Confidence in God's promises

by Maggie Frey

            Do you know any trustworthy people? Perhaps they will tell you something, and you can firmly believe that they are telling you the truth. Or, they may make a promise to you, and you know that they will fulfill that promise. On the other hand, maybe you know some untrustworthy persons. They may have a tendency to lie about things, so you have a hard time believing anything they are saying. They will make a promise to you, but are quick to break that promise. It is very difficult to work with such persons, because you never know if they are going to keep their word.

            Unfortunately, we tend to know a lot more untrustworthy people than we do people who are trustworthy. The world is full of untrustworthy people, who try to get a grip on us, and laugh when we believe in whatever it is they tell us. It can make a person a little worried, because you  never know if you are able to trust someone or not. This is the effect that sin has put on our world. Human beings’ actions are tainted with sin. We may have the intention of doing good, but all we can do is sin, because that’s all our human nature knows how to do. 

     

            However, as Christians, we know that there is one in whom we can confidently place our trust: God. He has kept all of his promises, and will continue to keep his promises—even ones that have not happened yet. God and his promises are revealed to us through the Holy Spirit, who has worked faith in our hearts, through the Scriptures. Our faith in God allows us to have a certainty that surpasses even the greatest earthly promise that could ever be made. The apostle Paul tells us of this certainty: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

            Paul could have written, “I know what I believe.” That would have shown that he was sure of his faith—the faith that is revealed through the message of the gospel. By saying ‘“I know whom I believe,” he has made his faith all the more personal. Faith now has something at its focus—the Lord God. God is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we focus on God and his promises, our faith stands strong and secure.

            In this world, there will still be a struggle to anyone’s word.  We know that human promises will never be perfect in this life. There will continue to be lies and broken promises that will cause worry and doubt in. But we know that we can continually place our confidence in God, who has kept all promises to us in Christ, and will continue to keep all his promises to us. So while we continue our journey here on earth, we confidently say with Paul that we know whom we believe.  We are confident that he will one day bring us home with him.

All God's people are priests

by David Sellnow

Martin Luther College has produced various seasonal devotion booklets.  For the upcoming month of October 2017, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, the college has published a book of devotions titled, I Shall Not Die, But Live.  The full booklet is viewable online.  I served as one of the writers for the project.  As a preview sample to share with you here on The Electric Gospel, reprinted below is the message I contributed to the booklet.

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“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

All God’s People Are Priests

Harold stepped into the pulpit and addressed the congregation. 

“I am not a pastor,” Harold said. “I never studied at a seminary. I’ve raised cotton, and now I work for an association of cotton growers. I am not a professional preacher or public speaker.  I don’t generally get up in front of other people and give talks.  So I’m rather nervous about standing up here this morning.  In fact, if I weren’t behind this pulpit, you could see my knees knocking!”

That was how Harold began his message on a Sunday when the pastor was away.  The church was a small congregation, far from any others of its synod.  When the pastor was traveling to a national meeting or other obligations, church council members would lead Sunday services.  Harold’s message on this day focused on words from the apostle Peter: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

“All God’s people are priests,” Harold continued.  “Priests have the right to approach God directly; we are welcome in God’s presence.  Through Jesus Christ we all ‘have access to the Father by one Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:18). When we were baptized, we became part of the priesthood of all believers in Jesus. That gives us the privilege of approaching God ‘with freedom and confidence’ (Ephesians 3:12), and also the privilege to proclaim Christ to the world.  We declare the praises of the Lord who brought us out of darkness and into the light, who rescued us from death and gave us life. We all share in that gospel mission.”

The Reformation reaffirmed the truth that all God’s people are equal members of God’s kingdom, a universal priesthood of those who pray and proclaim in the name of Jesus.  Martin Luther wrote, “If a group of pious Christians settled in a wilderness and had among them no priest consecrated by a bishop, and if they were to agree to choose one from their own midst to baptize, give communion, announce forgiveness and preach, such a man would be as truly a priest as he would be if all bishops and popes had consecrated him. This is why anyone may baptize and give absolution in case of necessity, which would be impossible if we were not all priests.”

