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1 John 3:1-2 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (NIV)

You and I are the children of God. Not by natural birth, though. By nature, we are children of wrath, descendants of Adam, enemies of God, orphaned and estranged from Him. We show this by the behavior that we so often lapse into.

Have you noticed that no one wants to be held accountable for his or her actions? So many have the attitude, “Yes, I did it, but it is not my fault.” That excuse just doesn’t wash. Before God, you are accountable for all you have done and what you have not done. But you and I have something that will wash. We admit our sins, without making excuses for them, because we remember that we became God’s children through a washing that He provides. We have received the washing we need in the rebirth that comes through water and the Word, the rebirth of Baptism. Jesus stepped in, took our place, and paid the price for our sins. He did that through a perfect life, a cross, and a resurrection. He offers the benefit of all He did, forgiveness, life and salvation, in Baptism, which makes you clean in His sight and marks you as His children. By His grace, you and I have become His children through this REBIRTH, a spiritual adoption as it were, which God initiated and completed. We are His children!

Why would God choose people like you and me for His kids? Did He look into the future and see that we would be obedient and faithful to Him, making us good candidates to become His children? Was there some kind of cosmic screening process in which God decided that He would save some and not others? No, John tells us the only motive God had was His LAVISH LOVE. It was not even our response to His love that led Him to choose us. It is just Him loving us and choosing us. We have been made His children purely because of His love, which this translation says He “has lavished on us”. The emphasis in this passage is that the love of God is something tremendous, He has an ample supply, and He offers it freely.

Years ago Amy Grant recorded the song “Her Father’s Eyes” in which she prayed that she would look at the world with the eyes of her Father in heaven and that the world around her would notice that she was a child of God. We should all want that kind of resemblance to our Father. One of the amazing things about our God is that He does the work to make us like Himself. He makes us PERFECT. We have no perfection in ourselves, nor can we achieve it through our own efforts. However, His command to “be perfect” was accomplished for us — it comes to us as a gift in Jesus Christ. God has worked it out so that we will stand before Him as perfect on the last day. Perfection in God’s sight is ours because of what Jesus did for us and our faith in Him. That is part of that love He has lavished on us.

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Not recognizing Jesus for who He was and is, the world will not recognize the relationship of perfection we have with Him. Those outside of God’s grace cannot know the change that has taken place in those who have experienced it. You and I need to make it known to them.

You’ve all heard someone say, “I don’t deserve this.” Or maybe, “What did I do to deserve this.” Most often those words are an indignant protest from someone who feels he or she is being treated unfairly. I am reminded of the story of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” That guy was framed and unjustly imprisoned and could rightfully ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” In the Genesis account of Joseph we see a man unfairly treated who had every right to say, “I don’t deserve this!” We’ve all heard those words and have probably said them ourselves.

Did you ever notice how seldom you hear those words from someone who has been blessed with great things and abundant wealth. Sure, there are some folks who say “I don’t deserve this” when they receive a great honor or blessing, but that is not the context in which we usually hear that phrase. Truth be told, most of us expect good things to happen in our lives. We expect to be rewarded for good behavior. We think that somehow the little bit of good we do should more than make up for any wrong we do.

That leads me to one more thought I’d like to share about the passage I have been reflecting on for the last several days:

Luke 7:1-10 1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.  2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.  3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.  4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, `Go,’ and he goes; and that one, `Come,’ and he comes.  I say to my servant, `Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Did you notice how the Jews spoke about the centurion in this passage: This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue. That attitude of the Jews was “He’s earned it!” And that is the way we often look at ourselves. I’ve tried hard. I’ve lived a good life. I deserve good things! But the centurion had a much different opinion of himself. He said to Jesus, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That was an honest opinion of his standing before God.

In Galatians, Paul was trying to correct some false teachings, one of which was the age-old heresy that people can justify themselves before God by keeping rules, such as the laws of Moses. Paul condemned this as being contrary to the Gospel message. We are all totally dependent on God’s mercy. It is terribly presumptuous to imagine that you deserve anything good from God.

