“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

It is an amazing thing that God the Son, Creator of the world, was in the world and the world did not recognize Him! Jesus Christ, God Himself in human flesh, came into this world and the people of this world did not know or acknowledge Him for who He truly is.

Of course, nothing is different today. People still do not know or recognize Jesus for who He is. He made us; and yet we, by nature, do not acknowledge Him as our Creator or our Redeemer.

Jesus, the promised Messiah and Savior, came to His own people – to those who had the promises and looked for His coming – but they did not receive Him. And today as well, He comes through His Word to those who have known and heard the promises, but people are still unwilling to receive Him.

But to those who do receive Him – trusting that in Him and for the sake of His blood shed upon the cross for all mankind God is gracious to us and forgives us – God has given the right and privilege to be His children.

As the Scripture says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).

However, our receiving of Jesus as Messiah and Savior is not the result of our natural birth or bloodline. It is not because we were born to Christian parents or were raised up in a church. It’s not even the result of our own will or decision. Rather, it is the gracious working of God the Spirit in our lives. Through His Word, God reveals Himself to us and reveals Jesus to us as the Son and our Savior, bringing us to trust in Him for forgiveness and life.

It is as God’s Word says: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We give You thanks, O Lord Jesus Christ, for graciously revealing to us that You are both our Creator and our Redeemer. We thank You for paying in full upon the cross for the sins of the world that we might have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through faith in Your name. Thank You for bringing us to trust in Your name and giving us the right and privilege to be called children of God. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version]

He put out another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel among the wheat and went his way.  But when the blade had sprung up and had produced fruit, then the darnel also appeared. So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where have the darnel come from? He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them up? But he said, No, lest while you gather up the darnel you also root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary. … Then sending the crowds away, Jesus went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field. He answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom; but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the darnel are gathered and burned in the fire, so it shall be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous shall shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.  Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 MKJV

Jesus explains this parable for us. He sows the good seed. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom of God; but the tares or darnel are the children of the devil, the evil one.

Jesus, through His faithful servants, sows the pure seed of the Gospel in this world and thus produces true believers who trust in Christ for salvation and are members of His eternal kingdom. These are the good seed, or the wheat.

But in the same field where the Gospel is proclaimed and produces Christians, the devil and his false prophets sow error and false doctrine which produce false Christians. These may appear to be genuine Christians; but they do not have saving faith in Jesus Christ, and their fruits or works are unacceptable to the Lord God.

In this world the true believers and false believers continue to dwell side by side until the day of Judgment. Then God’s holy angels will separate the true believers from the false. Those whose faith did not spring up from the good seed of the Gospel will be cast into hell! But those whose faith comes from the pure Gospel – who trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for eternal salvation, who as a fruit of that faith also produce fruit acceptable in God’s sight for Jesus’ sake – will be taken to heaven where they will live with Christ in righteousness and purity forever!

This is a warning to us that wherever the Gospel is sown and true believers are, the devil will also sow his lies and false doctrine to lead people into a false confidence and hope based on their own works and righteousness or upon some other lie or deception of the evil one. Let us hold fast to Jesus Christ and His saving Word lest we also be misled by the working of the evil one!

Defend Thy truth, O God, and stay this evil generation; and from the error of its way keep Thine own congregation. The wicked everywhere abound and would Thy little flock confound; but Thou art our Salvation. Amen. (TLH, Hymn #260, Verse 6)

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’”

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Mark 4:1-20

As we read the parable of the sower and its explanation, we are quick to identify people we know with the poor kinds of soil and ourselves with the good ground. But, when we do this, we miss the warning and comfort of this parable for ourselves.

This parable certainly warns against being like one of the three poor kinds of soil. We may think of ourselves as the good soil, but how often do we not also fit the descriptions of the poor ground?

Many times we are like the hard ground. The Word of God is sown upon us, but it doesn’t sink in and produce fruit in our lives because we have either been uninterested or inattentive. Then the Word is snatched away by the devil.

Often we are also like the rocky soil or the thorny ground. In times of affliction or persecution, we shrink back from a bold and faithful confession of the truths of God’s Word because we have not let that Word sink its roots deep into our lives.

And how often we let the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things in this life keep us from faithfully hearing and learning God’s Word!

When we are good soil, we can take no credit for this. We must say with Jesus that it is a blessing of the Lord when the Word sinks in, grows and produces fruit in our lives (Matt. 13:16). It is the Lord who cultivates the soil of our hearts, breaking up the hard ground, removing the rocks and killing the weeds, that the Gospel of forgiveness of sins and life eternal for the sake of Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death might be heard and believed by us and produce fruit in our lives.

