Tag: Ephesians 2

SOLA GRATIA

We who are Christians of the Lutheran Confession emphasize the gospel principle known as Sola Gratia, which means “Grace Alone” in Latin. This biblical truth and good news, highlighted by Martin Luther and subsequent Protestant Reformers, declares that we are saved from sin, death, and the devil, by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

For the Word of God within chapter 3 of the Epistle to the Romans proclaims the following… “But now, apart from the Torah, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the Torah and the Prophets — namely, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; and all are now justified freely by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” – (Romans 3:21-25)

Now, it’s important to note that this profound gift of Sola Gratia rests entirely upon a Savior who is simultaneously divine and human. That is, salvation by God’s grace alone completely hinges upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is both fully God and fully human. For only such a One as this could accomplish the atonement for our sins and reconcile us to God.

Jesus’ divinity (his being co-equal and co-eternal with God Almighty) ensures his sacrifice for us is of supreme value, atoning for all sin of all time, once and for all. As he is God incarnate in human flesh (true God from true God), the Eternal Son, of One Being with the Father, Jesus is the perfect offering of infinite worth, capable of redeeming all humanity. Simultaneously, however, his humanity is equally vital. As he is truly human, born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus lived a sinless human life under the biblical Torah, and he truly suffered and died in our place, bearing the penalty of our sins. So, only a fellow human could represent us and stand as our substitute, and, at the same time, only Almighty God could offer a sacrifice of eternal value that would be sufficient for the world’s redemption.

Therefore, this mystical reality (that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human) makes our atonement and salvation possible. Christ’s atoning sacrifice, sealed by his blood shed for us and confirmed by his glorious resurrection, is the universal offering that reconciles us to God by grace alone.

For the Word of God within chapter 2 of the Epistle to the Ephesians states the following… “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.” – (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are completely justified (completely forgiven!!!) before God, which perfectly reconciles us to God, all by God’s grace through faith as a free gift, not by our own works. But this is not to say that our good works don’t matter. In fact, good works are very much a part of our Christian faith. So yes, we are indeed saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, not by our good works; however, we are saved by God’s grace in Christ for the sake of living a Christ-like life of good works as best we can — saved for doing good works as our way of life in response to God’s free grace given us (see Eph. 2:10 above).

Approximately six months ago, my newsletter article was about the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed in this Year of our Lord, 2025, and about how it is the preeminent statement of Christian faith which boldly professes that Jesus is “true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father… for us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human.” Consequently, may we be firmly anchored in this true faith of our divine and human Redeemer, whose grace alone saves us.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us always rejoice in Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”) trusting in the One Savior who is fully God and fully human — the One and Only who died for our sins, rose from the grave, secured our infinite atonement, and washes us in his baptismal waters of rebirth, renewal and eternal resurrection life.

For the Word of God within chapter 6 of the Epistle to the Romans declares the following…  “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” – (Romans 6:3-5)

All thanks, praise and glory be to God for Sola Gratia!

By God’s Grace in Christ, Pastor Tim

SOLUS CHRISTUS

In Luke 12:35-40, our Lord Jesus talks about spiritual preparedness and faithful readiness — about staying faithful, staying awake, staying alert, because we don’t know the hour when the Son of God will come again to make all things new. In fact, Jesus says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like those waiting for their master to return…”

So, how do we stay “dressed ready” with our “lamps burning” when the world around us is shouting at us from every direction? How do we avoid getting tangled up in the lies and deceptions that surround us? How do we endure in true faith when the pressures of life and the noise of the culture try to lead us astray from Jesus Christ our Savior?

Well, the answer is the living and active Lamp of God’s Word within the Holy Scriptures that lights our path and keeps us from stumbling in the darkness of this world’s falsehoods. It’s trusting in the Word of God come what may, just like Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Joseph and Mary. That’s faith — trusting in what God says, even when the world says it’s foolish.

In Hebrews chapter 11, we hear about a kind of Faith Hall of Fame, listing those who lived by trusting in God’s Word, even when they couldn’t see the whole picture. They didn’t see the fulfillment of all God’s promises in their lifetime, but they kept their eyes on the “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). They stayed faithful because they anchored their lives in what God had spoken, and that’s what we’re called into as we await the eventual return of Jesus our Lord.

