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 Galatians

1:6-10

  

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

 

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (ESV)


 

 

Live in Peace

Irenaeus of Lyon, Pastor

28 June 2012

Meekness and gentleness must be the order of the day with those who have returned to the fold of the church through contrition and repentance. When such persons offer their heartfelt confession to us, we are bound to receive it as a gift worked by God and proclaim to them the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. How is it that God's law works this, sometimes through us, sometimes without us? This is a deep mystery; that stubborn hearts and granite wills are reduced to rubble before the holy God. In our day this is especially important because so many so-called churches have completely defected from the divine truth and are overtly teaching against Christ and His Word. Their people are increasingly suspicious of the self-serving and self-centered teaching that arises out of the wicked desires of the human heart. It is taught that unbridled sexual desire must be good because I desire it. Of course this teaching is always cloaked in talk about love, open mindedness, and compassion.

 

Sometimes it takes years for those who have been fed on lies to awaken from a long slumber and recognize that they are no longer hearing the voice of the chief Shepherd and Bishop of all souls, Jesus Christ. Those lost sheep, wandering like sheep without a shepherd, are still being sought by the Good Shepherd. They still belong to Him because He has purchased them with His own precious blood. He is still seeking and saving those who are lost. If they will confess the divine truth together with us, we will and should accept them, embrace them, and love them. We will pronounce the holy absolution over them, that they, like us, might live among the forgiven through merits of Christ, God's eternal Son, no longer baptizing overt sin, but repenting of it with tears and deep sorrow.

 

Christ and His truthful love must come before human expressions of love and compassion. There is no greater love than the love of God in Christ, who offered Himself in love on the cross for us, long before we were capable of even thinking about offering love. If God starts with us here, then we shall produce the fullness of love shown in works of mercy, as certainly as the good tree produces good fruit. We may with mercy embrace fellow sinners who have been rescued from postmodern skepticism and unbelief by the God who never gives up on sinners and acquits them for the sake of Christ. Our heavenly Father forbids us to offer this compassion to those who despise the divine revelation and stubbornly confess their own delusions, all the while crowing about their superior spirituality and greater love.

 

When we absolve those who are repentant this is certainly the doctrine of justification at work in the life of the church. Justification is the very practical application of the person and work of Christ to sinners who are sorrowing over their sins of weakness and ignorance. Justification is not just some esoteric or woodenly legal doctrine, but a real application of Christ's righteousness to poor sinners. It happens every time Christ is preached and His work proclaimed and applied to those who are in misery over their transgressions. They will live in justification every time holy absolution speaks divine mercy over them, conferring on them the righteousness of God's only Son. We will live in peace with those who are truly sorry for their sin and false belief.

 

Martin Luther

 

"To those who love Christ and His Word and believe and teach faithfully, we offer ourselves not only as preservers of peace and harmony, but we also bear with their infirmities and sins and restore the fallen, according to this precept of Paul, in a spirit of gentleness (Gal 6:1). So Paul bore with the infirm and fallen in Galatia and others, who had been disturbed by the false prophets, when they returned to their senses. So he pronounced grace upon the Corinthian man who was committing incest (2Co 2:7-8). The same with Onesimus the fugitive slave, to whom he gave birth while he was in bonds for Christ in Rome, and reconciled him to his master (Phil 10). Therefore Paul carried out what here and elsewhere he taught about bearing with the weak and dealing gently with the fallen and, in relation to those who were able to be cured, that is, those who truly acknowledged their sin, their fall, and repudiated their error.

 

On the other hand, with great severity he dealt with the obstinate false apostles who defended their doctrine, claiming that it was not erroneous. He said, "I wish those who disturb you would emasculate themselves" (Gal 5:12)! "The one who is troubling you will bear the penalty" (Gal 5:10). "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:8). There is no doubt, when many defended the false apostles against Paul, and they claimed that they had the Spirit and that they taught the gospel as much as Paul did, even though they might not concur with Paul on every point of doctrine, he should not carry out such a horrible sentence against them, and that he would cause nothing other than such trouble, which would disturb the churches and destroy their most beautiful harmony. With these most carefully considered words he cursed and condemned the false apostles, calling them the disturbers of the churches and subverters of the gospel of Christ. Over against this he so extolled his own doctrine that he wants everything to yield to it; the harmony of love, apostles, and even an angel from heaven, etc."
 

 Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 6.1  

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, You gave to the blessed apostle Paul the gift of Your eternal gospel and he proclaimed it faithfully against all opposition. Keep us faithful to Your teaching in our day that we too would decline to love at the expense of Your loving truth. Amen.

 

For the members and friends of University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis, who are grieving the loss of their earthly sanctuary, that the Lord would point them to their home in heaven and give them the gift of a new sanctuary consecrated to His purposes

 

For the newly elected president of the Mid-South District of the LCMS, that Roger Paavola would be upheld in every good deed and thoroughly grounded in the holy gospel

 

For Nick Lewallen, that he might have the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding, so that his heart and mind might be guarded in Christ

Art: D�RER, Albrecht  The Adoration of the Trinity (1511)

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