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Real religion is a way of life, not a white cloak to be wrapped around us on the Sabbath and then cast aside into the six-day closet of unconcern.
 – William Arthur Ward

At a recent Pastor’s conference I attended we were discussing this issue. It seems a lot of folks have the ability to check in and out of “Christian” mode based on where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing.

We need to fight against the idea that being “God-fearing” one day a week makes up for the way we live the rest of the week. It is true that we have a covering that makes us clean or white in God’s sight, but that covering is not what we do. The covering we have is the righteous acts of Jesus, and that is ours every day.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1

These who are clothed in white robes, who are they, and from where have they come? … These are the ones who … have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:13-14

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ   Romans 13:14

 Knowing we have this covering fills our hearts with gratitude. We are acceptable in God’s sight for Jesus’ sake. Having this covering, we need to make use of it every day.

Some see this covering as a license to sin, since they will be forgiven for Jesus’ sake. That is wrong headed. Jesus, the one who gives us this covering, is also the one who said, “Go and sin no more.”  Instead, we ought to view the righteous covering Jesus provides as our motivation to live for Him each and every day. Because He loved me enough to pay for my sin and give me eternal life as a gift, I want to do what is pleasing in His sight to show my gratitude.

Let’s all wear the title “Christian” proudly, letting others see our Savior in our lives and actions.

Jack was praying to God, confessing his sins and asking to be forgiven for Jesus’ sake. As he was praying, he remembered a man named Frank who had wronged him.  Frank was a member of the same church Jack attended. Jack figured that Frank would also talk to God and confess his sins, so it occurred to him to ask God a question. Jack said, “God, I know that Frank prays to you every day and confesses his sins. I was wondering, God, can you tell me what he told you?” Jack was thinking it might be good to have some ammunition to use against Frank if he needed it. God said, “Let me get back to you on that tomorrow.”

The next day Jack was praying again and asked God, “Remember what I asked you yesterday? Did Frank confess his sins to you?”  God said, “Yes, he did.”  Jack asked, “Can you tell me what Frank’s sins are?” And do you know what God said? “I don’t remember.”

That is what God says about the sin of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. “I don’t remember.” We know that Jesus paid for sins so that we would not have to. That’s the reason He came into this world. The author of the letter to the Hebrews was making this point when he quoted a passage from the prophet Jeremiah: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) God says that to all those who believe that Jesus took our place in punishment.

We rejoice in the knowledge that we have this forgiveness. It enables us to live with confidence. We would do well to share it with others. We like knowing that God does not remember our sins, but we do not forget what others have done to us. We admonish each other to “forgive and forget,” yet we know it is just about impossible to do so.

No doubt you have heard, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” Many think this is from Scripture, but it was actually written by Alexander Pope in “An Essay on Criticism.” The point is valid. An attribute of our fallen human nature is to err. We all do this daily. But when Jesus came to earth and became a true human being, he was able to live without sin. He did this to accomplish forgiveness for everyone. When we forgive others, that is a reflection of what God has done for us in Christ.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Those who have experienced God’s forgiveness for Jesus’ sake will share that forgiveness with others. And may God enable us to imitate His divine forgetfulness so that we say of the sins we have forgiven, “I don’t remember.”

Yesterday Cheryl and I met with an area Funeral Home and finished the arrangements for when we die. We have talked about doing this for some time, and now it is done. Basically, we each purchased an insurance policy that will cover all the expenses of our choices. We have removed the burden of planning and paying from our children, which was our intention.

In case you are wondering, as far as we know, our deaths are not imminent. There is no diagnosis or disease that prompted us to take this action. We simply knew what we wanted to have happen and made the arrangements ourselves so that others would not have to do so.

We talked about all of this openly. We know we are going to die from this life. We also know that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. So we used that knowledge and faith as we took this action.

Something else we did was update all the plans for our memorial services. During my ministry, I had a form entitled “A Help and Guidance in the Event of My Death” that I encouraged members to complete. Many congregations have something like this. You can fill out if you have made arrangements with a funeral home and cemetery, if you wish to donate organs, the location of your will, and other practical things like that. It also allows you to express where you would like to have your service held, who the pastor should be, Scripture readings, hymn/song selections, and memorial recipients. I encouraged people to fill it out, give a copy to the church, and copies to their families. Again, this is a loving thing that will ease preparations for those who are grieving.

