Navigating the Bible with Law and Gospel

     In the Lutheran church you will often hear us talking about the importance of distinguishing between Law and Gospel. What do we mean by that?  

     One of the best ways to approach a complicated thing like the Bible is to begin with the simplest facts and work from there.  There are a lot of different teachings in the Bible, and we have to remember that it provides everything we need to know about God. On the one hand it can be easy enough for a child to understand. On the other hand it is so deep that no theologian will ever stop learning from it. But to begin, we start with some important basics.  

     Let's use a map as an example.  A map contains a lot of information. But one of the first things you have to do is to orient the map to the directions of the compass. You have to understand north and south!  If you've used a GPS, you know how frustrating this can be if you're not sure if north is the top or the bottom of the map?  If you don't know, then right could actually be left and left could be right!  

     Law and Gospel are like the north and south of the Bible.  They are the two different ways that the Bible speaks to us and point in two different directions.  By "Law" we are referring to the important passages of the Bible that show us the way God expects us to live.  This teaching is found throughout the Bible from the Ten Commandments to the Sermon on the Mount.  By "Gospel" we are referring to those passages that show us what God does for us to enable us to live according to His will. The Gospel begins with the creation but especially is found in the promises of salvation and the real salvation-work of Jesus: His birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and promised return.  

     So as we read the "map" of the Bible we need to "orient" everything we read in terms of Law and Gospel.  Take for example the account of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Goliath, a Philistine, mocks the God of Israel. He challenges anyone to a fight. The soldiers of Israel are afraid. This is all basically Law.  Sin is being illustrated in Goliath's unbelief, pride and willfulness to murder. David rises to the challenge and faces off with the giant. But before he slings the stone that "sank" into Goliath's head, he makes an important declaration. In contrast to Goliath's self-assurance, David says the "the battle belongs to the LORD."  This is the Gospel.  David is teaching us that God is the one who saves us and helps us.  This orients the story to our life. We walk away from it remembering that we need to repent of prideful self-assurance and avoid it. We also look at all our challenges in life and then look to God to help us. There's a lot more Gospel here, but we'll save that for later.  I hope you get the idea. 

     You can see the basic directions of Law and Gospel in the way Jesus preached.  At the beginning of His ministry the basics of His preaching are summed up with the words "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mat 4.17).  "Repent" is the teaching of the Law.  "The kingdom of heaven" is the gift of the Gospel.  At the end of His earthly ministry He commissioned the apostles and all pastors to proclaim "repentance and the remission of sins to all nations..." (Luke 24.47). St. Paul urged Timothy, one of the first pastors, to teach "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2.15). We always keep these two teachings in mind whenever we read the Bible.  They will always guide us properly and keep us from misunderstanding God's word.

Concerning Pastor Robert Morris' Apology

Some people are upset that Pastor Robert Morris of Newtown, CN, an LCMS pastor, was asked to apologize for his involvement in an interfaith service.  The following is taken from his letter of apology: (the highlights are mine)

Chaplains are expected to give faithful witness under circumstances which are less than ecclesiastically perfect, even as their fellow chaplains may proclaim a different witness. Thus, with a disclaimer at the outset (which I requested) having stated that participation did not mean endorsement of the other religions represented, I said I was sharing “a final blessing of the hope which is ours through faith in Jesus Christ, using the words of St. John and St. Paul”, I then read from Revelation 21 and I prayed the Trinitarian benediction from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians which we say as part of our Lutheran daily offices. I did not believe my participation to be an act of joint worship, but one of mercy and care to a community shocked and grieving an unspeakably horrific event. However, I recognize others in our church consider it to constitute joint worship and I understand why. I apologize where I have caused offense by pushing Christian freedom too far, and I request you charitably receive my apology. 
Those who have followed the news reports are aware that this event is not quite like anything that has happened before. This was not a natural disaster, an act of terrorism, or random bullets sprayed into a crowd. I believe (and I fervently pray) that my ministry will never involve a parallel situation to the one that faced my congregation and community that weekend. By their very nature, extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary decisions and I do not hold my decisions up as an example to be emulated under ordinary circumstances. I simply say to any pastor who finds themselves in a similar situation (and I pray that none will): you will have my unswerving prayerful support, and I encourage you to do all that you can to ensure that you faithfully proclaim the grace that is ours in Jesus Christ alone. Be sure the proclamation is faithful, and be sure that Christ’s grace is proclaimed.  

