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Modern Lutheran Theology. Alexandra Glynn
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isbn 9781532604102
Автор произведения Alexandra Glynn
Жанр Словари
Издательство Ingram
But we have received of grace the blessed portion: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matt 13:14–16).
Casting us out
In John 9:34 it says: “They answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?’ And they cast him out.” Sometimes the children of God are cast out. When this happens, dear one, do not think it strange.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings. That, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified (1 Pet 4:12–14).
It is written about those who say they are Christians, but are not, that God will make it clear to them and us and all the world what the true state of matters is:
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience . . . (Rev 3:9–10).
For it must always be that the devil tries to ruin the children of God. As it is written: “The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of an upright way of life” (Ps 37:14).
When we are cast out, let us remember Jesus and say: “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness. But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isa 38:17). And: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified.’ But he shall appear unto your joy and they shall be ashamed” (Isa 66:5). For they cast us out in the name of God, and think that they do God great service in casting us out. Please remember, dear one, that they really do think that they serve God by being against us. This speaks to their blindness, and requires compassion on our part. Whoever is merciful will receive mercy, so let us be merciful to them, and to all people. For as it was with David, so it is with us: “They also that render evil for good are my adversaries, because I follow the good” (Ps 38:20).
Good works in us
We are to be zealous of good works. David’s works to Saul were done in Christ and thus were good works (1 Sam 19:4). We all do bad works by nature, but Christ in us does good works. Let us follow after these good works of Christ in us. For of ourselves we do evil (Ps 14:1). But Christ in us, by his Spirit, works in us and in others who are of Christ. So when we see good works in our fellow Christians, let us think that it is Christ in them that is shining forth, and not anything of the person. For that is the truth. Good works are Christ’s good works in us that others see (Matt 5:16).
People don’t like these good works that are done in Christ and attributed to him alone. Jesus said to the people: “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father, for which of those works do ye stone me?” (John 10:32). Now if Jesus had taken the credit for his own good works, the self-righteous would not have wanted to stone him. But since he gave glory to God, they wanted to stone him.
For we are God’s workmanship. It is written: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). Let no one forget this. We are created “unto good works.” That is, to help other people. It is written: “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov 17:17). We ought to study and learn when we are young especially, so that we can better help our neighbors, and be “thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:17). For “the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid” (1 Tim 5:25).
It is written: “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor. But the wicked regardeth not to know it” (Prov 29:6). So let us remember the poor, the widow, the stranger. For it is even written that we are purified and made holy in order that we might not just do good works, but be zealous to do them: “[Christ] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a special chosen people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). And again: “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto all men” (Titus 3:8). From my own experience, the reason good works profit me is that they keep me from doing other things that I should not be doing. Constantly keeping busy doing good works keeps me out of trouble. If I’m so busy helping others, how will I have time to be lazy and tempted and wander, and come to poverty (Prov 24:30–34)?
So, “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb 10:24) which are done in Christ, from a purified heart, giving all glory to God. For it is written: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation [a good way of life] his works with meekness of wisdom” (Jas 3:13). And it is also written that we should have our way of life be “honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet 2:12). Notice, if you will, that here Peter, like Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, notes that good works are not for us to notice, for we don’t even see them (Matt 25:38). But they are for others to notice. And we have this testimony from God in the Scriptures that they do notice, and maybe this will speak to them in some way and we will gain them. Who knows? “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:15).
Sowing to the flesh and feeding it
From Genesis 47:23 we read: “Then Joseph said unto the people, ‘Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh; lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.’” The idea of sowing seed is in the Bible often. Usually it is used to picture the sowing of the Word of God into the hearts of men. For we sow for six years, or, throughout the work week, until the everlasting Sabbath harvest (Exod 23:10, Lev 25:3–4). And we do not sow “mingled seed,” but only the pure unmixed Word of God (Lev 19:19, Deut 22:9). And often we sow the seed weeping (Ps 126:5).
What we sow, we will reap (Gal 6:7). As it says: “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:8). Only God knows what will happen to that which we sow (Eccl 11:6). And we need first to break up the fallow ground, the hard hearts. The Word of God does this work in hearts (Hos 10:12). And we know that “he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Cor 9:6).
We want to sow to the Spirit, and not to the flesh. “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal 6:8). This sowing to the flesh question is one of the most important to keep in mind when we think of what the Bible is telling us about choices we make. For in the Bible we do not have specific answers to questions about celebrating Halloween, or going to certain entertainment places, or looking at certain things on our phones, or wearing certain items, or taking up certain hobbies. But we do have this broad warning: if we sow to the flesh, we will reap corruption. So we can ask, in any given situation, when I do this, or when I take this up, am I sowing to the flesh? And then we have our answer as to whether or not we want to keep doing what we are doing or thinking what we are thinking.
We do not want to feed the flesh. We want to starve it. Especially in difficult situations with our neighbors, when someone is in dire straits. For some demons are at work so powerfully in our neighbor, such as in the case of addictions, that Jesus says, fast (starve the flesh) and pray. This is