|
|
|
Posted At: 7:14am by Brent Kuhlman
|
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Trinity Lutheran Church
20 August 2006 Murdock, NE
+ Jesu Juva +
Ephesians 4:17-24
What was that you said? I think my ears are burning. Aren’t you a Christian?
What did you do? Are you kidding me? Really? You did THAT? You’re a Christian aren’t you? Maybe I should call the police. Or your parents. Or perhaps an attorney.
What? You’re really considering that? That isn’t what you learned in Sunday School, youth catechesis, or from the pulpit. You are a Christian, aren’t you?
“Of course, Reverend!”
So why do you act and talk as if you’re not died for? Why do you live as if you’re not baptized? Why do you do things unbelievers do? As if Jesus, what He’s done for you, and what He’s given you are all nothings? Why?
I know. I know. You’ve got excuse after excuse. You can justify the ungodliness all you want.
But that’s not who you are. You are died for – Good Friday-ed – people. Given the holy name of God in Baptism. You are baptized into Christ. Marked in Him and sealed with the Holy Spirit. Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Redeemed by Christ’s once for all sacrificial Mount Calvary body and blood. Delivered from death. Made alive with Christ. Raised with Christ. Seated with Him in the heavenly places. By grace you have been saved!
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do.”
I agree with the apostle. For behind Him stands the Lord Jesus Himself. I too insist, in the Lord, that you stop living like your unbelieving neighbors, friends or relatives. Stop imitating what you see and hear on TV, movies, and MTV. I know. I know. I’m taking a big chance by doing so. After all, who likes being told this? The old Adam stiffens up. Rebels. “Who does this Kuhlman think he is? Does he think he’s any better?”
No. I’m definitely not. But someone’s got to say it. Otherwise no one will. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do.”
People whose hearts are hardened to God’s grace. Treating Good Friday Jesus as futile. Useless. Pointless. So dark is their understanding. Cut themselves off from the life of God. Insensitive to Jesus who died for all. And for all sin. So they whoop it up. Name the wickedness and they’ve been there and done all that. But never satisfied. Must have more evil! “Give me more of the Howard Stern -- Hugh Hefner immorality! More debauchery! More sin! More idols!”
But “you . . . did not come to know Christ that way.” Who’s the Jesus you’ve come to know and believe in all these years? The Good Friday Jesus who died for you. The Jesus who’s forgiven you all your sins. Who baptized you into His death. Who feeds you with His most holy Body and Blood with the bread and wine. “Surely you’ve heard of him?” “Surely you’ve been taught this Jesus in Sunday School, youth catechesis and from this pulpit?” You have been saved by the bloody death of Jesus for good works. For service to your neighbor. Living for others and not yourself.
“I know Reverend. But it’s such a struggle! I want to do what is God pleasing. But then I end up doing what doesn’t please Him. I want to do what is good but then I do what I hate. What a wretched person I am Reverend! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
Jesus. Only Jesus.
He drowned your Old Adam in the water of your Baptism. He raised you up in the likeness of His resurrection.
But as you know, your old Adam’s like the hockey masked horror movie character, Jason. Always coming back out of the water. Trying to ruin your life in Christ.
So the “old self,” that is, the corrupted and deceitful old Adam, is “put off.” “Put off.” Not in the way of being tamed. Not domesticated. Not reformed. But killed! Put back under and water and held under until he’s dead. Not just once. Not just every once in a while. But daily! A daily putting the old Adam to death. There’s only one way to handle your “old self,” your old Adam: HE MUST BE KILLED!
And Jesus does that for you through the Holy Spirit filled Word of God’s Law.
For what purpose? So that Jesus can daily resurrect a new man: A BELIEVER! A believer who trusts Jesus with
everything. His life. His sins. His death. His salvation. That’s a new way of thinking – of believing. Every day! Here is what is true: YOU’RE DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. You’re died for to live the life of faith only in the Savior, Jesus. You are a new creation, the “new self,” the new man created only by the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins.
So go ahead. Trust who you are for Christ’s sake. Enjoy being who you are for Christ’s sake. For Christ’s sake use Jesus against your sin and your old Adam. For Christ’s sake use Jesus to strengthen your faith in Him. So come. Eat and drink at the altar. And believe only in Jesus whom the Father has sent for us and for our salvation.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
|
Comment on entry entitled "Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost"
You may use BBCode within your posts, a reference is available here.
|
|
|