Harold fulfilled such a role in his congregation in the pastor’s absence.  Each of God’s people fulfills a more general role of worship and witness in everyday life. God’s Spirit is with all of his people—all of his priests—as we come to him in prayer and go for him to others, with news of his grace.

Prayer:  Jesus our Lord, we praise you for what you have done for us. Embolden all of us as your people—a royal priesthood—to come to you for blessing and to speak for you, extending your blessing to others.  Amen.

God has it handled

by Holly Bahr

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or uncontrollable nervousness when thinking or obsessing about an event or a situation where the outcome is uncertain. Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. According to Scott Stossel, author of My Age of Anxiety, “Forty million Americans have an anxiety disorder.”  He goes on to report, “One in six people in the world will have an anxiety disorder for a minimum of a year within their lifetime, and one in four people will experience crippling anxiety some time in their life.” With these staggering statistics, one has to ask: Is the person sitting next to you in church suffering from anxiety? Have you felt the worry or fear of the unknown in your life? If you haven’t experienced the life-changing panic associated with anxiety, odds are someone worshiping with you suffers in this way. So, in the life of a Christian where trust in our Savior is first and foremost, what do we do with anxiety?  We understand pain and suffering are part of our lives.  We dive into God’s promises for strength—his gospel means of grace.  Knowledge of life-giving rebirth we experienced through baptism and the forgiveness of sins received through the Lord’s Supper can ease the hurt of anxiety.

            Even with God’s grace coming to us through the gospel in his Word, in baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, our human weakness gets in the way.  The devil uses anxiety as a weapon causing us to doubt ourselves, our faith in God, and God’s power. “It breeds within our hearts and eats away from the inside until we no longer feel human and whole, but worthless and broken,” says Grace Finstrom in a recent article.  We need the gospel to speak to our worries and strengthen our innermost being.  God’s assurances to Joshua put down the devil and point us to the strength we develop through trust in God. “Have I not commanded you?” God said. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). When the panic of anxiety stubbornly takes hold of us, we look to the Lord for strength to overcome our worldly doubts.

            The sacrament of baptism is a rebirth for us and a powerful reminder of the work of faith the Holy Spirit continues tirelessly to perform in our hearts. We may feel anxiety and worry, but we also know the Holy Spirit continues to nourish faith in us and connect us to our all-powerful God.  Suffering from anxiety is a never ending cycle of negative self-talk and hopelessness, but remembering the benefits we receive through baptism can encourage us to switch from negative thoughts to the positive work the Holy Spirit does in our hearts.

            Baptism started our faith life, and holy communion offers ongoing reminder of the peace we receive through the means of grace.  Communion gives us forgiveness of sins, lifting the burden of anxiety off our shoulders and placing this burden on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to die for our sins, even the sin of worry and doubt. God’s forgiving love can lessen anxiety and comfort us from the fear of the unknown.

            Anxiety is a real mental illness with debilitating symptoms, but with faith in God and his promises, along with professional help, this disease can be eased. God is our great healer. He has our future planned and will not let us fall into harm’s way.  We look to the Lord for strength. We trust in his unfailing love for us. We seek his peace in regards to our fears and worries. “’Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:1-2).   Instead of dwelling on the fear within us, we turn this gripping fear over to God and his promises.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).  Fear and worries will keep coming, keep changing.  But we can find solace in the never-changing promises and all-encompassing love of our all-powerful God.

From Stained to Righteous

by Kimberly Buchholz

Imagine if every person on earth were issued a special robe to wear. What if this “special robe” kept a record of a person’s sinful thoughts, words, and actions – marked by stains? Any time one sinned, a stain would appear on the robe as a representation of the person’s innate depravity. The stain of sin becomes a visible account of a person’s corrupt heart and mind, day after day recording the balance of sin like a wearable ledger. While a bleak image, this stained robe represents the obstacle lodged between us and the righteousness of God due to our sin, ruining our fellowship with him.

Unfortunately, the scenario runs even deeper when we consider what Scripture says. Because we were “sinful from the time [our] mother conceived us” (Psalm 51:5), our stained “robe of sin” would wrap us from birth, our account balance of sin already maxed. By nature, we are born enemies of God, steeped in sin, and deserving nothing more than God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3). God is just and cannot tolerate sin.  Sin earns God’s judgment and condemnation.

