A
Augsburg1530
Guest
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins… What does this mean?..In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers… (Small Catechism, Apostles’ Creed, Third Article)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Christian church is about one thing:
forgiveness of sins. The church is where Christ is present to tell you over and
over that the things you do wrong aren’t going to stand between you and the
Lord. If they did, you would be doomed.
Just do a quick rundown of the commandments: You love lots of things
more than God. You use His name as a cuss word or else you don’t pray like
you should. You’d rather sleep in than get up for Bible study. You yell at your
parents for bothering you. You hurt others by your words. You lust after the
opposite sex. You take what doesn’t belong to you. You talk behind other
people’s backs and you aren’t content with what the Lord has given you, or
some variation of the above applies. If the Lord treated you as you deserve for
all that, you’re done for.
But He doesn’t. His Son died for you. Brutally. On a cross. To take
away those sins and every other sin and even the sin you’re cursed to have
been born with. All of it. Gone. By His blood. And He rose for you, to save you
from the death your sins deserved. It’s all about the forgiveness.
And that’s what goes on in the church: living in your Baptism, being
absolved, preached to and fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus. By these gifts
the Holy Spirit is forgiving you your sins and keeping you where forgiveness is
to be found. Without that, without Him, you have to answer for your sins. But by
the Spirit, through the means of grace in Christ’s church, Jesus’ answering for
your sins saves you.
So find rest in church. For it is there that the Holy Spirit is at work
through God’s Word to keep you in that holy faith even unto life everlasting. In
the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life
through―Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious
confidence. (LSB 585:6)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Christian church is about one thing:
forgiveness of sins. The church is where Christ is present to tell you over and
over that the things you do wrong aren’t going to stand between you and the
Lord. If they did, you would be doomed.
Just do a quick rundown of the commandments: You love lots of things
more than God. You use His name as a cuss word or else you don’t pray like
you should. You’d rather sleep in than get up for Bible study. You yell at your
parents for bothering you. You hurt others by your words. You lust after the
opposite sex. You take what doesn’t belong to you. You talk behind other
people’s backs and you aren’t content with what the Lord has given you, or
some variation of the above applies. If the Lord treated you as you deserve for
all that, you’re done for.
But He doesn’t. His Son died for you. Brutally. On a cross. To take
away those sins and every other sin and even the sin you’re cursed to have
been born with. All of it. Gone. By His blood. And He rose for you, to save you
from the death your sins deserved. It’s all about the forgiveness.
And that’s what goes on in the church: living in your Baptism, being
absolved, preached to and fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus. By these gifts
the Holy Spirit is forgiving you your sins and keeping you where forgiveness is
to be found. Without that, without Him, you have to answer for your sins. But by
the Spirit, through the means of grace in Christ’s church, Jesus’ answering for
your sins saves you.
So find rest in church. For it is there that the Holy Spirit is at work
through God’s Word to keep you in that holy faith even unto life everlasting. In
the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life
through―Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious
confidence. (LSB 585:6)