LESSON: LUKE 6:46-49

No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

We must remain free judges with authority to judge, accept, or reject even what popes or councils decide. If we accept anything, we should accept it because it agrees with our conscience as instructed by Holy Scripture, not just because pope or council orders it. St. Paul says in Romans that if a man has prophecy, it should be in agreement with the faith (Romans 12:6). All prophecy slanted towards works and not leading genuinely to Christ or to your own consolation is not in agreement with faith, no matter how pleasant it may be, like the revelations of the hobgoblins, masses, pilgrimages, fasts, and the search after the merits of the saints.

In these matters, many of the fathers have erred, including Gregory (the Great), Augustine, and many others. Not the least of their errors was to take away our authority to judge doctrine for ourselves. The false idea that we owe obedience to the pope and councils without question is a heart-breaking affliction which began at a definite point in history. So, you must also once again begin to say, “God has said this; God has not said this,” or “The councils have decided this,” you are building on sand.

There is no other judge on earth in spiritual matters and on Christian doctrine than a human being who has the true faith in his heart, whether it be a man or a woman, young or old, servant or maid, learned or unlearned. God is no respecter of persons. All who live according to His commandments are alike dear to Him, and so they all have authority to judge doctrine.

SL 11:1398 (14-15)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You have bestowed great and wonderful privileges upon us as Your children by faith in Christ Jesus. May it please You to preserve and keep us in these privileges, strong in faith and hope, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

LESSON: LUKE 12:57-59

“Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:25-26

We do injury to our neighbor in many ways. When I do not protect his good name to the best of my ability and when I am unfriendly to him and refuse to help him, I am already his enemy. If I want to be acceptable to God, I must first become reconciled to my neighbor. If I do not do this, I cannot be acceptable to Him. God rejects any service I may render Him if I have previously failed in service to my neighbor.

Our lives hitherto have left much to be desired. In our insane rush to secure personal benefits for ourselves from the saints, we have almost completely neglected our neighbor. The lord reminds us here that, instead of doing such wonderful things for departed saints, we should be doing things for our living neighbors. We should pay the closest attention to the services we render our neighbor. God attaches no importance to a church we build for Him if it means that we have neglected the needs of our neighbor.

We have been taught the very opposite of this. We have been taught to put everything into pretentious foundations and institutions at the expense of our needy neighbor.

It is God’s will that we serve our neighbor, render him his due, put all matters right with him, and become reconciled to him; otherwise, He does not want to see us or hear us. Moreover, if my adversary makes an approach to me, I should willingly forgive him.

SL 11:1341 (15-18)

PRAYER: You have shown us, O Lord, that there is never any gain in putting off reconciliation and even great danger to our faith and piety in postponing it. Give us an open heart and spirit that is ever ready to forgive and forget, after Your own example and for Your name’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:167-178.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 4:1-6

“He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47

Do not let yourself be persuaded to believe in all simplicity what the pope says or what the councils have decided. If you recognize God in the truth of His Word, you have the rule, the measure, and the yardstick whereby you may form a judgement on all the doctrine of the fathers, namely, when you know that Christ is our salvation, that He rules us, and that we are sinners.

So, if someone suggests that you must become a monk, or that you must do this or that to make sure of your salvation because faith alone is not enough for salvation, you can say in all certainty, “You are lying; your doctrine is false because he who believes in Christ is saved.”

From where have we learnt this? From the faith in our hearts which believes this and this alone. No one can take adequate precautions against error unless he is led by the Spirit of God Himself. St. Paul says to the Corinthians: “The spiritual man judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). False doctrine can be properly judged only by the believer who is led by the Holy Spirit.

SL 11:1397 (12)

PRAYER: Your Spirit, O God, is the Spirit of truth and understanding. Lead us by Your Spirit into the truth and keep us therein. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:21-35

“If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

There are two parties here. One has committed a wrong against another man; he must ask forgiveness. The other man has been wronged; he must offer forgiveness in a friendly and ready manner, even if he has not been requested to do this.

This is very hard for human nature. It is true, of course, that it does come along once in a while with a plea, saying, “Dear friend, forgive me!” But if it were not compelled to do so in fear of hell and God’s wrath, it would never do so. In any case, the old resentment still continues in the heart. On the other hand, the man who suffers the injury also finds it very difficult to forgive it in his heart. And just as the former man comes with a hypocritical plea, so he also offers a hypocritical forgiveness.

All this means nothing at all before God. “If you are offering your gift at the altar,” He says, “and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Reconciliation must come from the heart; forgiveness must come from the heart. Therefore, mark this text very well.

SL 11:1340 (13)

PRAYER: Awaken in us a loving spirit, O Lord, which is always ready to forgive and bring about reconciliation where hostility and strife have caused discord and grief. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:167-178.

LESSON: PSALM 119:105-112

Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9

In regard to God’s Word, you must reach the point when you say, “That is how matters stand; no one will ever move me from my stand on God’s Word.” When you hear the Word say, “You shall not kill,” or “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them,” then you must know that this is Christ’s doctrine over against the decisions of all the councils, even though all men say otherwise.