Almighty God, Thy Word is cast like seed into the ground; now let the dew of heaven descend and righteous fruits abound. Amen. (TLH, Hymn #49, Verse 1)

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

July 22, 2009

There’s nothing to add

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV

When the Betty Crocker company first came out with cake mixes and all one had to do was add water, the mixes didn’t sell well. Market research revealed that people wanted to be involved in producing the cake. So the company changed the recipe and required the customer to add an egg to the mix. Then the product took off like wildfire.

Satan’s most effective weapon is whispering into the sinner’s ear, “You need to do something for your salvation.” When the sinner hears that all is done – that Christ Jesus did it all by His holy life and innocent sufferings and death and God’s gift is complete – Satan says, “It’s too easy; you need to do your part.”

And sinners concur. They want to produce their cake of salvation from scratch, using the ingredients of their own works – or they desire at least to add an egg or two of their own efforts into the mix. Salvation that requires no work whatsoever on their part just doesn’t appeal.

Of course, Satan forgets to mention that the cake of salvation the sinner tries to bake can only turn out to be a flop – one that will give stomachaches when sins trouble and when death draws near and one that will be burnt in the oven of God’s judgment on the Last Day!

When it comes to salvation, there is nothing sinners can add to what Christ has done!

“It is finished!” Jesus said, as He suffered and died upon the cross for the sins of the world (John 19:30). All was done! Our redemption was accomplished! Salvation was purchased for all with Christ’s shed blood!

Because all is already done, the Bible tells us that whoever believes and trusts in the finished redemption of Christ Jesus will not perish in God’s judgment, but has, as God’s Word says, “everlasting life.”

May God grant us faith to simply receive the finished salvation won for us by our Savior Jesus Christ.

LUTHERANS FOR LIFE:

“They did not understand about the loaves” (Mark 6:52a). Stomachs full and hearts hardened, the storm-threatened apostles failed to understand who they followed. The God who abundantly shared His grace through Christ, will not forsake us in our struggles. (www.lutheransforlife.org)

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS:

Dave Brown for continued good health; Ron Wellander for improved health; families traveling on vacation this week; Tonny Mayer for good health.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL:

We are almost done with VBS this year and have had 20 children attend! Just a reminder to moms and dads that the children will be singing in church on Sunday.

SOLDIERS TO WRITE ONCE/WEEK:

Please keep bringing in items for the boxes so they can be mailed! Soldier names and addresses are: James Brewer, HHC1-632nd HBCT, FOB Mahmudiyah, APO 09322; PV2 David Finch, CCO 1-506, FOB Warior, RF Red Currahee, APO 09354; Sgt. John Hancock, D. Co. 1-185 AR BN 1st PLT, COB Speicher, APO AE 09393.
BUDGET:

Offering on 7-19-09 $603.85

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:6-9

John the Baptist was sent by God to bear witness to Jesus Christ, God’s Son and the Light of the world. John was “the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). He did not seek to gain a following for himself, but called upon all people to repent of their sins and trust in the Messiah and Savior who was about to appear. John testified of Jesus, that He is God the Son and the Savior who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

We too are called to bear witness to Jesus, the Light of the world, that all might place their trust in Him for forgiveness and life everlasting (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16)! We are not to proclaim ourselves to be the light, but Jesus; for only He can give light and life to men. We of ourselves cannot forgive sins or give life everlasting; but Jesus paid in full for the sins of the world when He suffered and died upon the cross and rose again, and Jesus offers forgiveness of sins and the everlasting joys of heaven to all mankind.

Jesus is the true Light which shines upon the people of this world, offering them forgiveness and life. We can only reflect that Light and point people to Jesus that they too might know Him and trust in Him for life and salvation.

Dear Jesus, grant that we would not proclaim ourselves to be the light and seek to gain a following for ourselves. But, rather, grant that we would proclaim You to be the Light of the world and the only Savior of mankind! Amen.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5

Who was already there in the very beginning when God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)? Who was with God the Father in the beginning? and with God the Spirit as He moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2)?

Who created all things that were made? Who formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, giving man life, both physical and spiritual – making Adam a living creature who loved God, trusted in Him and served Him whole-heartedly (Genesis 2:7)?

It is the Word – God’s Son, Jesus Christ! In the beginning, God the Son was already there! He was with God and He was and always has been God! Christ Jesus, before taking on human flesh, created man and all things! Without Him nothing was created that has been made! Cf. Hebrews 1:1-3.

