IMMORTALITY
Scripture reveals to us that only one person ever born into this world was immortal and through his death on a cross and glorious resurrection gave us forgiveness of sins as well as a share in his immortality. We, however, are not born to be immortal. Our mortality was sealed the day that Man sinned by disobeying God's first commandment. You shall not put any other gods before me.
I was watching The Mummy: Tomb of the Red Dragon King last night and one thing that was in this movie that is in many of this type is the evil king looking for a way to become immortal and reign forever. The part that struck me was that there is always something which can take away his immortality. In this case it was a special knife that if stabbed into his heart would kill him forever.
Nothing can take away Christ's immortality. He even went through death as a human. Not just any death, but a death of indignity and humility at the hands of his enemies. This does not happen in these movies that Hollywood makes. No it is a King who wants to usurp power over everyone and does not care about anyone but himself. He will stop at nothing, including killing his right hand man to show his power to his people.
This man will only oppress the people, not free them from their oppression. His desire to be immortal is selfish and is just like the first humans God made when temptation came their way. They were lied to by the serpent that God was withholding his knowledge from them. The serpent wanted them to think that having this burden of the knowledge of Good and Evil would put them on a level playing field with God. There is no one who can be equal to God. He is the creator and his creation is an extension of his power, but it is not equal to him.
God created mankind in his image- Both male and female he made them. He created the proper environment for them to live in and plenty of food to sustain the life he had breathed into them. If he gave them all these things at creation why then did they want or need more? The serpents lie convinced Eve that God was not being fair with them. She wanted equality with God on all levels and Adam was right there keeping quiet which was his silent acceptance of all that was being said. He could have refuted what Eve said about not touching the tree, but he didn't.
They both took the bait hook, line and sinker and it plunged them down into the existence they and we all live. One of temporal mortality. We interited their sin through our birth and are destined to die just as they did. We can never achieve immortality on our own by any means of our own.
God knows this and has provided us a way outside of ourselves to become immortal. First our sins must be paid for by blood. THat is the way that God has chosen. Life must be sacrificed and blood spilled. Cultures all over the world have religions which have human sacrifice to appease their malevolent gods. Blood is spilled and flesh has been eaten all in the name of their religion. But no sinful human would have been a proper sacrifice to pay for the sins we all commit daily. In preparing his people for the ultimate sacrifice, he set up commandments which showed them what a proper sacrifice would have to be. An unblemished lamb without spot or wrinkle was the beginning. The sins of the people were put on the lamb who was sacrificed. The blood was spilled and sin was atoned.
Christ, the Son of God, became the final sacrifice for our sin. No more sacrifice is necessary or desired. In fact, God tells us that he desires mercy over and above sacrifice. Through this sacrifice, God's mercy and grace are imputed to us. Christ then defeated death through his resurrection on the third day. No grave could hold him and there is no way to take away his immortality by a special incantation or artifact made in this world. Hollywood is still working the side of the serpent by trying to convince us human beings that we can achieve our own immortality, but it is a false immortality because it can be lost. Christ's immortality is given to us as a gift of grace from the creator. Nothing in this world can separate us from it except ourselves.
It is through the means of grace which God has given to us to receive this immortality. These means of Grace are his Word and Sacrament which we receive as we attend church each week and not at the movie theater or your television.
In Christ we pray, Amen.
September 03, 2009
BIRTHDAY--NOT SUCH A BLESSED DAY
Today is my sister's birthday. She is 3 years and 359 days younger than I am. When we were younger, birthdays took on some significance with us as I am sure they do with many people. It is a celebration of the day your mother gave birth to you. In America, the custom for many is to give the person whose birthday it is, a gift to commemorate the day.
But if we look at it from a Christian perspective, it is the day you were born into this sinful world and because of sin, you will die. Not a pleasant thought is it? Our birthday signifies a date of conviction for sins you haven't necessarily committed as yet, but you will inevitably do so.
Since Adam and Eve fell from grace in the Garden, we have been inheritors of their downfall. Our physical and spiritual death is certain to happen because we fall short of God's glory. The soul that sins, it shall die. But God, the righteous judge has given us a stay on our Spiritual death. One that cost him his Son to a horrible and painful death on our behalf.
Christ Jesus is God's Son and his sacrifice on the Cross was the redemption price for all mankind from its sin. It is by God's grace through faith in His Son's meritorious work on the cross and his mighty resurrection that saves us from eternal life in Hell.
Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that one must be born from above to receive salvation. It is not something we ourselves can do, but that we need God to do it for us. Jesus says, "Flesh gives birth to Flesh and Spirit gives birth to Spirit." So we have been celebrating a day which really gives birth to a dying flesh.
So how do we receive the Spirit birth? We receive it through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Baptism was instituted by Jesus in the Great Commission when Jesus commanded his disciples to
19 j Go therefore and k make disciples of l all nations, jbaptizing them m in 2 n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them o to observe all that p I have commanded you. And behold, q I am with you always, to r the end of the age.”
Baptism saves us--1 Peter 3:21. It is nothing more than the word of God attached to water, but in attaching God's word to the element of water, it becomes efficient to cleanse you from sin. Just like if you put clothes in a washing machine, you need to add soap so that the clothes become clean. The soap makes the water efficient to clean the clothing.
Through Baptism, we are born again to the Spirit of God. He gives us the power and faith to believe that all God has said and done for us is true and what the Devil says to us is a lie.