This is also the case with the doctrine that we cannot help ourselves in the matter of our salvation but must look to Christ as our Savior who, by His suffering and death, has obtained the forgiveness of sins for us. This doctrine you must know and confess in your heart as the truth.

If this is not your conviction, you do not have the Christian faith. You may have the Word hanging on your ears or on the tip of your tongue like froth on the water, as Hosea says that Samaria has “her king cut off as foam upon the water” (Hosea 10:7, A.V.). You must believe God’s Word, not just as though it is made up of words preached by Peter, but as a Word which God has commanded you to believe.

I say all this so that we should return once again to the Gospel and note from what fountain the foundation of our faith flows and to remind you that you have the authority to pronounce judgement on all that is set before you. I do not build my faith on any man and should not do so. I must answer for myself when I am confronted by death.

SL 11:1397 (11)

PRAYER: The truth of Your Word, O God, is a sure and certain guide for us in all matters of faith and life. Bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us in such a measure that we understand, believe and confess Your Word, for Christ the Savior’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

LESSON: 1 PETER 1:22-25

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15

It is quite clear from Christ’s interpretation in this Gospel that we are all guilty of breaking the commandment, “You shall not kill.”

He who is not born again from God cannot possibly ever throw off the charge of murder. Even though a man refrains from the act of murder, he cannot get rid of his murderous thoughts and his acquiescence in a murder. How often do we not say when someone is murdered, “He got his deserts! It served him right!” All such reactions are clearly contrary to this commandment. God does not merely consider external works; He looks into the heart. And so, this commandment, “You shall not kill,” is a very wide-reaching commandment with a very wide application.

Without spiritual rebirth, it is beyond us. Here, too, it is necessary to become a new creature. Christ has fulfilled the whole Law for us by His perfect obedience to His heavenly Father in life and in death. He has “redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).

By faith in Christ, all our sins against God’s law are fully and freely forgiven. For our sakes, God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness which avails before God in Him. By faith in Christ, we become new creatures, we are born again, and we love to run the way of God’s commandment. But even as new creatures we are still far from perfection. We must always remain linked with Christ or else we must surely fail.

SL 11:1339 (10-11)

PRAYER: Renew us by Your Holy Spirit, O God, that we may begin to love Your holy Law and observe it in our relations with our neighbor as new creatures in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:167-178.

LESSON: PSALM 119:89-96

We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

God makes His Word known to us through men, and He proclaimed it and had it written down especially through the apostles. St. Peter and St. Paul did not speak their own words, but God’s Word, as St. Paul also assures the Thessalonians when he says to them, “We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

The Word may well be preached to me, but no one can implant it in my heart except God alone. God must speak His Word to my heart, otherwise nothing comes of it. If God keeps silent, the Word is not really spoken to my heart. Hence, no one will ever force me to give up the Word which God Himself has taught me. This I must know as certainly as I know that two and three make five. This remains true even if all councils say otherwise. If they say otherwise, I know that they are lying. Likewise, one yard is more than half a yard; this is certain. Even if the whole world says otherwise, I know that this does not change such facts. Who forces me to this conclusion? No one but the truth alone, which is so complete and so certain that no one can deny it.

This is also the case with the truth which God has implanted in our hearts. I am not so concerned about the opinion of Augustine, Jerome, St. Peter, St. Paul, or even of the archangel Gabriel from heaven—I want to have God’s Word and what God Himself says.

SL 11:1396 (8-10)

PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the sure and certain truth which You have set forth in Your Word. Make us steadfast and immovable in this truth, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

LESSON: ROMANS 10:5-13

“Whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” Matthew 5:21

Christ here interprets the law of Moses and pronounces a judgment which applies all over the world. What man on this earth is not guilty of breaking this commandment? What will we do now in the face of the necessity of keeping this commandment while not being able to do so? We cannot sweep away the mire. We are faced with despair and must judge ourselves accordingly. Hence, God’s laws are only a mirror in which we see our filth and wickedness; they shut all of us up under sin so that we cannot work our way out of this situation by our own strength and free will. Something else has to come to our assistance.

Christ continues and says, “Whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca’ [‘you fool’], shall be liable to the hell of fire.” “Raca” is an abusive name manifesting anger or hatred. Anger or hatred, of course, is no excuse for breaking one of God’s commandments. Even though I am obliged to regard someone with whom I am at enmity in a friendly manner, signs of hatred and anger like abusive names will make it clear that my heart is not really behind my friendly exterior.

Dig into your own experience. Take a close look at others as well as yourself, and you will find that no one can help himself out of the dilemma into which his wicked disposition continually drags him and which is deeply implanted by human nature. You may adopt a friendly attitude to your brother, but you cannot give him your heart, even if you were to tear yourself apart in the effort. In this matter, we are beyond human help. Only God and His Holy Spirit can bring about the necessary change here which can spell success for us.

SL 11:1338 (7-8)

PRAYER: Change our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, heavenly Father, that we may receive the necessary strength to run the way of Your commandments in the service we render to our neighbor in faith and love, through Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:167-178.