And yet the Gospel message continues to be corrupted into something that tells people following rules makes them right with God. All around us people today are hearing that false teaching or “gospel that is no gospel.” People are accepting that message because they want to feel that they have earned or deserved God’s favor. But it is not true.

Think of it this way. What have you ever done that would make you deserving of someone dying in your place? Have you ever done anything to earn the sacrifice and passion of Jesus? There is no ritual, no rule, no doctrine, no practice, no piety, no wealth, no power, no authority, no words, no deeds that we could do or say or follow that would make you deserving of the sacrifice and suffering Jesus went through for you. He did it because He loves you. He did it to save you, because you can’t save yourself. He did it, and God gives His payment to you freely through faith. Even that faith is His gift to you.

We all mess up – regularly! It is good that we don’t get what we deserve. God gives us what we don’t deserve: forgiveness, life and salvation, all for Jesus’ sake.

I’m still on the topic of Faith on the basis of Luke 7:1-10. The Centurion in that account was in a difficult circumstance and turned to Jesus for help.

You and I often find ourselves in similar situations with our backs against the wall. Loss of a job. Family problems. Sickness. We try every solution we can think of, exhausting our resources. We have heard the promises of God, we claim to believe them, even encourage others to trust in them, but we sometimes fail to trust that God is good and faithful ourselves. We don’t lean on the promises that God has made.

There is the story of a traveler who came to the banks of the Mississippi in the early days of this country. There was no bridge. It was early winter, and the surface was covered with ice. Could he dare cross over? Finally, after much hesitation and with many fears, he began to creep cautiously across the ice on his hands and knees. About halfway across, he heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the darkness came a man driving a horse drawn load of coal across the ice and singing merrily on his way. Here he was, on his hands and knees, trembling lest the ice not be strong enough. And there, on the very same ice, went the other man, with horses, a sleigh, and a load of coal, held up by the very same ice, so confident that he was singing. How often do you and I creep upon the promises of God?

Here are some examples of God’s promises you can trust:

• You can trust God’s promise of forgiveness. When you are overwhelmed by guilt, your conscience troubling you, you can trust that what Jesus did has taken care of it all. … the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John:7
• God will meet all your needs: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31b-32
• When you feel abandoned and alone with a problem, when even God seems distant and removed, you can trust that He will not forsake you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Be a man or woman of faith. God’s promises are certain, and He will strengthen your faith through His Word and Sacraments. He understands your weakness, and invites you to come to Him. In fact, another account of a healing Jesus did was for the son of a father who admitted his own weakness of faith and said: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24. That is what God wants to hear all of you say. You have faith in Jesus. Grow in that faith.

The last devotion I shared with you was the first in a series of meditations on Luke 7:1-10.

Luke 7:1-10   1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.  He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

It is important to understand what faith is. It is even more important to understand what saving faith is. Saving faith trusts in what Jesus did for you in His death and resurrection. Believing that Jesus died to pay for your sin and rose again so that you could live forever is saving faith. All Christians have saving faith. That is what makes you a Christian. Without that faith, you are not a Christian, even though some people may claim to be or pretend to be. Only those who have put their confidence in Jesus Christ to save them from sin and death are true believers, those who have saving faith.

Once you have that faith, you are saved. But you are not to remain in that state, static and unchanging. Scripture speaks in terms of growing in your faith (2 Corinthians 10:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:3). This has to do with your ability to rely on God’s promises more and more in your day-to-day living. This is the aspect of faith I want to examine with you today: after you have been brought to saving faith in Jesus, becoming more faithful in your day to day lives.