     Before we rush to judgment either for or against his involvement in an interfaith service, let's remember that it is important for all Christians to stand for Christ and for Christ alone at all times and in all places.  It's easy to agree to that when we are sitting in our church together. It's another thing when false teachers invite us to pray with them.  They, more than anything else, want us to acknowledge that their faith is valid.  That completely contradicts Jesus, who said, "No one comes unto the Father but by Me" (John 14.6).  That is why pastors of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are careful never to give that impression.

     Pastor Morris asked for a disclaimer that "participation did not mean endorsement of the other religions represented."  He also gave a very clear Trinitarian benediction.  The Bible calls us to give a clear witness to Christ when we have the opportunity.  He doesn't advocate joint worship services, and he didn't consider this to be one. But other pastors thought that it did look like a joint worship service.  To those who thought this way he apologized.

     I hope everyone can see what is really going on here. First, among ourselves (LCMS Lutherans), there should be no question about a pastor participating in any activity that affirms or is indifferent to false religions.  The world that is sold out to works righteousness will never understand this.  But the Bible warns us again and again to stay away from the prophets of Baal.  John, in his first letter ends with the words, "Children, keep yourselves from idols" (5.21).  These aren't mere words. They are serious warnings.  We can't affirm or be indifferent to false religions.  

     Secondly, and this where things can get difficult, we have to wrestle with what is or is not a "joint worship service."  When do we have a good opportunity to witness, and when will our witness be compromised?  That isn't always easy to answer.  We need to pay attention to what the other religious leaders think.  If they think it is an interfaith service that affirms all religions, then that's what it is no matter what we think it is.  We also need to pay attention to the way people perceive the event.  If they walk away thinking all religions are basically the same, we have failed, and we need to do better.  If they walk away believing Christ is the only way or grinding their teeth that we dared to say such a thing, then we have succeeded.  

Rejoice!

Opening Prayer:  Dear God, thank You for coming to help us in our sadness and misery. Amen.

Scripture:  Philippians 4.4

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, rejoice!"

Meditation:

Have you ever tried to make a sad person happy?  I try a lot. That's one of the things a pastor has to do. I talk with sad people and pray with them and try to help them through their troubles in life.  Just being a near a sad person can help them. They may not show it, but they usually appreciate when someone cares enough to try to help them.  

There is more that we can do.  Here is the way Dr. Martin Luther talked about learning to be happy in the midst of our sadness:

Therefore it is best to trust in God, even though we cannot be without tears, sorrow, and pain. What can we do against this? Our flesh is such that it is impossible for it not to sob, weep, grieve, and complain. Indeed, even cattle express their pain by their bellowing when they are slaughtered; and lifeless things, like timber, are not cut down and broken up without a crash. But let us sustain ourselves with the Word and faith, and let us not doubt that it has already been determined by God that He wants to turn these pains, troubles, and brief crosses with which the pope, the emperor, and Mohammed oppress us into everlasting and supreme joy. With this confidence and hope we shall very easily lighten our troubles and cares. “He will act” (Ps. 37:5). (LW 8, Genesis 45.11)

In his letter to the Philippians Paul goes on to urge us to prayer and to think about the good, true, and beneficial things that God has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ.  

For Discussion:
1. What are some of the things that make you sad?

2. How can we "sustain ourselves with the Word and faith" as Dr. Luther says?  

Closing Prayer:  Gracious and loving God, keep my steadfast in Your Word and keep me from being overwhelmed by sadness in this life. Enable me to help others rejoice in Jesus.  Amen.

Hymn:  "In Thee Is Gladness"

Click here for melody from the Honors Brass Trio of Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois.


In Thee is gladness
Amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given
The gifts of heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou wakest;
Our bonds Thou breakest.
Who trusts Thee surely
Has built securely
And stands forever:
Alleluia!
Our hearts are pining
To see Thy shining,
Dying or living,
To Thee are cleaving;
Naught us can sever:
Alleluia!


