Sunday June 25, 2017

Epistle: Romans 3: 21-4:3

Gospel: Matthew 7: 7-11

Psalm: Psalm 76/77

Friends,

Justified by faith! What does this mean to us today? We are still looking at Justification by Faith today and not our works but the works of God for God’s works are greater than man’s. Friends we can do nothing to earn our salvation, there is no works that we can do to gain heaven and yet by our faith and belief in our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ we will begin a life of works. If we say that there is no God and yet we help people who need help and give money to non-profit organizations who claim to help others; will we see heaven? No! We will not see heaven, we may do some good here but by denying God, claiming that He does not exist we have already separated ourselves from Him and therefore we have no part in Him.

By claiming that Christ Jesus was a good man full of wisdom and good teachings and denying His sacrifice for our salvation, denying that He came from God, taught, died, was buried, rose, and ascended back to God then we have separated ourselves from our Lord and therefore if we do not claim Him how can He claim us? We are not His by our own admission.

It is only by our faith in our Lord Jesus that we can be saved. Our labors are in vain when it comes to our eternity. Even though we may have helped some on earth we have not helped our own eternal soul. This is an issue for today because the saying is; ‘I can do good things all on my own I do not need some god to tell me to be good’, so, my friends, I know that you have seen this written and possibly even heard some speak these words. If possible you may attempt to correct this understanding but if it is not possible it is on them. It is a rare place in what is considered to be the civilized world that the name of Jesus has not been heard.

We must live our faith in spite of the goody two shoes who make the statement that they do not need God in their life to do good. We who believe still need our Savior because we sin everyday whether in thought, word or deed. There is no amount of good that we can do that will erase our sin once we have committed it. There is only our faith in Christ Jesus, our recognition of our sin, our confession, and repentance. This is our faith.

Remember; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

In Christ