16 point Times New Roman, two columns, two pages; so God's sheep in the nursing
home can read it. :) Can be used for shut-ins, too.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
Romans 3:21-28.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, tonight millions of children will put
on masks and receive thousands of tons of candy. Masks help them pretend to be
something they are not: a super hero, cowboy, princess, villain, or another
identity. Many adults try to GUESS who is behind the mask. Some guesses are
better than others.
In our Epistle, Paul talks about a mask. It's not a mask of plastic,
cloth, or other material - it is a mask of self-goodness. In the days of
Jesus, and Paul, and Luther, AND YOU, many people try to fool God with a mask.
But it never works. God doesn't have to guess who is behind that mask.
God's Word says in Rom. 3:19-20 that all the world is guilty before God;
no one is excused in God's opinion by doing good actions. It's a lousy mask.
During Luther's time many taught God forgave everything in Baptism, but
AFTER that you had to earn your own forgiveness. But that is wrong. People
tried to earn God's love, like wearing a mask of goodness to fool Him. That
doesn't work either.
The Bible says "NO ONE will be declared righteous in God's sight by
observing the Law." God sees the evidence of your sins past and present. He
sees your lack of loving actions as well as your offenses: no mask helps.
Remember, people use masks to pretend to be something they are not. God
sees thru the masks of goodness people wear. God doesn't DO trick-or-treat.
He sees people trying to trick Him, and they won't get the treat of heaven.
Try as hard as we can, we fall very far short of the absolute, flawless
perfection He demands.
That was Luther's dilemma, too. He realized he was not MADE right with
God by Baptism. He realized all his good works were a phony mask God could see
right through. His heart was crushed by feelings of sin and guilt. The more
he knew God's requirements, the more he became conscious of his sins and
failures. All his righteousness was like filthy rags in the presence of the
King. (Isaiah 64; Zechariah 3:3) Our goodness is a miserable mask that fools
no one but ourselves as First John 1:8 says.
When we try to defend yourself, you are silenced. God sees your sin.
When you try to justify your actions, you are held accountable for it. Romans
opened the eyes of his heart.
Now, the righteousness of God, APART from the Law, has been revealed it is
from God and comes thru faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. God's
righteousness? That's perfect! Outside the requirements of the Law? Yes!
God's grace is revealed thru the Spirit by the power of God's Word. The Holy
Spirit gives us faith in Christ, and the perfect goodness of God covers us.
God declares us righteous.
Luther realized he didn't need a mask to hide from God. Nor do you.
Masks are for hiding - we don't need to hide. Jesus died to take away ALL of
our sins: past, present, and future. ALL of our failures to do good, our
imperfect acts of service to others: are forgiven in God's sight.
Jesus did not wear the mask of a human being. He was fully human. He did
not pretend to be God. Jesus is fully God. Because He was human, he could
die. Because He was God, he could absorb our sins and punishment.
God sent His Son to be the one-time full sacrifice for all sins of all
people. God did this to demonstrate His own special justice. God loved us so
much He punished Jesus rather than us. This preserved the holiness of God,
and allowed us to share in it.
Luther was so happy about that he did his best to live it. He faced
danger to share God's forgiveness with others. He wrote hymns, preached
sermons, traveled, composed books, & endured hardship. Could he boast before
God because of his works? NO! Luther believed, taught, and confidently lived
the faith he was given: we are declared righteous by faith alone, apart from
observing the works of the law.
Luther realized: we do not need to put on masks of goodness before God.
We confess our sins to Him & each other. Then we hear the tremendous Gospel.
God says, you are forgiven. Entirely. Pardoned before God, and forgiven
toward each other.
Because we don't need to hide from God we can boldly go to Him in prayer
(as our catechumens are learning). God sees us as His children, freely
forgiven by the blood of Jesus.
Luther had joy in God's love, righteousness and salvation. He was not
trying to wear a mask to fool God. Instead, Luther saw himself as a mask OF
God!
Luther wrote that it was as if God was hiding behind us; acting thru us.
Not that we are pretending to be God, rather God works thru us to serve others
around us in love. Like an actor uses a mask, God uses us to act out His love
and shine His light into the world.
Luther urged Christians to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to
serve God by serving others on earth. Not to earn His love, but because it is
already ours. The power of Christ's cross of forgiveness moves us to live this
Law of love and serve our neighbors and world. Our boasting about our good
actions is excluded. We boast about God's goodness! He declared us forgiven
in the court of heaven by the full payment of His Son. That is our boast.
And may we boast to the world around us how the Truth (that we are set
free from sin by the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God) has set
us free to be the people of God! Amen.