But let’s be honest: There’s so much confusion, so many voices telling us what’s true, telling us what’s up and what’s down. For indeed, it’s spiritual warfare we’re engaged in! And our Lord Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 that many will come in the last days claiming to have the truth, with false teachers and deceivers trying to lead even God’s people astray.

Now, I have to confess that I consider myself to be a very ecumenical person. That is, I’m someone who respects and encourages interdenominational relations and cooperation within the Universal Church of Jesus Christ. In other words, I’m broadly supportive of Team Jesus in all its forms and expressions. In addition, I also consider myself to be generally affirming of interreligious dialogue, which means I’m supportive of conversation between the different religions of humanity for the purpose of mutual understanding and nonviolent coexistence. However, as a Christian of the Lutheran Confession, I am bound by conscience to the Word of God to always assert and freely declare the preeminent gospel truth that reconciliation and salvation with God comes in/with/through Christ alone — which is the Solus Christus of the Protestant Reformation. (Solus Christus is Latin for “Christ Alone.”)

Honestly, I really don’t like being controversial in my gospel proclamation, but the New Covenant gospel principle of Solus Christus will always be controversial no matter what, in all times and places. As a result, the following is some straightforward gospel controversy… Like the TV streaming platforms of Apple+, Disney+ and Paramount+, our fallen and sinful humanity will always prefer a “Christ+” belief (so to speak) over and above the gospel principle of Christ Alone. Consequently, throughout history we have seen attempt after attempt to uplift some sort of Christ+ theological scheme. There was the “Christ + good works” theology of the opponents of the Apostle Paul, as they tried to add our good works in cooperation with Christ’s atoning work for our salvation. But St. Paul, in no uncertain terms, completely and categorically rejected any idea of our ability to add anything to Christ’s work for our eternal salvation.

Not that our good works are bad, of course. In fact, good works are very much a part of our Christian faith. We are saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, not by our good works; however, we are saved by God’s grace in Christ for the sake of living a Christ-like life of good works as best we can — for doing good works as our way of life in response to God’s free grace given us (see Ephesians 2:8-10).

Continuing on, there was also the “Christ + secret esoteric knowledge” of the ancient Gnostics, seeking to add secret spiritual knowledge to Christ for our salvation. But here’s where it gets even more controversial… Much later, in the Seventh Century AD, the “Christ + a Prophet” theology out of Arabia came along and insisted on the addition of the ministry of Muhammad for the salvation of the human race. Then fast-forward to the Nineteenth Century AD, when there arose yet another “Christ + a Prophet” theology that promoted the idea of an additional lost-and-found testament to Christ that had been buried away by an ancient American named Moroni. And then, during that same Nineteenth Century, in the Year of our Lord 1854, there was the “Christ + Mary” dogma of the Immaculate Conception of St. Mary, stating that Mary herself was born without sin — which arguably, and in all actuality, elevates Mary to the status of co-redeemer with Christ our Lord.

So, whether it’s Christ plus good works, or Christ plus a secret esoteric knowledge, or Christ plus some prophet, or Christ plus Mary, or Christ plus any other prophetic addition or unbiblical innovation, we are conscience-bound to the plain and precious gospel truth of Christ Alone. For there is only One who was born without sin: Christ alone. There is only One who is the Almighty God incarnate in human flesh: Christ alone. There is only One who conquered sin and death on our behalf: Christ alone. There is only One who is the Mediator between God and humanity: Christ alone. 

Therefore, regarding Christian faith and salvation? Regarding Christian justification and sanctification? Regarding Christian life and hope? All thanks, praise and glory be to God, because it’s CHRIST ALONE who bestows these all-surpassing gifts!

So again, how do we guard our hearts and stay on the right path? We cling to the Word of God within the Holy Scriptures. For indeed, when we read the Bible regularly, and when we explore it with others in small group Bible studies, then the Word of God within the pages of the Bible becomes a shield around our hearts, keeping our spiritual lamps full with the oil of the Holy Spirit, ready for the Great Day of our Master’s glorious Second Advent yet to come.

