The Third Article: God's Gift Of Eternal Life
Sermon
What's That Supposed To Mean?
Using The Catechism In The 21st Century
Object:
The Apostles' Creed -- The Third Article
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that ... the Holy Ghost ... will at the Last Day ... give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." On this the last Sunday of the Epiphany season, let us pause and think about the future. The Bible talks about a day of harvest coming, a harvest of souls. Two kinds of Christians will be at that harvest.
On the day of judgment, there will be some who claim to be Christians who will be turned away from God's kingdom. Jesus told us that many would say, "Lord, Lord, didn't we do this and that and the other thing in your name," and He will say, "Go away, I don't know you." These false Christians will be like counterfeit money when it reaches the bank.
Suppose you are given a counterfeit ten-dollar bill in change at the store. You pay your babysitter. Thinking it is genuine, the baby-sitter uses it to pay for some gas. The station owner uses it to pay one of his employees, who uses it to buy groceries. From there it goes to the bank, where the teller says, "I'm sorry, but this bill is counterfeit." The bill may have been used to do a lot of good while it was in circulation, but when it arrived at the bank, it was exposed for what it really was and put out of circulation. A counterfeit Christian may do many good works, but still be rejected at the gates of judgment.
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that bears this epitaph: "Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me." An unknown passerby had read those words and scratched this reply below them: "To follow you I'm not content Until I know which way you went." The passerby was right -- the important thing about death is what follows it. Where are you going? Those who sow to the flesh will reap destruction. The Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Some examples of Christians sowing to the flesh include anger, immorality, lust, hypocrisy, lying, cheating, and all those other sins condemned in the Bible. Christians who think they can go to church on Sunday and live like heathens on Monday through Saturday are sowing to the flesh. They are as phony as a counterfeit dollar bill. Counterfeit money ends up in the fire. So do counterfeit Christians.
Jesus wants to help us sow to the Spirit. Since the Spirit is the one who creates and maintains faith in us, Jesus gives us this promise, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." The light Jesus speaks of is Himself. The truth he speaks of is the Word which the Holy Spirit has carefully given to us by prophets and apostles in the Scriptures. So all we have to do to live by the truth is get to know the Scriptures, because they tell us of Jesus. And when we live by the truth, God's way of doing things will show up in our lives.
Saint Paul, in another place, calls doing things God's way fruits of the Spirit. He lists them as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If you are like me, you have a long way to go before these fruits show up in your life the way they did in Jesus' life. Who could be more long-suffering than Jesus, who must put up with our hypocrisy and sinfulness? Who could be more gentle than Jesus, who works to create a new heart in us rather than kicking us to pieces? Who is more kind than Jesus, who turns the other cheek and rewards evil with sun that shines on the wicked and rain that falls on the unrighteous?
If these and the other fruits of the Spirit are not mature, take heart! Those who stay close to Jesus have His promise that we shall reap eternal life one day. The fruits of the Spirit may seem shriveled and tiny now, but the truth of Jesus, as a food for our souls fed us by God's Spirit, will nourish us until we reach maturity and we produce the same fruits as Jesus has. Jesus tells us that if we eat His flesh and drink his blood, we will live forever. Only faith can do this. That's why Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Remember, the Holy Spirit's job is to get us ready to live forever! First He gives us saving faith. Then He brings that faith to fruit.
Prayer: We thank You, Holy Spirit, that through the work done by You in the Church, You prepare us for eternal life. Help us be ready for that final day by inspiring us to get closer to the truth that points us to Jesus. Forgive us for making excuses when we avoid spending time in getting to know the Scriptures better. Forgive us for the times we have avoided gathering in church. Bless our time here with fruits of faith that make us more like Jesus. Amen.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that ... the Holy Ghost ... will at the Last Day ... give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." On this the last Sunday of the Epiphany season, let us pause and think about the future. The Bible talks about a day of harvest coming, a harvest of souls. Two kinds of Christians will be at that harvest.
On the day of judgment, there will be some who claim to be Christians who will be turned away from God's kingdom. Jesus told us that many would say, "Lord, Lord, didn't we do this and that and the other thing in your name," and He will say, "Go away, I don't know you." These false Christians will be like counterfeit money when it reaches the bank.
Suppose you are given a counterfeit ten-dollar bill in change at the store. You pay your babysitter. Thinking it is genuine, the baby-sitter uses it to pay for some gas. The station owner uses it to pay one of his employees, who uses it to buy groceries. From there it goes to the bank, where the teller says, "I'm sorry, but this bill is counterfeit." The bill may have been used to do a lot of good while it was in circulation, but when it arrived at the bank, it was exposed for what it really was and put out of circulation. A counterfeit Christian may do many good works, but still be rejected at the gates of judgment.
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that bears this epitaph: "Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me." An unknown passerby had read those words and scratched this reply below them: "To follow you I'm not content Until I know which way you went." The passerby was right -- the important thing about death is what follows it. Where are you going? Those who sow to the flesh will reap destruction. The Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Some examples of Christians sowing to the flesh include anger, immorality, lust, hypocrisy, lying, cheating, and all those other sins condemned in the Bible. Christians who think they can go to church on Sunday and live like heathens on Monday through Saturday are sowing to the flesh. They are as phony as a counterfeit dollar bill. Counterfeit money ends up in the fire. So do counterfeit Christians.
Jesus wants to help us sow to the Spirit. Since the Spirit is the one who creates and maintains faith in us, Jesus gives us this promise, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." The light Jesus speaks of is Himself. The truth he speaks of is the Word which the Holy Spirit has carefully given to us by prophets and apostles in the Scriptures. So all we have to do to live by the truth is get to know the Scriptures, because they tell us of Jesus. And when we live by the truth, God's way of doing things will show up in our lives.
Saint Paul, in another place, calls doing things God's way fruits of the Spirit. He lists them as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If you are like me, you have a long way to go before these fruits show up in your life the way they did in Jesus' life. Who could be more long-suffering than Jesus, who must put up with our hypocrisy and sinfulness? Who could be more gentle than Jesus, who works to create a new heart in us rather than kicking us to pieces? Who is more kind than Jesus, who turns the other cheek and rewards evil with sun that shines on the wicked and rain that falls on the unrighteous?
If these and the other fruits of the Spirit are not mature, take heart! Those who stay close to Jesus have His promise that we shall reap eternal life one day. The fruits of the Spirit may seem shriveled and tiny now, but the truth of Jesus, as a food for our souls fed us by God's Spirit, will nourish us until we reach maturity and we produce the same fruits as Jesus has. Jesus tells us that if we eat His flesh and drink his blood, we will live forever. Only faith can do this. That's why Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Remember, the Holy Spirit's job is to get us ready to live forever! First He gives us saving faith. Then He brings that faith to fruit.
Prayer: We thank You, Holy Spirit, that through the work done by You in the Church, You prepare us for eternal life. Help us be ready for that final day by inspiring us to get closer to the truth that points us to Jesus. Forgive us for making excuses when we avoid spending time in getting to know the Scriptures better. Forgive us for the times we have avoided gathering in church. Bless our time here with fruits of faith that make us more like Jesus. Amen.
