This teaching of the unconditional Gospel of God’s love for sinners is
one that could be proclaimed to us a thousand times and it wouldn’t be
too often. Why not? Because our hearts are hard-wired by nature to think
that, when it comes to the gift of eternal
life, it just can’t be free. (Similar to when we receive a flyer in the
mail advertising a free gift and we’re skeptical. “There’s gotta be
strings,” we say. And there usually are!). Aren’t we more inclined to lay
in bed at night, thinking about our imperfections
and wondering whether God could possibly forgive us than we are
inclined to think about His love for us in Christ and all that He did to
save us? The great accuser tries to steal away our confidence too. He
whispers: “You are a child of God? You?! See how
your life is littered with the debris of your many faults!”
But the devil can’t win. God uses the Gospel of Jesus to bless us with
certainty that we are His justified children. He enables us to fend off
the prince of darkness when he comes calling by answering (as Martin
Luther did): “Devil, by telling me I’m a sinner,
you are actually placing a sword in my hand with which I will defeat
you. With your own weapon I will fight you off and make you run. If you
can tell me that I am a sinner, I can tell you that Christ died for
sinners and He is my Intercessor. The burden of
my sins and all the trouble and misery that were to oppress me
eternally, He took on His shoulders and suffered the death of the cross
for them. So I direct you to Him. You may accuse and condemn Christ (if
you can). I will rest in peace for on Jesus’ shoulders,
not mine, lie my sins and the sins of the whole world.’”
My Jesus paid the debt I owe And for my sin was smitten,
Within the Book of Life I know My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free, And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation.
(Lutheran Service Book, 508:5) |