If He is ours,
We fear no powers,
Not of earth or sin or death.
He sees and blesses
In worst distresses;
He can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story
Tell of His glory
With heart and voices;
All heav’n rejoices
In Him forever:
Alleluia!
We shout for gladness,
Triumph o’er sadness,
Love Him and praise Him
And still shall raise Him
Glad hymns forever:
Alleluia!

That's Not Fair!

Opening Prayer:  Almighty God, thank You for always being fair and faithful to us. Amen.

Scripture:  Psalm 96.13

For he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. 

Meditation:

One of the simplest ways to show someone that God does exist is to remind them of the concept of "fairness."  We all believe in it, and we expect everyone else to believe in it.  But where did it come from?  The Bible says that it came from God who wrote the law on our hearts (Romans 2.15).  When people act unfairly, we don't like it because deep down we know that God doesn't like it either.  

There is a lot of unfairness in this world!  In school children who disobey sometimes don't get caught. At other times those who did nothing wrong get blamed!  Every day in courtrooms judges hear complaints about unfairness.  They do their best to sift out the truth from the lies.  But even they have difficulty determining what is fair.  Worse than that there are many people in this world that hate God's ideas of fairness.  They deliberately rebel against His justice and try to use their power to force their own ideas of fairness.  They hurt, steal and even murder and claim that everything they've done was just and fair.  It seems as though no one can stop them.  

The Bible tells us, however, that won't go on forever.  God is coming to judge the world in righteousness.  We should pray for those people that they would stop believing their own lies and believe in God.  We should also pray that God would always keep us in mind of His justice, that we would always repent when we've been unfair, and that with His help we might always strive to do what us good, right and salutary (useful).  

Jesus came to bring peace on earth. The first peace He brings is the peace we have with God through the forgiveness of sins because of His death on the cross. When He comes again on the Last Day, He will bring the peace of His justice.

For Discussion:
1. When was the last time you said, "That's not fair!"  What wasn't fair?  Why? Was the problem resolved fairly?

2.  How can we strive to uphold God's fairness?  (Read the Bible to understand it better. Pray for God to give us honesty about ourselves and about others.)

Closing Prayer:  Dear God, help me to be fair in all my thoughts, words and actions. Help me to be patient when others aren't fair and to look to You to bring justice and peace. Amen.  

Hymn:  "Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendor"

Can be sung to the tune "Westminster Abbey" (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence).


Judge eternal, throned in splendor,
Lord of lords and King of kings,
With Thy living fire of judgment
Purge this realm of bitter things;
Solace all its wide dominion
With the healing of Thy wings.

Still the weary folk are pining
For the hour that brings release;
And the city’s crowded clangor
Cries aloud for sin to cease;
And the homesteads and the woodlands
Plead in silence for their peace.

Crown, O God, Thine own endeavor;
Cleave our darkness with Thy sword;
Feed the faint and hungry peoples
With the richness of Thy Word;
Cleanse the body of this nation
Thro’ the glory of the Lord.

Advent Family Devotions December 19, 2012

Adam and Christ

Opening Prayer:  Dear Lord, our world is decaying and dying, but Christmas reminds us how You are renewing all things. For that we give thanks. Amen.

Scripture:   1 Corinthians 15.22

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

Meditation:  

In Augustine, Florida there is a park known as the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park.  The park was founded by Luella Day McConnell, "Diamond Lil" in 1904. She said that this is where a famous Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon once landed in search of the Fountain of Youth.  There are many stories in different cultures about a "Fountain of Youth." Supposedly the water from such a fountain can keep a person young!  But there is no such thing as a Fountain of Youth. 

Satan attacked Adam and Eve and tempted them to sin. With sin came suffering and death. We cannot escape from this whether we look for a literal Fountain of Youth or whether we try to be eternally young with a healthy lifestyle, with medicine or with new technologies.  

On the other hand Jesus brought life.  This is not an escape from old age and death, but it is a miracle that brings life out of death.  Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me will never die" (John 11.25-26).  Jesus could say this because He also brought us the forgiveness of our sins.  God doesn't want people to look for a Fountain Youth. He wants them to find eternal life in Jesus.  

