1-29-2016

        Good Morning All!!   

        Acts 15:11; “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

    A few years ago, George Strait sang a song entitled “A Father’s Love.”  It relays the trials of raising a son form the father’s perspective.  It offers, what I think, is all too common of a thought later in the song.  He sings:

Last night I dreamed I’d died and stood outside those pearly gates
When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake
If they know half the stuff I done they’ll never let me in
Then somewhere from the other side I heard these words again

The chorus tells of a father’s love is a love without end.  This is such a true statement of our faith yet we often miss it.

    In one of our Bible studies at our church, we are looking at Martin Luther.  The one thing about Martin Luther that always fascinates me is that Martin Luther was convinced he was not good enough to go to heaven.  He tormented himself day and night agonizing over his sins.  He agonized partly because the Church at this time taught that any unrepented sin would keep you out of heaven.  So Luther agonized not only over the things that he had done but he also everything that he failed to do.  Luther knew that sinning was doing wrong but also failing to do what was right.  So to lie about your brother is a sin but it is also a sin to fail to give your brother a dollar if he needs it.  Yet what if giving him a dollar wasn’t enough, maybe it should have been $5.00.

   Many people feel completely unworthy of getting into heaven.  They look at what they have done and maybe even the good things they failed to do and had the same sinking feeling of our song “if they know half the stuff I done they’ll never let me in.”  This feeling is actually accurate; if you look at all you have done; you will never get into heaven.  Luther recognized that the Law says “Do this”, and it never gets done.

   Yet the Scriptures reveal to us a whole greater truth.  We are not saved by what we do.  We do not get into heaven because of what we do; we enter into heaven and into the wondrous loving presence of God because of God’s love, his grace that is poured out upon us.  Grace says, “Believe in this” and everything is already done.  We will never complete the Law; yet by God’s grace we are brought into God’s holy family and we receive all the benefits that all the heirs receive.  We receive eternal life, we receive the comfort of his love and mercy and the peace of mind that we have in the hope of God’s grace. 

Father, nothing I do will earn me heaven; I rely only on your grace.  Keep me in your loving arms.  Keep me aware of the love that you pour out upon us.  Guard us as we go.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret