The Sunday Sermon
Several days ago, or more, I had mentioned that one may find inspiration from various sources. I cited the words of the Apostle Paul as written in Philippians 4:8
“Furthermore, brethren, whatsoever thingsare true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoeverthings are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoeverthings are worthy love, whatsoever things areof good report, if there be any virtue, or if there beany praise, think on these things.”
As such, I have been moved, (by the Spirit of God), to begin a new series which will be for Sunday’s only. Some of the early Church Fathers, and clergy, wrote extensively on God’s word. Today’s sermon, an excerpt, comes from Martin Luther, titled;
“The Twofold Use of the Law & Gospel: "Letter" & "Spirit"
and is based upon the Second Book of Corinthians Chapter 3 Verses 4 - 11 which is quoted below;
4 And such trust have we through Christ toGod:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to thinkanything, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is ofGod,
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of theNew Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit:for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
7 If then the ministration of death written withletters and engraven in stones, was glorious, so thatthe children of Israel could not behold the face ofMoses, for the glory of his countenance (which gloryis gone away.)
8 How shall not the ministration of the Spiritbe more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation wasglorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was glorified, was not glorifiedin this point, that is, as touching the exceedingglory.
11 For if that they should be abolished, wasglorious, much more shall that which remaineth beglorious.
Just as an aside, and before you read the sermon, I would like to add here that the previous entry I had made was in reference to an epistle from Saint Clement (who was a disciple of Peter, and a fellow minister of the Gospel with Paul) Lest there should ever be any doubt as to how God’s Word always works in harmony with Itself, I remind the reader that that particular epistle was to the very church at Corinth of which Paul had written to previously. For whatever reason, the good saints there at the church of Corinth, seemed to continually in need of being reminded as to how to live in the Light of God’s Word, as do we all. Also please note that all that is written below, and all that I have just written is not of my own doctrine nor of Martin Luther, but are thoughts that are inspired by the Word of God. It is HE, as HE said to Moses, that will put His Word into our mouths (Exodus 4:10 - 12)
And now on to the sermon.
PAUL'S CONVERTS LIVING EPISTLES
5. Inasmuch as his activity among them is his testimonial, and they themselves are aware that through his ministerial office he has constituted them a church, he calls them an epistle written by himself; not with ink and in paragraphs, not on paper or wood, nor engraved upon hard rock as the Ten Commandments written upon tables of stone, which Moses placed before the people, but written by the Holy Spirit upon fleshly tables--hearts of tender flesh. The Spirit is the ink or the inscription, yes, even the writer himself; but the pencil or pen and the hand of the writer is the ministry of Paul.
6. This figure of a written epistle is, however, in accord with Scripture usage. Moses commands (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; 11, 18) that the Israelites write the Ten Commandments in all places where they walked or stood upon the posts of their houses, and upon their gates, and ever have them before their eyes and in their hearts. Again (Proverbs 7:2-3), Solomonsays: "Keep my commandments and...my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers; write them upon the tablet of thy heart." He speaks as a father to his child when giving the child an earnest charge to remember a certain thing--"Dear child, remember this; forget it not; keep it in thy heart." Likewise, God says in the book of Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 31:33), "I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it." Here man's heart is represented as a sheet, or slate, or page, whereon is written the preached Word; for the heart is to receive and securely keep the Word. In this sense Paul says: "We have, by our ministry, written a booklet or letter upon your heart, which witnesses that you believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and have the assurance that through Christ you are redeemed and saved. This testimony is what is written on your heart. The letters are not characters traced with ink or crayon, but the living thoughts, the fire and force of the heart.
7. Note further, that it is his ministry to which Paul ascribes the preparation of their heart thereon and the inscription which constitutes them "living epistles of Christ." He contrasts his ministry with the blind fancies of those fanatics who seek to receive, and dream of having, the Holy Spirit without the oral word; who, perchance, creep into a corner and grasp the Spirit through dreams, directing the people away from the preached Word and visible ministry. But Paul says that the Spirit, through his preaching, has wrought in the hearts of his Corinthians, to the end that Christ lives and is mighty in them. After such statement he bursts into praise of the ministerial office, comparing the message, or preaching, of Moses with that of himself and the apostles. He says:"Such confidence have we through Christ to Godward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God
TRUE PREACHERS COMMISSIONED BY GOD
8. These words are blows and thrusts for the false apostlesand preachers. Paul is mortal enemy to the blockheads who make great boast, pretending to what they do not possess and to what they cannot do; who boast of having the Spirit in great measure; who are ready to counsel and aid the whole world; who pride themselves on the ability to invent something new. It is to be a surpassingly precious and heavenly thing they are to spin out of their heads, as the dreams of pope and monks have been in time past."We do not so," says Paul. "We rely not upon ourselves or our wisdom and ability. We preach not what we have ourselves invented. But this is our boast and trust in Christ before God, that we have made of you a divine epistle; have written upon your hearts, not our thoughts, but the Word of God. We are not, however, glorifying our own power, but the works and the power of him who has called and equipped us for such an office; from whom proceeds all you have heard and believed.
9. It is a glory which every preacher may claim, to be able to say with full confidence of heart: "This trust have I toward God in Christ, that what I teach and preach is truly the Word of God." Likewise, when he performs other official duties in the Church--baptizes a child, absolves and comforts a sinner--it must be done in the same firm conviction that such is the command of Christ.10. He who would teach and exercise authority in the Church without this glory, "it is profitable for him," as Christ says (Matthew. 18:6), "that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea." For the devil's lies he preaches, and death is what he effects. Our Papists, in time past, after much and long-continued teaching, after many inventions and works whereby they hoped to be saved, nevertheless always doubted in heart and mind whether or no they had pleased God. The teaching and works of all heretics and seditious spirits certainly do not bespeak for them trust in Christ; their own glory is the object of their teaching, and the homage and praise of the people is the goal of their desire."Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves."
11. As said before, this is spoken in denunciation of the false spirits who believe that by reason of eminent equipment of special creation and election, they are called to come to the rescue of the people, expecting wonders from whatever they say and do.
HUMAN DOCTRINE NO PLACE IN THE CHURCH
12. Now, we know ourselves to be of the same clay whereof they are made; indeed, we perhaps have the greater call from God: yet we cannot boast of being capable of ourselves to advise or aid men. We cannot even originate an idea calculated to give help. And when it comes to the knowledge of how one may stand before God and attain to eternal life, that is truly not to be achieved by our work or power, nor to originate in our brain. In other things, those pertaining to this temporal life, you may glory in what You know, you may advance the teachings of reason, you may invent ideas of your own; for example: how to make shoes or clothes, how to govern a household, how to manage a herd. In such things exercise your mind to the best of your ability. Cloth or leather of this sort will permit itself to be stretched and cut according to the good pleasure of the tailor or shoemaker. But in spiritual matters, human reasoning certainly is not in order; other intelligence, other skill and power, are requisite here--something to be granted by God himself and revealed through his Word.
13. What mortal has ever discovered or fathomed the truth that the three persons in the eternal divine essence are one God; that the second person, the Son of God, was obliged to become man, born of a virgin; and that no way of life could be opened for us, save through his crucifixion? Such truth never would have been heard nor preached, would never in all eternity have been published, learned and believed, had not God himself revealed it.
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