For Discussion:

1.  Young people can't wait to grow older.  Old people wish they could grow younger. What should we do with these feelings and desires?  (Be thankful for the life God has given us or will give us. Live in the best way possible by faith whether we are young or old. Look forward to the eternal life that Jesus promises.)  

2.  What can help us do what is described above?  (Listen to Jesus and all that He teaches us in the Bible. Pray for faith and the good life that flows from faith in Christ.)  

Closing Prayer:  Dear Jesus, thank You for all the life that You have given me. Help me to live it in the best way and to look forward to the eternal life You have given to all who believe in You. Amen.  

Hymn:  "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb"

Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. composite

Click here for melody by Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church, St. Louis.


I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.

Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.

Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.

Advent Family Devotions December 18, 2012

Never Again Fear Evil

Opening Prayer:  Dear God, we give thanks for Your word that gives us good news in a world so full of bad news.

Scripture:  Zephaniah 3.14-15


Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

Meditation:

A Lutheran professor once warned pastors not to waste so much time reading what he called "The Daily Disappointment."  Most of the news that we read or hear about every day is "bad news." These are the reports that come from our world that has turned from God and has turned against itself in selfishness, greed, hatred, laziness, irresponsibility, lust and depravity.  I once talked to a journalist who was beginning to dislike her work.  She complained about one of the most important rules of journalism:  "If it bleeds, it leads."  She was just getting sick of bad news.  

About seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus there was a prophet named Zephaniah. Zephaniah saw a lot of terrible things happening in Israel. Bad news and evil were everywhere. People were probably wondering if there was any hope at all.  Zephaniah said there was. He said that God would punish those who do evil, and that He would protect those who believe in Him.  

That is still our hope today. We know that God is our King. He came among us as the newborn "King of the Jews." He died as the King on the cross in order to destroy the power of evil. He rose again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  No matter how bad things might be in this world, we have God's promises in Jesus that "you shall never again fear evil."  

For Discussion:

1. Do you think that listening to a lot of bad news could affect you?  How?

2. How might it help us to spend more time listening to God's word?  

Closing Prayer:  Dear Jesus, King of Israel, clear away our enemies and take away our fear of evil. Amen.

Hymn:  "Listen, God is Calling"

Traditional Christian hymn from Kenya

Click here for the melody.

Refrain
Listen, listen, God is calling
Through the Word inviting,
Offering forgiveness,
Comfort and joy.

Jesus gave His mandate:
Share the good news
That He came to save us
And set us free.
Refrain

Let none be forgotten
Throughout the world.
In the triune name of God
Go and baptize.
Refrain

Help us to be faithful,
Standing steadfast,
Walking in Your precepts,
Led by Your Word.
Refrain

Advent Family Devotions December 17, 2012

Deliver Us From Evil

Opening Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank You for the protection that You have always given us from the evils of this world. Help us to remember that You will continue to protect us.

Scripture:  Psalm 59:1

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil.


Meditation:

     Sometimes people can be very mean. Because they are angry, because they are stronger, because they can get away with it, they try to hurt others. Sometimes we are even tempted to push, shove, slap, or hit someone.  God doesn't like this and commands us not to hurt others but to help them.

     What can we do when others are trying to hurt us?  One thing we can do is get help from our parents or a teacher.  They can usually stop that bad things that others are doing.  But another important thing that we can always do is pray to God for His protection and help.

     King David was a man who had a lot of enemies in his life who were always trying to hurt him. He often prayed to God for His help and protection. One of the most famous stories of his life was when he fought the giant Goliath.  That day he said, "The LORD will deliver you into my hand" (1 Samuel 17.46).

     When we are afraid of evil people, one of the most important things we can do is to pray for God to help us and protect us.

For Discussion:
1.  Talk about a time when you were afraid of a mean person.

2.  How did God help?

Closing Prayer:  Dear Jesus, at Your birth the angels  said, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased" (Luke 2.14).  Continue to bring us that peace and to protect us from evil. Amen.


Hymn:  "Children of the Heavenly Father"

Click here for melody.

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.