Because of this, Maybe we should count more the day of our Spiritual birth than our Fleshly birth. On your fleshly birthday give your mother a call and thank her for the labor pain and agony she went through from birth to the day you left her to live your own life. Give her a present (she deserves it) and instead Thank God for the blessings of your Spiritual Birth through your Baptism into His Kingdom.
j Mark 16:15, 16
k ch. 13:52
l Luke 24:47; [ch. 24:14; Mark 11:17; Rom. 1:5]
m See Acts 8:16
2 Or into
n [2 Cor. 13:14]
o John 14:15
p [Acts 1:2]
q [ch. 1:23; 18:20; John 12:26; 14:3; 17:24; Acts 18:10]
r See ch. 13:39
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 28:19-20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Today is my sister's birthday. She is 3 years and 359 days younger than I am. When we were younger, birthdays took on some significance with us as I am sure they do with many people. It is a celebration of the day your mother gave birth to you. In America, the custom for many is to give the person whose birthday it is, a gift to commemorate the day.
But if we look at it from a Christian perspective, it is the day you were born into this sinful world and because of sin, you will die. Not a pleasant thought is it? Our birthday signifies a date of conviction for sins you haven't necessarily committed as yet, but you will inevitably do so.
Since Adam and Eve fell from grace in the Garden, we have been inheritors of their downfall. Our physical and spiritual death is certain to happen because we fall short of God's glory. The soul that sins, it shall die. But God, the righteous judge has given us a stay on our Spiritual death. One that cost him his Son to a horrible and painful death on our behalf.
Christ Jesus is God's Son and his sacrifice on the Cross was the redemption price for all mankind from its sin. It is by God's grace through faith in His Son's meritorious work on the cross and his mighty resurrection that saves us from eternal life in Hell.
Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that one must be born from above to receive salvation. It is not something we ourselves can do, but that we need God to do it for us. Jesus says, "Flesh gives birth to Flesh and Spirit gives birth to Spirit." So we have been celebrating a day which really gives birth to a dying flesh.
So how do we receive the Spirit birth? We receive it through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Baptism was instituted by Jesus in the Great Commission when Jesus commanded his disciples to
19 j Go therefore and k make disciples of l all nations, jbaptizing them m in 2 n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them o to observe all that p I have commanded you. And behold, q I am with you always, to r the end of the age.”
Baptism saves us--1 Peter 3:21. It is nothing more than the word of God attached to water, but in attaching God's word to the element of water, it becomes efficient to cleanse you from sin. Just like if you put clothes in a washing machine, you need to add soap so that the clothes become clean. The soap makes the water efficient to clean the clothing.
Through Baptism, we are born again to the Spirit of God. He gives us the power and faith to believe that all God has said and done for us is true and what the Devil says to us is a lie.
Because of this, Maybe we should count more the day of our Spiritual birth than our Fleshly birth. On your fleshly birthday give your mother a call and thank her for the labor pain and agony she went through from birth to the day you left her to live your own life. Give her a present (she deserves it) and instead Thank God for the blessings of your Spiritual Birth through your Baptism into His Kingdom.
j Mark 16:15, 16
k ch. 13:52
l Luke 24:47; [ch. 24:14; Mark 11:17; Rom. 1:5]
m See Acts 8:16
2 Or into
n [2 Cor. 13:14]
o John 14:15
p [Acts 1:2]
q [ch. 1:23; 18:20; John 12:26; 14:3; 17:24; Acts 18:10]
r See ch. 13:39
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 28:19-20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
September 02, 2009
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR
My children have been in school now for almost 3 weeks. J is in the 7th grade at a local public middle school and P is in the 4th grade at a nearby Lutheran School. So far both are getting along in their schools fairly well.
Now it is my turn. This next Tuesday I begin my 4th year of Seminary study at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. The first quarter will be my biggest challenge as I am taking 18 credits right off the bat. Having spent the past year as a vicar, I got out of the practice of studying many subjects for long periods of time and instead prepared for sermons and bible studies.
One of my professors for a class titled "Luther Theology in Survey" recently sent an email telling us how much reading we will be doing over the next 10 weeks. This is a monumental jump for someone who maybe read a few commentaries to prepare for Bible Study.
This year is important though because at the end, I pray that I will receive a call to lead a church. I know that this year is going to prove as challenging as that first class to learn Greek three years ago. I will be called upon to think in very theological terms.
Another development for me has been the diagnosis of Attnetion Deficit Disorder or ADD. I began taking this medication 2 weeks ago and I have noticed some positive changes in my ability to focus on certain tasks though I am losing the effects as I get into the 10th hour after taking it and I begin to crash and feel tired.
I think I will have to try another month on a higher dosage to determine just how much I need to function properly.
Please keep me in your prayers this school year that God will help me to accomplish all that I need to become his servant.
My children have been in school now for almost 3 weeks. J is in the 7th grade at a local public middle school and P is in the 4th grade at a nearby Lutheran School. So far both are getting along in their schools fairly well.
Now it is my turn. This next Tuesday I begin my 4th year of Seminary study at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. The first quarter will be my biggest challenge as I am taking 18 credits right off the bat. Having spent the past year as a vicar, I got out of the practice of studying many subjects for long periods of time and instead prepared for sermons and bible studies.
One of my professors for a class titled "Luther Theology in Survey" recently sent an email telling us how much reading we will be doing over the next 10 weeks. This is a monumental jump for someone who maybe read a few commentaries to prepare for Bible Study.
This year is important though because at the end, I pray that I will receive a call to lead a church. I know that this year is going to prove as challenging as that first class to learn Greek three years ago. I will be called upon to think in very theological terms.
Another development for me has been the diagnosis of Attnetion Deficit Disorder or ADD. I began taking this medication 2 weeks ago and I have noticed some positive changes in my ability to focus on certain tasks though I am losing the effects as I get into the 10th hour after taking it and I begin to crash and feel tired.
I think I will have to try another month on a higher dosage to determine just how much I need to function properly.
Please keep me in your prayers this school year that God will help me to accomplish all that I need to become his servant.
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