In these times of rampant deception, as we wait for the Lord’s return, let’s be a people who cling to the Word of God like all those in the Faith Hall of Fame found in Hebrews 11. The world may try to fool us, but God’s Word will never fail — for the Word of the Lord is our guiding light in the darkness, our spiritual sword and shield in these days. So, let’s keep ourselves in the Word — abide in it and know it well — and by God’s grace and Holy Spirit, it is Christ alone who will keep us firmly grounded in his truth and salvation unto the very end, and beyond the end.

Together in Christ,  Pastor Tim

A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD

When Hilary and I visited England recently for our 30th wedding anniversary vacation, we were blessed to attend a Sunday morning worship service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. And interestingly, while we were assembled for worship in that massive sacred space, engulfed by grand Christian architecture all around, the Bible reading from Acts 17 appointed for that Sunday included the following text…

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus [in Athens, Greece] and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.” – (Acts 17:22-25)

Wow, what an amazingly ironic juxtaposition of worship setting and Holy Scripture!

Now I don’t want to sound like I’m saying that holy places and sacred spaces are unimportant. For indeed, it’s true that great cathedrals, temples, shrines, basilicas, chapels, and even neighborhood church buildings like ours, really do serve a wonderful God-given purpose in the lives of believers. In fact, such structures as these are designed and built by the faithful (according to sacred geometry and symbolism) precisely for the purpose of helping us to set our minds on divine things, as well as to help support us in fellowship and help energize our mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Of course, sometimes we can be lulled into a false sense of stability and security by sacred buildings and structures. And for Jesus’ fellow Israelites at the time of his earthly ministry in the Holy Land, there was very much a false sense of security centered upon one particular building: the Jerusalem Temple.

Whether they lived close to it in Israel or far away from it in Babylon, the Temple in Jerusalem was the sacred magnet that continued to draw the Jewish People back. And the Temple that Jesus visited in Jerusalem was built by King Herod “the Great” in an attempt to gain favor with his subjects, and to have something to brag about to his friend Caesar in Rome. It was the Second Jerusalem Temple, and it stood on the very site of the First Jerusalem Temple built by King Solomon (which had been destroyed centuries before). Herod’s Temple was much more massive and ornate than Solomon’s Temple, and its existence symbolized not only religious revival, but also the continuity of the nation of Israel itself.

Sadly, the Second Temple, which was supposed to be dedicated to holiness and righteousness and charity, was corrupted. So this is why Jesus was upset as he entered (with whip in hand) this enormous symbol of Israel’s identity, driving out those who had turned the Temple into a market of trade merchants. The sacred activity of the Temple had become a profiteering business. As a result, something meant to be prayerful and sacred had been turned into a commercial transaction run by an elite monopoly.

In today’s day and age, we hear about the monopoly of elites over mass media, communication and information, but this was a monopoly of religious elites. Therefore, with great zeal, Jesus put together a whip of cords, and he turned over the tables of the money changers, driving them out with his whip. Of course, I don’t think Jesus actually hurt anyone, but he also wasn’t the meek and mild Jesus of Sunday school imagination either. So in righteous zeal, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Prophecy of chapter 14 of Zechariah, that there shall no longer be marketeers (or trade merchants) corrupting the House of the Lord (see Zechariah 14:21).

Consequently, Yeshua (Jesus), a faithful Jew of the First Century, hit at the very heart of First Century Jewish identity and security. He declared that the Temple will be destroyed, and to his listeners that announcement seemed incredible and unthinkable. It struck at their personal and national faith. And even though some Jews believed that God’s Holy Presence had not returned to the Holy Sanctuary of the Second Jerusalem Temple anyway, this didn’t change the fact that Herod’s Temple was still a great symbol of national faith and life.

However, Jesus was simultaneously speaking about both the Jerusalem Temple and the Most Holy Living Temple of his own mortal body, the very Living Temple of God’s New Covenant for the sake of the whole world. So Jesus knew beforehand that he would suffer, die and rise again; that the Temple of his body would be destroyed and renewed for our eternal sake.

And this New Covenant miracle of all miracles grants to us an everlasting identity and an eternal security, built entirely upon God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. For as the Apostle Paul states in the Epistle to the Ephesians…

“You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the Household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the Cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a Holy Temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.” – (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

GOD’S WORKMANSHIP MADE FOR A PURPOSE

I’ve watched a lot of craftsmanship videos on YouTube over the past several weeks, and I find glasswork to be especially interesting. And in a lot of ways, the glasswork craft reminds me of the creative and redeeming work of Almighty God in our lives.