While our departure from this life does not appear to be imminent, it is certain. We know that and accept it. Neither one of us wants to stay in this sinful world forever. We echo the sentiment of St. Paul:  we “desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far…” Philippians 1:23. Because Jesus paid for our sin with His death, and defeated death for us by His resurrection, we will be with Him. We live with that conviction.

The Psalmist also addresses this topic.

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

By God’s grace, we have been given the wisdom that knows He is our Lord and Savior. We know our eternal life had begun and will get even better once we leave this world. But while we are still here, we intend to make the most of the time we have, enjoying His creation and trying to be a light that shows Jesus to others.

We try to have this attitude daily:

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Something my wife and I say on a daily basis is “I love you!” It happens many times every day. Often times as we are driving somewhere, Cheryl will say, “You know what?” and I will dutifully ask “What?” She will then reply, “I love you.”

Once we were on vacation. We had spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia and were making the drive up to Charleston, South Carolina. As we were taking in the sights, she asked, “You know what?” I thought I was one step ahead of her so I replied, “You love me?” to which she quickly said, “No, that’s not it.” That was not what I was expecting to hear! And that was not what she meant, either. She quickly said that she did indeed love me but that she was trying to tell me something else at that particular moment.

More important than simply saying those words to each other is the expression of that love. Love is not merely a feeling or something you talk about. Love is what you do. It is good to verbalize, but it is even more important to live. In marriage, love is shown in many ways. An act of tenderness. Doing a chore you don’t like to do because you know your spouse hates doing it, too. A hug and a kiss. Putting the needs of the other person ahead of your own. Spending time together. Being understanding. Not demanding your own way.

Love is an action. That is true whether you are talking about a marriage or a friendship or how we should treat other people in general. It is also what God has done for us. In 1 John 4 we read the words “God is love.” The one who made us did not simply say those words. It is who He is and what He does.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

The sacrificial love of Jesus paid the penalty for your sins so that you could have eternal life. He gave Himself to death so that you would not have to die eternally. He put your need, the need forgiveness, ahead of everything else in His life. He loved you.

The One who is love desires you to follow His example. He said, “Love each other as I have loved you”  (John 15:12). Let’s try to do that.

A friend once shared a story from when his son was about four years old. The boy was constantly getting into the cookie jar despite repeated admonitions from both of his parents. Finally, they decided to put it up on top of the refrigerator where it was out of reach. They discovered their solution was less than perfect one day when my friend walked into the kitchen from the garage to see the boy standing on top of several pieces of furniture precariously stacked to form a makeshift ladder. He was just about to reach the cookie jar when he was caught. The dad said, “What were you thinking?” The four-year-old’s immediate reply was, “I was thinking I sure hope you don’t walk in here right now!”

Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24)

There is no hiding our sins from God. He knows. Let that sink in. He knows every one of your sins of thought and word and deed. And how it must hurt Him. But He loves you anyway. So much so that He has provided a rescue plan, the way out for us. Even though we are ‘caught in the act’ and deserving of punishment, by virtue of our faith in Christ Jesus we can be certain a complete pardon. The price was already paid for our sin. Jesus did it all.

That makes me want to live a better life as a way to say “thanks” to God.

“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Words of wisdom inspired by something Thumper said in Bambi:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYngTUZeUQ). Words that were shared with me on many occasions by my mother, but which I have not always followed. Words that we would all do well to heed.

When I looking at news, I am struck by the fact that the media would have little to say if they followed this adage. Social media seems to be a place where hate and vitriol constantly spew forth. Politicians at every level seem to ignore this advice as well. And, unfortunately, all too often I have witnessed those in the church not abiding by this rule.

Our children are watching and learning. They are following the example they see in us and in the world. The vile speech and angry words that I hear from people of all ages is very disturbing to me.

Wringing our hands won’t change the situation. Living the life to which you have been called as a child of God can. We have been told to be the light shining in this world, the ones who show that knowing Jesus is our Savior has made a difference. That will influence everything we do, including our words and our actions.