When I taught confirmation classes I told them that there are three parts to faith. The first part of faith is KNOWLEDGE. The Centurion was not a Jew, but he knew about Jesus. Jesus was popular with the people, and no doubt word about him was spreading. Perhaps some of those who had heard Jesus speak shared what they heard with the Centurion. However it happened, somehow this Roman soldier had knowledge of who Jesus was. You and I also have that knowledge. You may have received it from your parents or grandparents or friends. It has come to you through Sunday School, Bible Class, Worship, by reading the Bible for yourself, and other places. It is important that we pass that knowledge along to others. This knowledge is too good to keep to yourselves. We need to spread it beyond the walls of our church, beyond the walls of our homes, to those all around us who are living in spiritual darkness. It all starts by sharing the knowledge of Jesus with those who don’t know Him or who have a misunderstanding of who He is. Faith starts with KNOWLEDGE.

The second part of faith is ACCEPTANCE. This is also described as agreement. It is a mental acknowledgment of the facts. The Centurion accepted what he had heard about Jesus. We cannot say for certain that He understood that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but we know that the Word was having an effect on him. The Spirit was working through that Word to lead him to faith. You and I have had the Spirit work in our heart and lives. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I have professed our agreement with God’s Word. You say you ACCEPT the KNOWLEDGE as true.

After KNOWLEDGE and ACCEPTANCE comes the third aspect of faith: TRUST. To explain these three parts of faith, I often use the example of me walking up to a footbridge that has a sign that says “weight limit 225 pounds.” The first step, knowledge, is knowing that I weigh just under 225 pounds and that the sign says the bridge will hold that much weight. The second step, acceptance, takes place when I look at the bridge and decide that it looks sturdy enough to do what it says. The third part of faith, TRUST, is when I actually walk out on to that bridge.

The Centurion trusted what he had heard about Jesus. He accepted the knowledge and was willing to act upon it. In his desperate situation, he sent for Jesus, believing He could help. Recognizing his own unworthiness, he said, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed.” This is the faith that amazed Jesus.

Lord, give us such a faith as this;
And then, whate’er may come,
We’ll taste e’en now the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home. (TLH396, v.6)

Luke 7:1-10   1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.  He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

I would guess that at some point just about every pastor has heard someone say to him, “You must have a great faith!” I’ve had people say that to me on several occasions. When I asked why, they replied, “Because you are a pastor!” While I am sure they meant that as a compliment, I can remember thinking that they sure weren’t looking at things through my eyes. I know my doubts, my weaknesses, my failings. I can recall all the examples of great faith I have seen when ministering to other people. I have seen those who have endured so much, yet they remain steadfast to their Savior. I have marveled at and been humbled by the faith of so many others I have met.

In the reading above we find our Lord Himself admiring the faith of a man. The thing that makes this especially notable is that this man was not one of God’s chosen people, not a descendant of Abraham, not part of the Jewish nation. And Jesus makes sure that everyone knew that He knew this man was not a Jew: “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” The important thing was not his heritage. The important thing was his faith.  When God looks at you, does He marvel at your faith, or is He astounded by your lack of faith?

Just this morning I watched a video of the father of three of the boys from Tomball, Texas who were killed, along with their cousin and grandfather, by that escaped convict. He was speaking at the memorial service for his sons, father and nephew. In the face of an incomprehensible tragedy, he spoke of his grief and his pain, but also his certainty that his boys were with their Lord because of their faith in Jesus as Savior. The father said the pain was real and would not go away, but insisted that their family would be fine because of their faith in the God who saves.

That is a man of faith. He and his family have heard the promises of God and taken them to heart. That does not mean their lives will be free of trouble. No life is. But it means they have a peace that passes the understanding of this world in the face of overwhelming, and heartbreak in this life. They have that because they know that Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose again so that they could have the certainty of forgiveness, life, salvation and His presence with them every step of the way.

I’m going to spend several days reflecting on this passage and the faith Jesus encountered here.

