. Such is the doctrine of the Gospel, and so is it to be declared.

It shows us sin and forgiveness, wrath and grace, death and life; how we were in darkness and how we are redeemed from it. It does not, like the Law, make us sinners, nor is its mission to teach us how to merit and earn grace. But it declares how we, condemned and under the power of sin, death and the devil, as we are, receive by faith the freely-given redemption and in return show our grat.i.tude.

48. Paul also explains who it is that has shed his blood for us. He would have us understand the priceless cost of our redemption, namely, the blood of the Son of G.o.d, who is the image of the invisible G.o.d. The apostle declares that he existed before creation, and by him were all things created, and that therefore he is true, eternal G.o.d with the Father. Hence, Paul says, the shed blood truly is G.o.d's own blood. And so the writer of this epistle clearly and mightily establishes the article of the divinity of Christ. But this requires a special and separate sermon.

_Twenty Fifth Sunday After Trinity_

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4, 13-18.

13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will G.o.d bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

LIVING AND DEAD WHEN CHRIST RETURNS.

Paul writes these words to comfort Christians who were troubled about what would take place at the resurrection of the dead. Shall all rise together? Shall those living on the earth at the last day meet Christ before others? These and like thoughts worried them. Here Paul answers them by saying that Christ would take all his believers to himself at the same time, etc.

This epistle text you will find richly expounded in "The Explanation of Certain Epistles," which appeared on special occasions. [The Miscellaneous Sermons of the Year 1532.]

_Twenty Sixth Sunday After Trinity_

Text: 2 Thessalonians 1, 3-10.

3 We are bound to give thanks to G.o.d always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth; 4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of G.o.d for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure; 5 which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of G.o.d; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of G.o.d, for which ye also suffer: 6 if so be that it is a righteous thing with G.o.d to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, 7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, 8 rendering vengeance to them that know not G.o.d, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: 9 who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

G.o.d'S JUDGMENT WHEN CHRIST RETURNS.

1. First, Paul has words of praise for his Church at Thessalonica. In view of its faith and its love it was one of the first rank.

Patiently it stood firm, and even increased, under crosses of affliction. The apostle's intent in commending these people is to incite to perseverance. He would hold them up to others as an example--an ill.u.s.tration--of the fruits resulting when the Gospel is preached and received. He also points out in what the edification and success of the true Church of Christ consist. Then he consoles them for their patient sufferings with the mention of the glorious coming of Christ the Lord, which shall mean their final redemption, the recompense of peace and joy for their tribulations, and the bringing of eternal wrath upon their persecutors.

2. This consolation Paul draws from their sufferings and G.o.d's righteous judgment, by which he makes plain why G.o.d lets them suffer here on earth--what is his purpose in it. Looking at the Christian community with the eye of human reason and reflection, no more wretched, tormented, persecuted, unhappy people are in evidence on earth than those who confess and glory in Christ the crucified. In the world they are continually persecuted, tormented and a.s.sailed by the devil with all manner of wretchedness, misfortune, distress and death. Even to their own perceptions, it seems as if they surely are forgotten and forsaken by G.o.d in the sight of mankind. For he allows them to remain prostrate under the weight of the cross, while others in the world, particularly their persecutors, live in the enjoyment of honor and fortune, of happiness, power and riches, with everything moving to the fulfilment of their desires. The Scriptures frequently deplore this condition of things, especially the Psalms, and Paul in First Corinthians 15, 19 confesses: "If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable."

CHRISTIAN'S SUFFERINGS LEAD TO HAPPINESS.

3. Now, a.s.suredly this state of affairs cannot continue without end; it cannot be G.o.d's intention to permit Christians thus to suffer continually while they live, to die because of it and remain dead. It would be incompatible with his eternal, divine truth and honor manifest in his Word. For there he declares he will be the G.o.d of the pious, of them who fear and trust him, and gives them unspeakable promises. Necessarily, then, he has planned a future state for Christians and for non-Christians, in either instance unlike what they know on earth. Possibly one of the chief reasons why G.o.d permits Christians to suffer on earth is to make plain the distinction between their reward and that of the unG.o.dly. In the sufferings of believing Christians, and in the wickedness, tyranny, rage, and persecution directed by the unrighteous against the G.o.dly, is certain indication of a future life unlike this and a final judgment of G.o.d in which all men, G.o.dly and wicked, shall be forever recompensed.

4. Notice, Paul means to say here when he speaks of the tribulations and sufferings of Christians: "These afflictions are the indication of G.o.d's righteous judgment, and a sign you are worthy of the kingdom of G.o.d for which you suffer." In other words: "O beloved Christians, regard your sufferings as dear and precious. Think not G.o.d is angry with you, or has forgotten you, because he allows you to endure these things. They are your great help and comfort, for they show G.o.d will be a righteous judge, will richly bless you and avenge you upon your persecutors. Yes, therein you have unfailing a.s.surance. You may rejoice, and console yourselves, believing without the shadow of a doubt that you belong to the kingdom of G.o.d, and have been made worthy of it, because you suffer for its sake."

5. Whatever the Christian suffers here on earth at the hands of the devil and the world, befalls him simply for the sake of the name of G.o.d and for his Word. True, as a baptized child of G.o.d the Christian should justly enjoy unalloyed goodness, comfort and peace on earth; but since he must still dwell in the kingdom of the devil, who infuses sin and death into human flesh, he must endure the devil. Yet all Satan's inflictions and the world's plagues, persecutions, terrors, tortures, even the taking of the Christian's life, and all its abuse, is wrought in violence and injustice. But to offset this, the Christian has the comforting a.s.surance of G.o.d's Word that because he suffers for the sake of the kingdom of Christ and of G.o.d he shall surely be eternally partaker of that kingdom. Certain it is, no one will be worthy of it unless he suffers for it.

6. "If so be that it is a righteous thing with G.o.d to recompense affliction to them that afflict you," continues the apostle. It is impossible it should continue to be, as now, well with the world and evil with you. G.o.d's righteousness will not admit of it. Just because he is a righteous judge, things must be eventually different: the G.o.dly must have eternal good, and the wicked, on the other hand, must be punished forever. Otherwise G.o.d's judgment would not be righteous; in other words, he would not be G.o.d. Now, since this is an impossible proposition, since G.o.d's righteousness and truth are immutable, in his capacity of judge he must perforce, in due time, come from heaven, when he shall have a.s.sembled his Christians, and avenge them of their enemies, recompense the latter according to their merits, and confer eternal rest and peace upon his followers for the temporal sufferings they have endured here.

G.o.d DOES NOT FORGET HIS CHILDREN.