When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

– Titus 3.4-8 (NKJV)

The relationship between grace and works is one of the core disagreements between Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and historic Protestant believers. Even among Protestants, the means by which God gives grace is an area of disagreement. One place in Scripture where all these come together nicely is this passage from Titus 3.

Here we see several beautiful teachings that we must hold together as we cling to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We must resist the efforts of those who wish to separate one of more of these truths, when in reality, they are all inseparable from one another.

First, salvation does not come to us as a result of our works but solely as a result of God’s grace. We are not saved by some combination of works and grace, as some maintain, but ‘according to His mercy He saved us.’ Though Roman Catholics and Orthodox both affirm grace, they maintain the necessity of good works for salvation (not as a result of it). They criticize Luther for inserting the word ‘alone’ (‘sola’) when he wrote of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, maintaining that Scripture nowhere explicitly says this. While the argument is clever, it is clear even to children that grace plus anything is no longer grace but simply a fair response to something someone has earned. St. Paul explicitly says otherwise here.

Second, God’s gracious salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit come to us through the means of baptism. ‘He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.’ It was not until after the Reformation that anyone understood this verse to apply to anything other than water baptism as God’s means of grace through which he applies the merciful gift of salvation. Baptism is not our act of obedience or public profession of faith, as Baptists teach, but God’s act of mercy whereby he saves us and grants us the indwelling Spirit. Baptism is not a work we must do (works righteousness) but a work which God does to us (salvation by grace). Of course, baptism does not benefit anyone without faith. Scripture plainly teaches that there is no salvation apart from faith, but it also teaches that baptism is one of God’s means of grace and not our response to grace.

Third, works are an essential part of the believer’s life. ‘I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.’ Here the relationship between salvation and works is abundantly clear. It is the saved who are called to do good works, not good works that result in our salvation. Note also that good works are not an optional part of the Christian life, as though someone could live without them and be a genuine believer. They are essential, not resulting in salvation but inevitably flowing from it. St. James speaks against the lie that someone could supposedly have saving faith that does not result in good works.

Held together, these three teachings are a beautiful tapestry of grace lived out in the Christian life. They should always encourage us and spur us on when we become complacent. Above all, they should continually drive us to Christ–the source of our salvation–in thanksgiving and praise.

#devotional #sacraments #theology

Over and over, the psalmist recites a cycle of hardship or suffering followed by a desperate cry to God for help, which results each time in God coming to the aid of the faithful who cry out to him. This cycle ends each time with the line, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

After three cycles in the past tense, the psalmist switches to the present tense to describe a storm on the sea and the desperate situation that results. Here, in the present tense, the terrified sailors cry out to God who delivers them again and gives them peace, rest, and a safe port at the end of their journey. This present tense deliverance is yet another reason to implore us to worship. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

Finally, the psalmist reflects on the great goodness and sovereignty of God over creation, over politics, and over the lives of the righteous—again, all present tense. The Psalm concludes with this reflection, “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.”

Though written more than two thousand years ago, Psalm 107 considers the realities of God's covenant faithfulness to his people (past, present, and—by implication—future) and our sinful failure to rightly worship God for his watchful care. More than this, we should find here great hope both in God's past acts and in the gift of prayer, through which God answers the cries of his people, fulfills their every need, and protects them from harm.

#devotional #psalms #theology

[The cross] is the only ladder which reaches up into the better world; the only way to heaven leads through suffering; there is none other bridge from death to life. This way of the cross to the glories of heaven has been prepared for all men; and whosoever will, let him come. Hanging on the cross, and sitting on the throne of heaven, the will of the Savior is to draw all men unto himself. But he that will not die with him cannot live with him. Our own life, or, in other words, our evil nature, all our sinful lusts, which Paul calls “the body of sin” (Romans 6, 6), the combined force of wicked desires, whose root is willfulness, and whose strength is pride and deceit; — this life of the world in you must die, if you are to live. In the name of God, sacrifice all this! You have been baptized into the death of Christ, and your old man is crucified with him. Let the efficacy of your baptism prove itself. If you believe in the Lord, be assured that you shall not want the grace to mortify the flesh and lead a new life in him. To this end he helps us by means of our many trials and tribulations from without and within, vexations, temptations, sickness, suffering; but the strength itself comes from the death and resurrection of Christ. There are the roots of your new life; and thence it must receive nourishment, if it is to increase. In his word and sacraments he gives to his believers the strength of his life and death; and through these means we of a truth receive grace to mortify the flesh, to take up the cross, and to live for heaven.