But there is good news, and we find it in the gospel message of Christ. The apostle Paul explained that Jesus Christ brings salvation from the eternal death we earn through sin (Romans 6:23). Through faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness of sin. When a lost and condemned sinner receives the message of salvation found in the gospel, the Holy Spirit goes to work through the power of God, bringing “salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). By the sacrifice of his Son, God cancels our account balance, and our stained robes are washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Not only are we forgiven for the sins of the past, but our merciful Father goes even further by keeping our ledger free of recorded sin forever. He spares condemnation for the believer, protecting us from accusation, all thanks to his undeserved love for us, and not for the sake of anything we’ve done or could ever do (Ephesians 2:8).

God takes his redemptive plan a step further when he completely covers the obstacle of our fellowship with him by placing Jesus’ robe of righteousness upon us. While our own robes have been washed by his forgiveness, they continue to reveal our sinful human nature, which is in battle with the perfection God demands through his law. It is not enough that we are forgiven, but we also are to be holy and righteous in his sight. He is holy and demands such holiness from his creation (Leviticus 19:2). God is not only just, but he is also merciful. So, a great exchange took place, and the apostle Paul tells us how God did this:  God made Jesus, “who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf.”  Why? “…so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God exchanged our guilt and sin for the perfect status Jesus has.  Therefore, we are justified. 

By definition, justification is “the act of God whereby human kind is made just or free from guilt of penalty of sin” (Dictionary.com)  Four important words from this definition are integral to the doctrine of justification: “the act of God.” Notice that “the act of God” completely eradicates any human involvement. We didn’t have to hand him our stained robes, begging his mercy, to predicate his forgiveness; nor does sin relegate us from the freedom Jesus won. Rather, God distributes his forgiveness by means of grace he has chosen: the gospel in Word and sacraments. The blessing of forgiveness is already there for all because Christ’s work of salvation is complete. Paul’s letter to the Romans further explains Jesus’ atoning sacrifice as the plan of God’s salvation “to demonstrate his righteousness…and to be the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

Is forgiveness of sin, then, only a possibility of faith? This leads to an important message of the pure gospel. Paul outlined exactly who wears the stained robes of sin when he said, “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But he concludes by proclaiming Christ’s redemptive work, applied to the same collective group – that all “are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Nowhere does God’s Word say that one must believe before he is forgiven. Forgiveness of sins is complete and does not need to be completed by faith or any other work. The letter to the Romans (chapter 5) highlights two points regarding justification.  We are “justified through faith” (Romans 5:1).  Faith, then, is the instrument of forgiveness in which salvation is received.  In the same chapter, Paul wrote that we are “justified by Christ’s blood” (Romans 5:9). Objective justification was satisfied by Jesus’ bloodshed on the cross. God offers it to all, but some reject his gift, forfeiting the benefit of heaven. So, while God has justified ALL people, there is not a universal salvation for all mankind. Jesus’ redemptive work does not mean all will receive eternal life. In fact, the Gospel writer John is quite direct in his warning against those who reject God’s Son, stating that they “will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36).

The doctrine of justification is one of great peace for all believers.  As one pastor put it, it is “the shining jewel of our faith.” It is central to our teaching of salvation. We must first understand, through God’s law, that we are sinful, shamefully donning stain-riddled robes of sinfulness. Through the sacrifice of our Lord, those robes are washed clean, never to record another act of sin again. Finally, he covers our sinful nature by robing us in Jesus’ righteousness, his righteousness imputed to us. Our forgiveness, dependent on nothing we do, gives us a sure foundation for faith in what Christ has done for us.  He has justified us, declaring us “not guilty.” 

Thoughts on Prayer

by Ashley Renstrom

What is Prayer?

“You are in my prayers.” “I’ll be praying for you.” Christians often share those words with others, but what do they really mean? What is prayer? Prayer is a Christian’s way of communicating with God. It is conversation with him, the communion of a believer’s heart with God. Prayer is the work of the Holy Spirit in Christians. The Holy Spirit works through the Bible; that is the means by which he fills us with God’s grace and enables us to pray.