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” ⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” ⁵² At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” ⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” ⁵⁸ “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. John 8:48–59

When I read or hear passages like the Gospel reading for last Sunday, I am sometimes incredulous as to how the very ones through whom and for whom the Messiah came refused to see Him for who He was and is. He was right in front of them, but they could not and would not recognize Him as the Promised One. But then I remember that I have the advantage of hindsight. It can be very difficult to grasp things at first.

For example, consider this verse from the passage above: “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews here did not think Jesus was God so they had not intention of listening to Him. But even those who knew there was something special and different about this guy would often misunderstand what He was saying. That is because we have the attitude, “just tell me what I have to do” with the emphasis on our effort, our activity. The same thing happens with this verse:

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28

While obeying God’s Word does result in blessings in the lives of believers, that is not how many hear these words. They think the blessings, including forgiveness, come as a result of their obedience, which is the exact opposite of what Scripture tells us.

The one who came to save us, God Himself who took on human flesh, has done everything necessary for us to be forgiven. He accomplished our salvation. He did all the work. All we have to do is believe that His death paid for our sins and His resurrection guarantees us entry into life eternal. All of Scripture points to Jesus as the way to life everlasting. Jesus said that Himself.

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me. John 5:39

One of my favorite passages to share with people who misunderstand what Jesus meant when He said “keep my Word” or “obey” it is this:

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28–29

The “work” we must do is believe in the one the Father sent: Jesus. When your put your faith in Christ and Christ alone, you will be blessed. You will receive everything He earned for you. It is His doing, not your own. That is why you can have the confidence that you will “never see death.” Physical death will come to us all – unless our Lord returns first. But eternal death is averted, having been conquered by Christ.

This past Sunday I heard a sermon on wisdom. It was based on the Old Testament lesson for Trinity Sunday this year, Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31. It was a message that made many good points and kept me thinking about the topic long after the service had ended. One very important question the preacher put before us, although not exactly in these words, was, “What is wisdom and where does it come from?”

Most of the time people are seeking the wisdom of this world. Even though Proverbs tells us wisdom comes from God, originated in God and was present even before Creation, fallen men in a sinful world have been trying to redefine wisdom ever since. The devil gleefully rejoices when we question God’s wisdom, try to rethink it and act as though we know better than the Creator of all things.

God’s Word tells us not to let sin control us. The world says to do whatever you want. And that’s when trouble comes. When I was in first grade, my brother was in fourth grade. A neighbor kid had just put up a dartboard on a tree in his backyard, and we went down there with a few other boys to check it out. I was by far the youngest one there. Everyone took a turn tossing those sharp metal darts with the blue and red plastic wings. They were all doing a pretty good job, too. And then came my turn. Toss after toss I completely missed the target. At first the others just snickered, but then they started laughing. As I stood there with only one dart left, they were all laughing at me. Including my brother. When I saw that, I was filled with rage. I rared back and threw that dart as hard as I could, straight toward my brother! Thankfully, he fell over backwards before it arrived. The guy behind him was not so lucky. The dart was stuck in his arm! It was the only thing I had hit that day. And I knew I was in trouble. I had a sick feeling in my stomach and ran away. I could almost hear the devil now laughing at me and the trouble I was in. All because I let anger control me instead of what I knew was right. Just so you know, I was appropriately punished by my parents. And by the way, did you know that the Greek word for sin in the Bible literally means “to miss the target.” I was the embodiment of the word on that day in more ways than one. I would have done better to follow the wisdom of God that was being taught to me by my parents.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul spent some time discussing wisdom as well.

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:20–24

The wisdom of God comes to us in Jesus. He taught us by His example how to live. He showed love and compassion in the face of ridicule and rejection. All this to accomplish our forgiveness and salvation. He came to right the wrong we did. He offered a sinless life as payment for the sins of everyone else. He did that when He was crucified. The world says, “That can’t be right,” but it was. Through the substitutionary death of the Lamb of God, something the world calls foolishness, our debt was paid and our sins are forgiven. It was the only way we could be saved.