It is the result of having a changed heart. One that responds to God’s love in Christ with a new life. And it is summarized so simply in the words Jesus spoke:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

The love Jesus has shown us is incomparable. He left heaven, came here as one of us, lived a perfect life, and then used that perfection as the payment for our sins. His death in our place satisfied God’s anger for our sins. And our faith receives the forgiveness that He accomplished. That is why we want to respond with new lives that do His will.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

The true love that follows the example Jesus gave will extend to the way we speak to and about one another.

“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Last night when I woke up around 1:30 and could not go back to sleep, a question occurred to me: “Why?” But it was not what you might think. I wasn’t asking God why I have problems sleeping all night, or why other people have more things than I do, or something like that. I was asking God, “Why have I been so blessed?”

When I asked that question, I remembered a couple that were members of Grace when I arrived to serve that congregation in 1988. They had been members of that church for about 40 years at that point, and married to each other for over 50 years already. I was privileged to know them for more than 20 years, and attended their 70^th anniversary party. I visited both of them many times in the hospital over the years. Once, when I was visiting her in the hospital, their 66-year-old son from another city was there. He was about to leave and drive a few hours home. She held on to her son’s hand, looked her husband in the eye, and said, “Give him some gas money!”  And she was serious.

They were a lovely couple, and their faith in Jesus as their Savior was obvious. I bring them up becase the question that occurred to me in the middle of the night was one that this man asked me constantly in my visits with him. He was almost bewildered when he asked, “Why have I been so blessed?”  I have a new appreciation of that question now that I have reached a more advanced age.

When I asked that question, the words of Psalm 116 popped into my head:

Psalm 116:12 How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

The answer is, “I cannot.” Just consider all that He has done for me. Luther wrote about it this way in his explanation to the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

That is a lot of stuff. But that is just the physical things. Luther wrote more on how God provides and blesses us:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.

 I think the hymn writer summed up my thoughts pretty well.

How can I thank Thee, Lord, For all they loving-kindness,
That Thou hast patiently Borne with me in my blindness?
When dead in many sins And trespasses I lay,
I kindled, holy God, Thine anger every day.

It is Thy work alone That I am now converted;
O’er Satan’s work in me Thou hast Thy pow’r asserted.
Thy mercy and Thy grace That rise afresh each morn
Have turned my stony heart Into a heart new-born.

I could but grieve Thee, Lord, And with my sins displease Thee;
Yet to atone for sin My works could not appease Thee.
Though I could fall from grace And choose the way of sin,
I had no strength to rise, A new life to begin.

But Thou hast raised me up To joy and exultation
And clearly shown the way That leads me to salvation.
My sins are washed away, For this I thank Thee, Lord;
And with my heart and soul All dead works are abhorred.

Grant that Thy Spirit’s help To me be always given
Lest I should fall again And lose the way to heaven;
That He may give me strength In mine infirmity
And e’er renew my heart To serve Thee willingly.

Oh, guide and lead me, Lord, While here below I wander
That I may follow Thee Till I shall see Thee yonder.
For if I led myself, I soon would go astray;
But if Thou leadest me, I keep the narrow way.

O Father, God of Love, Hear Thou my supplication;
O Savior, Son of God, Grant my Thy full salvation;
And Thou, O Holy Ghost, Be Thou my faithful Guide
That I may serve Thee here And there with Thee abide.

(The Lutheran Hymnal #417)

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2. it is a major component in acid rain
3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4. accidental inhalation can kill you
5. it contributes to erosion
6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

• Forty-three (43) said yes,
• six (6) were undecided,
• and only one (1) knew that the chemical was water, H2O, dihydrogen monoxide.

The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” He felt the conclusion was obvious.

Ignorance is dangerous. It will cause you to do things that are harmful to yourself and others. I once heard someone say, “Being ignorant isn’t a sin. Staying ignorant is.” He was talking about those who refuse to listen to and believe the good news about Jesus.

We have the truth we need, but many refuse to hear it. Jesus identified Himself as the Way, the TRUTH and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). You and I know this. We believe that He is the one who paid for the sins of everyone and offers that payment to those who will believe. But most of the world is still ignorant of this message.

Lord, help us to share the good news we have.