We can't ignore God's teaching (August 30, 2009)
By Rev. Steve Bagnall

In our Gospel Jesus is explaining why following ceremonies invented by the Pharisees can’t make a person right with God. Last week He showed that the commands of God are the only ones that matter, that our human ideas can’t be used as additional requirements, or even replacements for God’s Word. We can’t ignore God’s teaching against homosexuality, and we can’t add a teaching about purgatory.

This week Christ continues this idea, but He goes even further. Even following the commandments of God can’t fix our relationship with Him! Even if you stop all sinning in your life – even if from this moment forward you never lied again, or never yelled, or never looked at inappropriate pictures, or never gossiped or whatever – even then you wouldn’t have solved the problem.

You’d be like the church that found water damage in a basement bathroom – they just painted over the stain and forgot about it. Now what’s going to happen? The water will keep coming and the damage will keep growing. Even though the symptoms are hidden, the wall will still be crumbling inside.

Jesus says that’s how it is with us humans. If all we change is our outward actions we’ll still be corrupt and sinful within. Those acts are just symptoms of the real problem – a sinful soul. And if we don’t fix that soul, the day will come – Judgment Day that is – the day will come when the corruption of our hearts will be exposed and we will be sent to hell.

Our hearts must be changed, our souls must be cleansed. But we can’t do that. A dirty cloth can’t clean a dirty face and a dirty soul can’t clean itself. You need something pure and holy, something clean and good. But I’m sinful, so I can’t help. And so is your spouse and so are your friends. No sinful human can help you – you need a pure One. Only Jesus, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, only Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, only Jesus, Holy Son of God made also a Man, Only Jesus Christ can cleanse your dirty soul. And the detergent He uses is His blood. The suffering of Jesus takes your sin from you, His death pays the price for that sin, His blood cleanses you of that sin.

But how can that blood get from the cross to you? Well the first answer is found in John’s Gospel. From Jesus’ side flowed the blood that saves us and water. As the Apostle Peter commands, “Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.” We saw it this morning. Our newest little sister, Madison Lorraine Thomas had her heart scrubbed clean in that Baptismal font right there.

But we are also washed in the blood by the words of Jesus, “Father forgive them,” the words poured on us in our pastor’s absolution today. And we will be washed again in the blood of the cup in Holy Communion.

Friends, the sins you commit are not the ultimate source of your trouble, that all begins in your sinful heart, and by the power of God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus your sinful heart is forgiven and in God’s eyes you are pure. But this does not mean that you may return to a life of sin. As a forgiven child of God you are also now a soldier, a full participant in the battle against sin, sin around you and sin in your heart.

The devil still wants you dragged with him to hell. Because God loves you the devil hates you and he wants to convince you to leave the safe haven of God and His forgiveness, to wander from Christ and His path of righteousness. He will use all his tricks to fool you and he will use the spy within, your old sinful nature, to lead you astray, to lead you into sin and away from God.

Stand firm against him, the apostle says. Face the devil down! How? Well, certainly not by your own will and strength – they’re what got you into this predicament in the first place. So, if not by our own strength, then how? Remember the song you learned very early on – can you sing it? “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong they are weak but He is strong.”

We are weak but Christ Jesus is strong. To be able to face the enemy we must put on the armor of God and that armor is Christ Himself. He is the Truth; He is our righteousness. He is the Prince of peace and our shield of faith is faith in Him as our Mighty Fortress. He is our salvation and He is the Mighty Word of God. In Baptism you have put of Christ, Paul tells us. You have put on the armor of God, the protection and power of God are yours. Remain in them and you will remain safe – able to stand against the devil’s temptations and able to stand on the day of God’s judgment.

Oh yes, Satan sends His fiery darts. He tries to tell you that your sins are too great to be forgiven. He tries to tell you that your faith is too weak, but Christ protects you. Your forgiveness is not found in how strong or weak your faith may be, but in how powerful the blood of Jesus is. Yes the stain of our sin is dark, but the purity of Jesus eliminates it all, from crimson to white as wool, from blood-red to as white as snow.

The devil will try to convince you to return to the ways of death that Jesus warns us about; the evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, evil eye, blasphemy, pride and foolishness. But don’t do it! Remain in Christ and walk the way of life.

And remember that you are soldiers in a war that has already been won. Christ, your Shield, has defeated the devil and his lies. Christ, your Righteousness, has overcome your guilt and sin. Christ, your Salvation, has drawn you from the army of darkness and hatred into His battalion of light and peace. Armored in Christ, you are equipped and defended. Praise Him, for although we are weak, He is strong. We are safe in Him.
Amen.