Paul spends a lot of time talking about wisdom in 1 Corinthians. I’m going to spend some more time reading and digging deeper into that.

The congregation I was privileged to serve most of the years of my ministry was not perfect. None are. It was made up of sinful people who believed the message of God’s forgiveness in Christ, so that covered their imperfections in God’s sight. One of the things they did very well as a whole was welcoming visitors and new members into their midst. Again, they were not perfect, but they did this very well. Time after time when I visited guests or newcomers in their homes, they would tell me how everyone at Grace made them feel welcome. That is a tremendous asset for a congregation to have, to be known as welcoming.

My wife retired from teaching in the public schools two years before I retired. The week before she retired, some co-workers held a reception for her at the school on a Thursday afternoon at 3:30. She taught at this school the last four years of her career, and it was 30 miles from where we lived, so I didn’t know many of her colleagues, but I went to the reception and arrived a few minutes early. The doors to the school were locked. Several teachers were outside helping the kids being picked up by their parents. They saw me trying to get in, but no one offered to help. I rang the buzzer, but no one responded. I finally went over to one of the teachers and asked if she could help me get in. After telling her who I was and why I was there, she used her key card to open the door. I thanked her and went inside.  After going to the little window with the hole in it, bending over and telling the lady behind the counter who I was and why I was there, she buzzed me in the next set of doors and led me to the room where the reception would be held.  The lady who was setting up the room was someone I had met before, and she greeted me and went back to setting out the snacks and drinks. Over the next five or six minutes, about a dozen teachers made their way into the room. Each one came into the room, looked at me, and without saying a word, walked past me. They were soon visiting with each other, but no one made an effort to speak to me. I decided to go out in the hallway and wait for Cheryl to arrive. While I was out there, only one lady smiled and said hello as she walked past and went in to the reception. Cheryl finally arrived, and we walked in together. She introduced me to a couple of co-workers, who said hello, but were rightfully more interested in speaking to the guest of honor. By now there were about 35-40 people in the room. I took the initiative to speak to two different individuals. One of them spoke to me a couple of minutes. The other less than twenty seconds before walking away. And yes, I had bathed that day. To say it was awkward and uncomfortable would be putting it very mildly.

As all this was happening, I was thinking that this is exactly what if feels like to walk into a congregation as a visitor on a Sunday morning and no one bothers to speak to you. They may look at you, but they just speak to the people they already know. Since I retried, Cheryl and I have visited almost 50 different congregations, and we have experienced this far too many times. It is not pleasant.

Think about that the next time you are in worship and see someone you don’t know. Can you make them feel welcome? Walk over and say, “Good morning! I’m happy you are here today. I don’t believe we have met, have we?”  Then see where the conversation goes from there. When people come to worship to hear the message of our Triune God and His love for us and the forgiveness He gives for Jesus’ sake, they should know you are happy they have joined you.

This church is the people. Where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, He is there with them. We would all do well to remember that when we get bogged down with questions about pews or chairs or carpet or paint colors. That is not the church. When you attend a worship service or Bible study, look at the people around you. That is the church. And it is important to make others feel welcome in your midst.

We are the church not because we gather together in a building every week. We are the church because we believe in, follow and live for Jesus. We know the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we rejoice in the forgiveness and life and salvation that He has given us freely through faith in Jesus Christ. We are His church. We won’t change the world by going to church. We will change the world by BEING the church, both when  you gather together and when we you go out into the world the rest of the week.

God help us to do this for Him.

John 16:12-15   12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

This passage points us to all three persons of the God who is Three-in-One, the only true God. Jesus, the God-man who is physically present with the disciples, speaks to them about both the Father and the Holy Spirit. He had promised earlier (14:26) that the Spirit would remind them of all He taught while He was with them. He will help them understand and believe, including things that had to do with the future. (16:13). Jesus reveals some of the intimate connection between the three persons of the one true God when he says that the Spirit will not speak on His own. What the Spirit reveals comes from the Son, and all that belongs to the Father belongs to the Son. There is a unity, an interconnection.

