Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 2. Corinthians 5,1-10. 2. Last Sunday

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

2. Corinthians 5,1-10. 2. Last Sunday

2. Corinthians 5,1-10 5721

Vorletzter Sonntag. 26. Trinitatis 071

Justinian, Emperor and Confessor of Christ ✠ 565. Livin, Bishop in Scotland, Martyr 659.

Livin, Pastor, ✠ 8^th c.

14. November 2021

1. O Almighty, Eternal and Merciful God, who by Your beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, has established the kingdom of grace for us, so that we might believe the forgiveness of our sins, in Your holy Church on earth, since You are a God who has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: We beseech You, graciously forgive us all our sins. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.«

3. The Apostle Paul reminds us that »we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.« Jesus describes this event in our Gospel pericope this morning: believers will be separated from unbelievers, with believers in Christ’s right and unbelievers on His left. Before Christ’s judgment seat, He will give to the faithful and elect eternal life and everlasting joy, but He will damn godless people and the devils to hell and eternal punishment (AC 17).

4. There is one important word that separates the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Those on His right inherit the heavenly reign. Paul also spoke about inheritance throughout his epistles (1. Corinthians 6,10; 15,50; Galatians 3,18; 4,30; 5,21; Ephesians 1,11.14.18; Colossians 1,12; 3,24; Hebrews 6,12; 9,15; 11,8; ). Paul writes: »For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse … Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith … Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law … For if the inheritance comes by the law, then it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise … For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ … And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee (Galatians 3,10.11.13.18.26-27.29; 2. Corinthians 5,5).

5. To inherit the reign of heaven is to believe in Jesus Christ. Unbelievers show their complete lack of faith by the utter contempt of Jesus and his Christians. Believers show their faith by their love and charity Sean to Jesus and their fellow Christians. Thus Paul reminds us: »We walk by faith, not by sight. We make it our aim to please Christ.«

6. Faith receives Jesus, and in receiving Jesus we also receive our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. We are in this together; if the world hates us, then know that it has hated Christ first (John 15,18). Jesus assures us that before His judgment seat there will indeed be a reckoning. Those who trust in Christ will be exonerated before all people; those who reject Christ will be condemned and separated from Him.

7. The judgment of the world is joined closely to the visible return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead (Pieper 539). Before this judgment seat men, women and fallen angels will receive their judgment. As Jesus teaches: the works of those before Christ are the proof of their faith or their unbelief. Notice that only the good works of the believers are cited, while for the unbelievers only their evil works are cited. »I will bear the indignation of Yahweh because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon His vindication« (Micah 7,9). »Whoever believes in God’s Son is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God« (John 3,18). Of the believers, there are no degrees of bliss, because all the blessed are perfectly happy, that is, every one of them will find full contentment for themselves in beholding God. (Pieper 552). However, Scripture does teach that there are degrees of glory corresponding to the differences of the work God performed through each person here on earth (Pieper 552). One salvation to all the saints, but different degrees of glory. Omnibus una salus sanctis, sed gloria dispar (Pieper 552. This is one of Baier’s axioms). Luther described it this way: „Thus everyone will have his distinction and glory according to his office, and still one God and Lord will be in all, and one and the same joy and bliss. In his person none shall be more or have more than the other“ (Pieper 553; SL VIII:1223 f).

8. We receive our salvation by faith. When we finally stand before Jesus and His judgment seat we will stand there as inheritors of God’s heavenly reign. We are saved by Jesus who now and before His judgment seat declares us righteous because He has made us righteous. Soli Deo Gloria. This is most certainly true.

9. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord, You are a merciful Judge; exhort us to join the hosts of the heavens to declare Your the righteousness among us through Christ our Savior. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

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.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

2. Corinthians 5,1-10. 2. Last Sunday

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