— N.J. Laache, Book of Family Prayer

#quotes #devotional #theology

Some think they have no need for the liturgical calendar or that it is 'too Roman Catholic' or something. I think that attitude is a mistake. Everything on the Church calendar points us to Jesus and his saving work for us. On this day, we remember, marvel, and worship that God kept his promise made through the prophet Isaiah in a particular place and time in history. These words of the Prophet are not relegated to the lost recesses of the Old Testament but are front and center for our faith:

Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”

Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

— Isaiah 7.10-16 (NKJV)

After hundreds of years, God's promise was coming to fruition. In exactly the right place and at exactly the right time, God sent his Son to be born of a woman to redeem fallen humanity, setting us free from the power of sin, death, and the devil. In contrast to Ahaz, who did not want to believe the Lord's word, Mary received it in faith, playing a crucial role in the salvation of humankind and serving as an example of faith for all to follow.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, ”The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

— Luke 1.26-38 (NKJV)

As we consider the miracle of the Annunciation, may we be inspired by blessed Virgin's faith and may we be drawn to worship our Lord in awe and wonder through the rest of this Lenten season.

O Lord, as we have known the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, by the message of the angel to the virgin Mary, so by the message of His cross and passion bring us to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

#devotional #festivals #theology

Yesterday during divine service we sang the familiar hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” After worship, several folks came and asked me about the line that says, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer hither by Thy help I'm come.” In essence asking, “What on earth is an Ebenezer anyway?”

Gold star for those of you who wondered enough about this to come and ask—you know who you are!

So what on earth does this line refer to? It's an Old Testament reference from 1 Samuel 7 that is lost on many of today.

Here's the story...the Ark of the Covenant had just been returned to Israel from the Philistines, who sent it back as quickly as they could after seeing the havoc God was wreaking among them. After twenty years (yes, you read that right!) of lamenting and wallowing in sin, Samuel called the people back from their idolatry to faithfulness to God. He reminded them that their oppression by the Philistines was a consequence of their faithlessness. Israel responded by getting rid of their idols and turning again to God. They gathered together at Mizpah to pray, fast, and seek the Lord—then the Philistines attacked!

Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. So the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

As one who regularly interceded to God on behalf of the people, Samuel responded.

And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

There it is, right at the end! In Hebrew, 'Ebenezer' means 'stone of help.' This Ebenezer was a stone memorial, set up for the people as a physical reminder of God's aid in their time of need. It was something they could see, touch, talk about, and use in the future to teach others about God's gracious deliverance.

Robert Robinson, the hymnwriter of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” calls us to remember God's gracious redemption, provision, and protection, through good times and through trials. Those reminders, those Ebenezers, give us confidence that “by Thy good pleasure” we will safely arrive at our home in heaven. We each have episodes in our lives that can serve as Ebenezers for us, but Robinson calls us to Christ—the most sure and certain sign of God's grace love and grace for us. Right after that puzzling line we sang, “Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.” As the Good Shepherd, while we were separated from God and without hope, Christ sought us, shed his blood for us, and reconciled us to God (Eph 2.12-13).

This is one example of why our hymnals are such great devotional tools! Lyrics stick in our heads much better than prose, and great hymns merely restate God's word and remind of us of Christ's work for us that we grasp daily by faith. Sing on, saints!

#devotional #hymnody #TFCC

As mentioned on Sunday, our reading through the Daily Devotional Guide right now pulls together three of the most important books in the Bible: Deuteronomy, Matthew, and Hebrews. These books explain beautifully the redemptive work of God from beginning to end and make beautifully clear connections of old covenant promises to Israel to new covenant fulfillments in Christ and the Church.

In his preface to the Large Catechism, Martin Luther anticipates the objections of those who think they are too learned, too wise, or too mature to daily read God's Word. In our time, we might certainly add the objections of those who are too busy or find Scripture too boring or whatever other objection might be raised. Ultimately, excuses are simply excuses.

Nothing is so powerfully effective against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts as to occupy one's self with God's Word, to speak about it and meditate upon it, in the way that Psalm 1:2 calls those blessed who 'meditate on God's law day and night.' Without doubt, you will offer up no more powerful incense or savor against the devil than to occupy yourself with Gods commandments and words and to speak, sing, or think about them. Indeed, this is the true holy water and sign that drives away the devil and puts him to flight.

For this reason alone you should gladly read, recite, ponder, and practice the catechism, even if the only advantage and benefit you obtain from it is to drive away the devil and evil thoughts. For he cannot bear to hear God's Word. And God's Word is not like some idle tale, such as about Dietrich of Bern, but, as St. Paul says in Romans 1:16, it is 'the power of God,' indeed, the power of God that burns the devil's house down and gives us immeasurable strength, comfort, and help.

Luther lumps together reading the Bible and reading the catechism for a couple of reasons. In his day, people would have been far more likely to possess a copy of the latter. Additionally, as anyone who has spent any time in the catechism knows, it is an explanation of the basics of the faith and is largely drawn directly from Scripture, so it is no stretch to say that one who reads the Catechism is reading Scripture.

In our time, many view devotional reading as “study” or a pursuit of knowledge about God instead of understanding it as a means of grace whereby our faith is strengthened, we are sanctified, and we grow closer to God. For the Christian, devotionally reading God's Word should not be primarily about gaining information, assembling facts, or even find application / principles to live by. While those are good in themselves, reading only or primarily to study as an academic endeavor misses the boat.

#devotional

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