Man’s life originated in God the Son, and this life was man’s light. But now this Light of life shines in our sin-darkened world, and man does not understand Him or receive Him! How tragic! How blinded we are by our sin not to recognize our own God and Creator come into this world a true man to redeem us and give us back the life in Him we lost by our disobedience!

Dear Lord Jesus, our God and Lord, open our eyes that we may see You and the life You have won for all by Your holy life and Your innocent sufferings and death for us upon the cross; and breathe into us Your Spirit that we may be made alive, enlightened, and take hold of You by faith. Amen.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matthew 7:28-29

What was remarkable about Jesus’ teaching? What was so different and unique about it? What set it apart from the teaching of the Hebrew scribes?

The Bible tells us the answer when it says: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

The scribes could not say, as Jesus did repeatedly, “Ye have heard that it was said … but I say unto you,” (Matthew 5). The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and no man has the right to add to its teaching or take away from it (cf. Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Revelation 22:18-19). But Jesus had authority, not only to expound the Scriptures, but to expand the Scriptures. He was and is the very Son of God – the Word made flesh (John 1:1-14) – and as such has the authority to say, “Ye have heard that it was said … but I say unto you…”

He also will be our Judge on the Last Day (cf. Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10) and therefore has every right to warn us of His impending judgment upon those who remain impenitent and disobedient to the Gospel call. He will say to the unbelieving and hypocrites, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23).

The Hebrew scribes could not preach and teach with such authority, nor can we today. Our only authority is the Word of God which Christ Jesus committed to us. We are to preach and proclaim nothing more and nothing less than God’s Word, which is entrusted to us in the Bible.

St. Paul wrote, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Paul faithfully preached and taught that which he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Galatians 1:11ff.; 1 Corinthians 11:23ff). So also, ministers today are stewards of the mysteries of God – they are entrusted with the task of faithfully preaching and teaching, not their own thoughts and opinions, not the thoughts and opinions of others, but the Word of God – nothing more and nothing less!  It is as God says: “He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.” (Jeremiah 23:28).

Of course, we know that Jesus also shocked His hearers with His proclamations of the Gospel. Only God can forgive sins, and yet Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matthew 9:2); and Jesus proved His authority to do so by also healing the paralyzed man and enabling him to take up his bed and walk.

Because Messiah Jesus suffered and died for the sins of all and then rose again from the dead, we are also privileged to proclaim and apply His Gospel words of forgiveness to ourselves and to others. “We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14), and we proclaim to the world Jesus’ Word of reconciliation (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18 – 6:2).

O dearest Jesus, thank You for entrusting to us Your Word and the comfort it offers us through Your blood shed upon the cross for our sins. Amen.

 [Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” Hebrews 11:4 (Read Genesis 4)

Both Cain and Abel offered gifts to the LORD God, Abel from his flocks and herds, and Cain from the fruits of the ground. Why was it that God accepted Abel and his sacrifice but rejected Cain?

Hebrews 11:4 tells us the answer: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Abel offered his sacrifice in faith. He trusted in the LORD God to accept him and his sacrifice for the sake of the promised Seed of the woman, that promised Messiah and Savior who would redeem him and all mankind from sin and the just condemnation of God’s law. Cain, on the other hand, though he too offered up a sacrifice to the LORD, did not offer it up in the confidence of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Rather, he went through the outward motions of serving his Maker, but his heart was far from the LORD (cf. Matthew 15:8; Isaiah 29:13).

Cain’s works are described as evil in 1 John 3:12 and Jude 11. Even though he brought an offering to the LORD, he was not walking with the LORD by faith; and his gift was unacceptable since the LORD looks upon the heart.

Of course, when we read Genesis 4, we learn not only that Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable, but that he hated his brother Abel and killed him because Abel was counted righteous. Those who do not follow after the LORD continue to this day to hate those who walk by faith in the LORD because the witness of the righteous pricks the guilt-ridden consciences of those who go their own way.

Does this mean that Abel was of himself without sin? Not at all! Rather he was counted righteous in God’s eyes through faith in God’s promise to send a Savior to bear his punishment and redeem him from sin’s condemnation (Cf. Genesis 3:15). The lambs sacrificed pointed ahead to the Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world (cf. John 1:29).

What about you? Do you walk with the LORD God by faith in His Son as did Abel, trusting that God accepts and forgives you for the sake of that Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world? Or do you walk as Cain walked, serving the Lord outwardly with gifts and lip-service while inwardly you are far from the Lord and go another way?

