A Proper and Honorable Life With Good Deeds For You!

It is commendable and expected that one be passionate about one's belief. This is especially true when resisting evil doers in government, business, health care etc. However, we have a kind of passion which is not righteous at all. Peter speaks of this passion:

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

(1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV)

These sinful passions of the flesh seek only to ridicule in an unkind manner those who are promoting wrongdoing in order to do something right.  This takes the form of gleefully promoting political cartoon and other forms of speech which only destroys the person at whom it is directed. Nothing good can come of these expressions, The only thing they do is cause those who are backing the persons at whom they are directed to dig in the heels and not listen to reason. This is what those held captive to the flesh will do anyway to get his or her point across.

For a believer in Jesus to engage in these activities commits violence against our souls. Both those who are making these things and promoting them and those who see them knowing it is a fellow believer doing it.

“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

(Acts 26:2-3 ESV)

Here we see the grand example of St Paul before sinful and unbelieving King Agrippa. He is not railing against him. Rather he defends himself in an honorable fashion giving him the respect due his vocation as king. Later on when Festus accuses Paul of being out of his mind Paul calls him excellent Festus.

If we were honest with ourselves we must admit we have found perverse joy seeing a political cartoon, listening to a talking head's sarcastic personal attacks and have used this destructive speaking ourselves. This is breaking God's command to honor father and mother referring to those Our Lord has called into office. This fleshly response deserves God's temporal and eternal punishment.

But we have good news. Christ came and perfectly obeyed the commandments perfectly and his holiness is given to us as a gift. For the sake of the innocent suffering and death of Our Lord we have this trespass removed from us. Jesus' resurrection is also for our justification.

Trust this good news and live in its peace. Amen. †

Surprise! Certain Forgiveness of Sin For You!

“These invitations are universal; Christ addresses them to sinners, as such, and every man, as he believes God to be true, is bound to treat them as God’s words to him personally and to accept the universal assurance which accompanies them, that all who come to Christ will be received. Again, these invitations are real; Christ genuinely offers Himself to all who hear the gospel, and is in truth a perfect Saviour to all who trust Him.”*
Amen Brother Packer. Yes the Gospel is to be proclaimed as universal. He even uses the word universal! The problem happens where the excited believer attends Bible study then is directed to subject this scripture to his logic to understand all is not really all.
Is subjecting scripture to logic necessary? God the Father knows who is going to be in Christ.  Christ knows his believers and calls them by name. The Holy Spirit enlightens us and gives us the gift of faith in order that we may trust him. Given all that, why confuse the believer with chatty logic in order to answer questions not answered in scripture. It is good to remember we are adopted children of Our Heavenly Father.

I have raised 4 children and there were many why questions which remained unanswered questions. Not out of mean disposition but rather not letting them be burdened unnecessarily with adult reasoning.  I am sure I cannot remember some of my reasoning beyond it seemed best for them.

Now, to  contrast my actions as a father of young children to an Infinite, Sovereign and Incomprehensible Father. Would he be any less inclined not to answer all our questions to our full satisfaction? Does this desire for every question to have an answer that makes sense warrant the never ending examining and reasoning of how scripture agrees with us? Or can we suspend that and throw caution to the wind by telling people that in the name of  Jesus, and for the sake of his cross and resurrection, their sins are forgiven?

and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

(Luke 24:46-47 ESV)

Trust this good news and live in the peace it gives. Amen †

* From : Introductory Essay of  Death of Death by John Owen by J.I. Packer

simul iustus et peccator: Should the Government mandate to the Church?

simul iustus et peccator: Should the Government mandate to the Church?: Our government wants to force church bodies to provide insurance for employees to cover contraception, The pro life position would be agains...

Should the Government mandate to the Church?

Our government wants to force church bodies to provide insurance for employees to cover contraception, The pro life position would be against this certainly. These contraceptives would include abortive drugs such as the morning after pill. When considering the mandate of Department of Health and Human services we see this writing from Kierkegaard. Totally different issue but the view is applicable all the same. What if this is held up and tax free exemption status is threatened? Away, if need be, to tax exemption status? 


We have constitutional assurances against the institution of religion but we see, alarmingly, more and more that document trodden under foot of controlling government officials. Christ have mercy!


http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=16878


"If the Church is "free" from the state, it's all good. I can immediately fit in this situation. But if the Church is to be emancipated, then I must ask: By what means, in what way? A religious movement must be served religiously—otherwise it is a sham! Consequently, the emancipation must come about through martyrdom—bloody or bloodless. The price of purchase is the spiritual attitude. But those who wish to emancipate the Church by secular and worldly means (i.e. no martyrdom), they've introduced a conception of tolerance entirely consonant with that of the entire world, where tolerance equals indifference, and that is the most terrible offence against Christianity. [...] the doctrine of the established Church, its organization, are both very good indeed. Oh, but then our lives: believe me, they are indeed wretched."


Dru, Alexander (1938). The Journals of Søren Kierkegaard. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation

Glosses From An Old Manse: A Tale of Two Novelists

Glosses From An Old Manse: A Tale of Two Novelists: “ I hope you say your prayers every night,” said another gentleman in a gruff voice, “and pray for the people who feed you, and take care o...