Tag Archives: GRACE

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on February 26, 2016
Tags: GRACE   

Strangers in a Strange Land

February 26, 2016

The theme that the West Shore Conference of the Lower Susquehanna Synod is following this Lent is Strangers in a Strange Land.

“..you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13  Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14  Behold, you have driven me this day away from the ground; and from your face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” (Genesis 4:12-14)

The strangers in our land deserve the same mercy, protection, love, and Grace – this is the story I am hearing from this story about Cain. And as such, we are forced to ask the question “What have I done to my brother or sister, the stranger in my midst, the person whom I do not know?” How many times have I allowed my simmering anger at G-d to spill over onto my brother? How many times have I been called to live with my brother in harmony and do well, and yet have struck out at him? Oh how loudly we cry out when we feel as if we have been wronged, by G-d, or by the community, or by our family, just like the blood of Abel cries out from the ground. We all feel like Able, the one who has been wronged – or the older brother from the Prodigal story, the one who has always followed what our father asked us to do. We all want to be Abel — but in reality, we are Cain! We have lied, we have murdered another’s reputation, we have coveted, we have felt as if G-d loves the other more than G-d loves us. Thank G-d Cain receives Mercy, Love, and Grace – thank G-d you and I receive Mercy, Love and Grace.

One thing I think we can all agree on is this: we better give up building boxes for G-d. Because when we do, we are only isolating ourselves from each other, and isolating ourselves from the people who are strangers to us. We cannot isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters – no matter how strange they are. And who are the strangers in our midst? Well, you have forty days in Lent to figure that out – and also the rest of your lives to figure that out. And since we don’t have to worry about finding an acceptable offering for G-d (which all G-d wants is a contrite heart, look it up), we can use our time serving the stranger in our midst – and serving the other in our midst – that is how we know G-d best.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on February 25, 2016
Tags: , GRACE   

Justification by Grace through Faith

       February 25, 2016

Justification by Grace through faith is the single most important theological concept in the Lutheran church. All things flow out of the Grace that comes through the cross of Jesus Christ.  We have Scriptural support for this important understanding:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

“The doctrine of justification,” insisted Luther, “is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” Luther struggled with finding the G-d of love. Luther came to understand justification as being entirely the work of God. Against the teaching of his day that the righteous acts of believers are done to earn the love of God, Luther asserted that Christians receive that righteousness entirely from outside themselves; that righteousness not only comes from Christ, it actually is the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us (rather than infused into us) through faith. “That is why faith alone makes someone just and fulfills the law,” said Luther. “Faith is that which brings the Holy Spirit through the merits of Christ”. Thus faith, for Luther, is a gift from God, and “. . . a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it.”

What is most important to understand about Grace and Faith is that they are both a gift – Grace a gift from Christ through the cross – Faith a gift through the Holy Spirit that comes to us through means including word and Sacrament. Our response is to do the works of Christ, not so that we earn G-d’s love, but because G-d loves us so much, this joy drives us to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Pastor Dave