Like glass in the hand of the glass smith (or glass blower), God shapes, molds and fashions us all — including the entire cosmos as well. So in God’s divine work of creation and re-creation, we often undergo a process of shattering, melting and reforming according to the mysterious grand design of the great Master Craftsman of the Universe.

God has an aim and desire for each of his beautiful works of art, and we are here for an appointed time and place, here for a divine purpose that only God fully understands, and then we return to God who is the Source and Foundation of all life. In other words, it’s as the fictional character Hugo says in Hugo the movie:

“I’d imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn’t be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.”

The amazing truth is that God creates, establishes, destroys, dissolves, renews, re-creates and re-establishes all that is, both seen and unseen. God is the Creator, the Re-Creator and the Sustainer. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit (our Source, Savior and Sanctifier).

In life, in death, and in life beyond death, God is the constant Eternal Truth. And this gives us such a great inner peace, hope, and joy, because we are all in the ever-faithful hands of our wonderful, steadfast Lord God Almighty. In sickness or in health, in pleasure or in pain, in plenty or in scarcity, in life or in death, in this world or in the world to come, we are all God’s masterwork. We are God’s beautiful creatures and beloved children under the ultimate care of God’s supreme, everlasting grace — in good times and in bad times, from here to eternity.

So we place our trust in The One who is most trustworthy, and we take to heart the solid, unshakable promises of God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures. For thus says the Lord:

“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…”

EPHESIANS 2:10a

“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”

REVELATION 3:20

God is always knocking at the doorway of our heart. So let us listen to his biblical Word, and let us prayerfully open up the door to him. The Lord is knocking, so let us open the door and feast together on his grace and truth every single day of our life.

Wonderful God, we pray that you would guide us to listen for you and empower us to open our hearts to you all of our days. Help us to grow to trust you more fully. And in this beautifully diverse world that you have placed us for a reason and purpose, make us to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and walk with you more nearly through lives of praise, thanksgiving, charity and service. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.

Grace & Peace! Pastor Tim

GOD’S LIVING TEMPLE

Recently during our online Bible study of the Book of Ephesians, hosted on the Zoom video conferencing platform, we discussed the “holy temple” of Ephesians chapter 2…

So Christ came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Ephesians 2:17-22

As I shared with the other Bible study participants on Zoom, this image of the Church of Jesus Christ as one living temple is a favorite biblical image for me. Of course the Bible uses several other images to describe the Church, such as one living body with many different members, or as one living tree into which we (many different branches) are grafted by God’s grace. However, the image of a living temple speaks to my heart a little bit more than these others.

As a lover of architecture, the living temple image of the Church in Ephesians allows me to imagine the various interrelated structural parts — including how we might imagine our relationship with the Holy Trinity of God. Therefore, with the apostles and prophets of the New and Old Testaments as the foundation of this great spiritual temple, and with ourselves as its living interconnected stone blocks, let’s focus on the three most notable pieces of stonemasonry: the Cornerstone, the Keystone, and the Capstone.

The cornerstone (or setting stone) is the first stone placed in a masonry construction, and all the other building stones will be set in reference to this first stone — thereby determining the overall position of the entire structure. Likewise, Jesus Christ is our divine Cornerstone, the chief stone set in place for us to base our individual orientation within the overall temple structure. In other words, our Lord Jesus’ life, teachings, death and resurrection give us the exact spiritual dimensions that we use to set and position our faith and spirituality.

The keystone (sometimes doubling as a capstone) is the central wedge stone at the apex of a masonry arch, or it’s the circular wedge stone at the apex of a vaulted structure. In both cases it’s the final stone that locks all the stones of an arch or vault into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear the weight of the surrounding structure. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is our divine Keystone, the central wedge stone that unites and binds all the other stones into one load-bearing temple structure. Consequently, due to the open but solid archway of the Holy Spirit (or Holy Keystone) we are strengthened and kept in true faith by the Holy Spirit’s power and spiritual gifts, bestowed upon us through the Word and Sacraments of God.