Prayer is not just rambling words, as Jesus reminded us when he said, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Prayer involves our words and our heart. King David wrote, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight” (Psalm 19:14). In prayer, we want to align our hearts with God.

Prayer is not magic. It does not make demands. Prayer is not a guarantee against suffering. It is not an opportunity for us to show off. Prayer is not a last resort. Instead, prayer is talking to the one true God. Prayer is a wonderful privilege, a blessing earned by Jesus and granted to believers.

Why Do Christians Pray?

Prayer is an amazing privilege, a blessing earned by Jesus and granted to believers. Prayer occurs when a believer talks to God with heart and mind. We know what prayer is, but why do we pray?

One reason Christians pray is to spend quality time with our heavenly Father. Here on earth, we talk with people on a daily basis. As we communicate with them, we understand them better and build a relationship with them. The same is true with our heavenly Father. We have the opportunity to talk with him daily about anything and everything, spending quality time with him and growing closer to him.

We also pray because God directs us to pray to him. He tells us to call on him in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15), and to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Christians pray because God promises to hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 91:15). We pray to God to give thanks to him, to praise him, and tell him our thoughts, worries, and troubles. God loves to hear our prayers (Proverbs 15:8), and desires for us to talk to him each and every day. 

What Can Our Prayers Include?

Joseph Scriven was an Irish poet who lived in the 1800s. He suffered many tragedies and trials in his life, including the deaths of two fiancées and bouts of depression. After the death of his first fiancée, Scriven emigrated from Ireland to Canada. While in Canada, he received word that his mother had fallen severely ill. He wrote a poem to comfort her. In that poem he wrote, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” That poem was later set to music and is known as the hymn, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus.” Joseph Scriven nailed it on the head: we can pray to God about anything and everything.

An acronym frequently used to help people focus their prayers is ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. 

• Adoration is all about praise. In a prayer of adoration we get to express our love for God and praise his power and majesty. 
• We need to come before God in confession each and every day. We sin every day and fall short of God’s demands for perfection. So we confess our sinfulness and specific sins, ask for forgiveness, and thank the Lord for his unending mercy and grace. Each time we confess to God, we can trust that he forgives us. We also ask for help to turn away from future temptations.
• Prayers of thankfulness give God glory. There is much we are thankful for! We can thank him for all of the earthly blessings he bestows upon us, but do not want to forget thanks for our spiritual blessings as well. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank the Holy Spirit for the faith he has worked in you. 
• Prayers of supplication can be for ourselves and for others. No prayer is too big or too small. We pray in accordance with God’s will for desires for ourselves and others in this world. No matter what we are praying about or praying for, we pray in the name of Jesus and pray according to God’s will, for he knows best.

What’s The Answer, God?

God delights in our prayers and he hears all of them. He is never too busy to listen. We don’t have to leave a message on the answering machine and wait for him to listen and respond. He listens to our prayers the moment we begin speaking to him.

Not only does God always hear all of our prayers, he also answers all of them. God may answer our prayers in a few different ways. He might say, “No, that’s not good for you. I love you too much and have a better plan.” When our prayers are not answered in the way we want, it does not mean that God did not hear the request. It does not mean that God did not answer your prayer. When he doesn’t answer in the way we want, he is answering in the way that is best for us. It is not always easy to understand in this life. However, we have his promise that he will always do what is best for us.

Another answer God gives to prayer is, “Wait, and keep talking and listen to me.” While we wait, God draws us closer to him and strengthens our faith. A psalmist wrote, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5). In this day in age, people want instant answers to everything. However, God does not follow our timeline. God has his own timeline, and it is the best. While we wait, we wait patiently, leaning on his word.

God may also answer a prayer with, “Yes, here it is right now,” or “Yes, here is what you asked plus a little more.” God answers our prayers with answers that are best for our welfare. He loves us and takes care of us spiritually and physically. God knows what he is doing. Jeremiah wrote, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

We see God’s answers in our lives and hear his answers when we read his Word. It is important for us to stay connected to God through his Word and listen to him. It becomes easier to accept God’s will in answering our prayers when we remember that he “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). God loves us, and we can trust him to answer our prayers according to what he knows is best for us—because his way is perfect.