Romans 8,12-17 4121
8. Trinitatis 053
James the Elder, Apostle, Martyr in Judea 44. Acts 12,1-2
25. Juli 2021
1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we most heartily thank You that Your have caused us to come to the knowledge of Your Word. We pray: graciously keep us steadfast in this knowledge unto death, so that we may obtain eternal life; send us now and ever pious pastors, who faithfully preach Your Word, without offense or false doctrine, and grant them long life. Defend us from all false teachings, and frustrate the counsels of all who twist Your Word, who come to us in sheep’s clothing, but are inwardly ravening wolves, so that Your true Church may evermore be established among us, and be defended and preserved from such false teachers. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)
2. »So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh then you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, then you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry: „Abba! Father!“ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.«
3. In his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul mentions each Person of the Trinity in chapter 8: the Holy Spirit, the Father and Christ Jesus.
4. Saint Paul tells us that God the Father has adopted us as His son or daughter. This is an incredible gift that God has given us. For the apostle says that before this adoption into God’s family, our spirit was enslaved and in fear fear. Prior to becoming a child of God we were a child of the Devil enslaved to our sinful flesh. We were born in sin, lived a life of sin and followed the example of Satan, the first sinner. Living enslaved in such a sinful state is to live in a state of constant fear that someone will uncover your wicked deeds and punish you. Fear that someone may commit some sinful act upon your person. Fear that some Divine Entity may pour out His wrath upon you for your evil deeds.
5. God’s plan in redemption is to redeem His fallen creation. God the Father desires to reclaim you as His very own son or daughter. Moses writes in Genesis 1: »Then God said: „Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.“ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them« (Genesis 1,26-28). Adam and Eve were created in the Divine Image and Likeness. Adam was a son of God, and Eve was a daughter of God. They were perfect, holy and sinless. Everything on earth was given to men and women to rule on behalf of God, because they were sons of God, crown princes and heirs. In salvation, God the Father desires to restore the original intention of Creation.
6. God the Father desires to restore His fallen creation to its originally created order. Christ Jesus came to this Earth to become our Redeemer and Savior. He took on human flesh and blood. He suffered, died and was buried. He rose from the grave in victory. He ascended into heaven in power and glory. Christ Jesus will one day return for us.
7. Until the day of Christ’s second advent, the Holy Spirit is about the task of restoring creation. He testifies that we have been adopted as God’s children. He announces that each of us have been purchased by God and have been brought into His heavenly family. The Holy Spirit most verbally declares this at your Baptism. Luther writes in his Small Catechism: Q: What benefits does Baptism give? A: Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the Devil and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. Holy Baptism is a restoration of our heavenly inheritance.
8. But these Baptismal gifts are the mere means to the true end. The end is that we be restored to the Image and Likeness of God. Baptism is a means to this end, and the Holy Spirit is responsible for Baptism, faith and restoring us to the Divine Image and Likeness.
9. Yet, the Holy Spirit does not stop at Baptism. He has also given to the Church the Sacrament of Holy Communion. In the Sacrament of the Altar we receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Another benefit of the Lord’s Supper is that by partaking of it we proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns. Jesus told His apostles: »Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will return again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also« (John 14, 1-3). Christ has promised to return for us, and in returning for us He will take us to be with Him whereby we will receive the completion of salvation, which is the restoration of our physical body and soul to its intended sinless and holy state.
10. Dear friends, salvation is more than just the mere forgiveness of sins. Salvation is about the eventual eradication of sin and the sinful nature. God intends to restore creation to its pristine form. Suffering and disease will cease. Death will no longer be a reality. Sin will never trouble us again. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, began this restoration when Christ spilled His very own blood on the cross to purchase our, yes, the world’s forgiveness. forgiveness; Christ has risen from the grave, and we also will physically arise at His return; Christ’s Easter victory over sin, death and the Devil has restored creation to its original righteousness, and each day the Holy Spirit advances this restoration through the gospel, in Baptism and through the Lord’s Supper.
11. Saint Paul writes later in his epistle: »I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God« (Romans 8,18-21).
12. The Triune God promises that He will walk again with us in full fellowship. The Father will restore creation to its Garden of Eden purity. The Holy Spirit will begin us on the path of restoration to original righteousness as He uses the Word and Sacraments to forgive our sins and lead us in living Godly lives. The Son has already purchased the forgiveness of our sins on the cross, and has ascended into heavenly glory. At His return we will inherit God’s wealth, and that wealth is the eternal riches of heaven, which include complete restoration of our physical and spiritual holiness and purity. Praise be to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who love us and restore us to Divine fellowship through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13. Let us pray. O Lord, whose Name is glorious; pour out upon the world Your loving kindness, so that every man and woman may see Your faithfulness to us in Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm
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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2019 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2020 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.
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