The capstone (sometimes doubling as a keystone) is a stone placed at the pinnacle of a masonry construction, typically on top of a wall or a monument. In addition, the capstone is an architectural feature that is often found at the very top of religious, memorial and governmental structures. As a result, capstones on such structures as these are often detailed artistic features placed at the highest point in order to indicate the purpose or meaning of the entire building. Furthermore, the capstone can be circular or conical or pyramidal in shape.

On both governmental and religious buildings, the capstone can often have some kind of decorative orb centered on top — and this orb can also have a symbol or statue on top of it.  For example, there is an ornate capstone at the pinnacle of the dome of our United States Capitol Building, and it’s a conical-shaped capstone supporting an orb (etched with the words “E Pluribus Unum”) that also has the Statue of Freedom standing upon the orb. Or for another example, centered on the capstones of many Church cathedrals there are orbs with either cross symbols or angelic figures (or both). Likewise, just as it is with these beautiful capstone structures on top of large governmental and religious buildings, our Heavenly Father is our divine Capstone, the pinnacle stone that indicates our highest purpose and meaning, and our highest exultation and destiny.

As we are physically isolated during this global Coronavirus pandemic and national quarantine, it is deeply important that we remember our spiritual togetherness as stones in God’s living temple — securely interconnected with God and each other forever by God’s amazing grace. With the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (our divine Capstone, Cornerstone and Keystone), and with the apostles and prophets as our foundation, we shall stand firm throughout it all. 

Lastly, with all of this in mind, I’m reminded of the first part of the third verse of the great Christian hymn “Built on a Rock the Church Shall Stand”…

Christ builds a house of living stones:

we are his own habitation;

he fills our hearts, his humble thrones,

granting us life and salvation.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), Hymn #652, Verse 3

A blessed Pentecost Sunday to all of you in May and a wonder-full Holy Trinity Sunday in June!

Together in God’s Living Temple, Pastor Tim

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IN 2019

At a recent Sunday morning Bible study here at Mt. Olive, we were discussing the topic of “trusting in the Lord” for our future. So I offered a bit of wisdom from one of my favorite sayings: Trust in the Lord but tie up your horse. And this statement is really concerning the virtue of prudence.

Prudence is using our best judgment to consider various consequences and outcomes in order to prepare accordingly and provide for the future. Essentially, prudence is a type of good fear that has us lock our doors at night and provide for the safety and security of our loved ones, both short-term and long-term. It is a kind of good fear that promotes things like disaster preparedness. In fact, it is prudence that leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to encourage all U.S. citizens to maintain at least a basic three-day supply of drinking water, food, fuel and supplies.

Yes, prudence is a good kind of fear that says to us the following:

  + Pray as though it’s all up to God but work as though it’s all up to you.

  + Trust in God but tie up your horse.

However, there is a second type of good fear, and it is the “fear” of the Lord God Almighty. This is the “fear” of awe-struck wonder at the deep mystery of God. It is the “fearful” reverence for what the Native Americans call the Great Spirit — an awe and reverence that leads to insight, understanding and wisdom. As it says in the biblical Book of Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).

This biblical “fear of the Lord” is what leads us to be peacemakers in our lives and our world, freeing us from all forms of tribalism, clannishness and cliquishness for the glory of God and the benefit of all. In other words, it is what leads us (in, with and through Christ our Lord) to transcend all earthly divisions so that we might manifest a more inclusive human community here and now — even as we await the fullness of God’s Kingdom to come when our resurrected Lord Jesus returns to us in person someday.

As citizens of the USA, we are especially blessed to live in the most universal of all the countries on Earth. It’s not perfect (no country has a perfect history), but we are nonetheless the most diverse country in the world, and I believe God has blessed us Americans with the task of modeling and defending the idea of a universal human society. We are blessed with the sacred task of advancing greater and greater unity in diversity — e pluribus unum. And as Christians, God has given to us the good news of the one universal Kingdom of God’s truth, grace and love revealed through our Lord Jesus Christ for us to share with all people. As it says in Ephesians chapter 2, “He came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:17-20).

As we begin 2019, may these two good fears guide us into the future. As prudence would demand, may we “Trust in God but tie up our horse” for our households, community, nation and world. However, as the unifying “fear of the Lord” would command, may we follow Jesus by being agents of unity in diversity for the sake of all people everywhere.

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Pastor Tim