The message that the Spirit brings to us from the Father and the Son is that God can and indeed does forgive us. The Spirit guides us into all truth, truth that turns our grief into joy. We learn about our wonderful Triune God, the Father who made us, the Son who died in our place to pay for our sins, the Spirit who is at work to make us holy and keep us that way. The Spirit wants us to know the truth that God is good! Our Father loved this world that He made so much that He gave His Son to be our Savior from death. The death of Jesus in our place is your assurance that your sins are forgiven. Your faith connects you to Him in such a way that God will not hold you accountable.

I read about a young nun who claimed to have had a vision of Jesus. Her bishop decided to test her truthfulness. He ordered that the next time she had a vision, she should ask Christ what the bishop’s primary sin had been before he became a bishop. Some months later, the nun returned and the bishop asked if she had asked Christ the question. She said that she had. The bishop was a bit apprehensive when he asked, “What did Christ say was my primary sin?” The young nun replied, “Christ said, ‘I don’t remember.’”  That is the beauty of the forgiveness that is ours through faith in Jesus Christ. We have the assurance that God forgives and forgets. He said, “I will remember your sins no more.”

That is our certainty as believers. We have this message from God Himself in His Word.

On a cold winter night little Bobby and his father were slowly walking down a dark path to a neighboring farmhouse. Bobby was afraid, even though He was with his father and his father had a lantern. He was concerned because he saw that the light of the lantern reached only a short distance down the path. But his father reassured him that if they kept on walking, the light would keep on shining to the end of the road. That’s how it is with the Word of God, revealed to us in Scripture by the Holy Spirit. His Word is truth, it is the lamp for our feet and the light for our path. If we keep walking in the light of His promises, we will be sustained through this life all the way to the end.

There is nothing like the truth of God’s Word to take away our guilt, our fears, our sadness, our grief. It assures us that God is in control, that He loves us and wants the best for His children. Jesus did not leave us alone, but sent His Spirit, who comes to us in Word and Sacraments, assuring us of God’s love, forgiveness and presence. That is reason to rejoice. It is why we come together as the church. We believe and rejoice together in the mercy and grace that our Triune God has shown to us. That is why we, the church, gather together to worship and praise our Triune God.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

¹ Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ We live by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:1–10

Our time here on earth is temporary. It wasn’t supposed to be. God created us to live with him forever. Sin changed all that. It brought corruption and decay and death to God’s creation. Yesterday’s devotion had the reminder:

…the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. Isaiah 51:6

Even though we live in a fallen, sinful world, man’s desire is to live. Whether people believe in God or not, their desire is to live. They seek diet plans and treatments and medications and all sorts of things to extend their lives. People don’t want to die, but live. And God created us to live. But as I said, sin changed all that. Well, everything but the desire to go on living.

The only lasting answer to life is found in Jesus. God made it possible through Jesus for man to be able to live forever as He intended. Every other effort to live will not succeed. The last part of the passage above from 2 Corinthians makes it sound as though our reward is based upon what we do. That understanding comes from not reading the entire message God shares with us. Just a few verses later Paul reminds us:

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

He – Jesus – died for all. His death was the payment for all of us, so we “all died.” His death paid for the sins of the world. He died so we could live, which is the desire of our heart. And we know that we will live in a new place that He is preparing for us, our heavenly dwelling, where mortality will be swallowed up by life! Life with Jesus. Life forever. Life God wants for everyone. Life that has already begun when you live by faith and not by sight. Life even though we are temporarily clothed with the body and not yet with our heavenly dwelling.

Knowing all this is why the followers of Jesus strive to make it our goal to live lives that will please Him while we are at home in the body until the time we are away from it and with Jesus in that place He has readied for us.