Dear Lord Jesus, Lamb of God who has taken away my sin and the sin of the whole world by Your innocent sufferings and death upon the cross, forgive me, cleanse me and lead me. By Your Spirit, move me to walk with you by faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

^“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27

Upon what do you build your life? What is the foundation of your beliefs, lifestyle and conduct here in this world?

Sad to say, most build their lives on the values and philosophies of society rather than upon God and His Word. Thus, God’s commandments are held in contempt, and His pleadings with mankind to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon and life eternal are ignored and even ridiculed.

Also among those who bear the name “Christian” – even among those who faithfully attend church services – there are many who are unwilling to accept all that the Bible teaches. They would rather pick and choose those portions of Scripture which fit their own manner of life and thinking and explain away or reject those portions of God’s Word which are less than appealing or less than politically or socially correct.

But what does Jesus say of His Sermon on the Mount – His teaching and sayings – as well as all of God’s Word?

^“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Those who hear the Word of God – the teaching of Jesus – and heed that Word, repenting of all sin and wickedness, trusting in the shed blood of Jesus for forgiveness, and then, as a fruit of faith, seeking to amend and live life in accord with God’s Word, Jesus likens them to a wise man who builds his house upon a solid rock. When the troubles and storms of life come, his house – his faith and life – stands. His hope and life are in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ where nothing can corrupt or destroy his eternal inheritance!

But, on the other hand, those who do not hear and heed God’s Word, do not repent of their evil ways and place their faith and hope in Christ Jesus and His shed blood, Jesus likens them to a foolish man who built his house – his confidence and life – upon the ever-changing sands of this life and upon the hopes and philosophies of this world. Then, when the floods of trouble and judgment come, his house – his life and all he lived for and trusted in – will be washed away. And great will be the fall of it!

Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for ignoring Your Word and teaching and not building my life and faith upon this solid foundation. Cleanse my heart and soul and give me a renewed love for You and Your Word that I might build upon Your eternal and life-giving truth. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:16-19

This passage of the Bible is one which few accept. Why? Because it speaks of the curse brought upon all mankind by the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden; and who wants to acquiesce to a life filled with pain, sorrow, hard work, trouble, hardship and, finally, death and decay?

To the woman God said, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” How many women are willing to accept this truth and submit themselves to such a life of sorrow and pain?

To Adam God said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

One doesn’t have to be a farmer to know that the ground brings forth thorns and thistles, but the curse includes the fact that we will have to labor and work hard to earn and produce our daily bread; yet we so often forget this and seek an easier way. We grumble and complain about the need to labor and work long and hard hours, but we shouldn’t expect things to be easy in this sinful world.

We also will all die and return to the dust of the ground. We try to put this truth far from our minds as well, and we live as though death will not overtake us; but it will! We will return to the dust of the ground from which we were formed and created. Some go to great lengths to avoid the inevitable, but they too die.

And why all this suffering, sorrow, toil, pain and death? It is because of sin – because Adam and Eve doubted and disobeyed God’s word to them and because we are born in sin and disobedience to the perfect will and design of our Creator. The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and these words are true. We die because we are sinners, and there is nothing we can do about it

Yet God has provided a solution to our self-inflicted dilemma. He sent His only-begotten Son into the world a true man to fulfill all righteousness for us, living in perfect obedience to the holy will and commandments of the LORD, and then to bear in Himself the full punishment for the sins of the world, by suffering and dying upon the cross, that we might be pardoned and acceptable in God’s eyes. This Jesus has done. He lived a holy life in our stead and then suffered and died upon the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day. In Christ Jesus, God offers and gives to us sinners forgiveness for all our sins and everlasting life with Him in heaven. As the Scriptures say, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Yes, as sinners, we suffer the heartaches, pains and sorrows of this world. We have to spend our days here laboring for our daily bread. And, finally, when our days here are done, we die and our bodies return to the dust (cf. Psalm 90). But as believers in Christ Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again in victory, we are assured that we too shall be raised up on the last day to life eternal. We are assured and take comfort in the fact that Jesus is right now preparing a place for us and will come again to take us to be with Him forever in the mansions of His Father’s house (cf. John 14:1ff.). For us, “to die” is “to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better”! (Philippians 1:21, 23).

Indeed, we live by faith in the Son of God who died for us, rose again and is coming to take us to be with Him forever! We endure the pain and suffering of this world in eager anticipation of the life which is to come for Jesus’ sake!

O dearest Jesus, You lived the holy and sinless life which I should have lived, and You took the punishment I should have suffered when you were condemned and forsaken of the Father upon the cross. Thank You for paying the price for my sin and opening up for me the way of eternal life. Graciously receive me into Your everlasting kingdom and give me never-ending life with You in heaven. Amen.