"You Can Sit With Us" A Discussion of Faith and Works

This devotion accompanies themes that have been studied in the previous week’s Sunday morning Bible class. Over the next few weeks, join us at 9am on Sundays at Trinity for the following discussions! After commanding her ten-year-old to pick up the dirty laundry on his bedroom floor for the seventh time, mom is getting tired of repeating herself. And when her son protests for the seventh time, “Why do I have to do this right now?” she is out of patience. She resorts to a classic play straight from the book millions of other parents and says, “Because I said so, that’s why.” However, her son adeptly launches a counter-attack that she didn’t see coming. “But mother,” he says, “Your logic is flawed. That I should obey you because you say so is a classic example of the circular fallacy.” “The what?” the mother asks, growing evermore frustrated. “Your argument is that I should obey your authority because you have authority. Logically, this doesn’t make sense!” If this were the conversation we were met with, we’d join the mother in shouting, “Just do it already!” The circular fallacy is familiar to most Christians, because it’s exactly the fallacy we’re accused of committing. Over the last blog posts, we learned the horrible truth that we are by nature sinful (Psalm 51:3-5), but that God has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6), crucifying it on the cross and therefore setting us free from sin (Romans 6:6-7). We learned how we are connected to this glorious forgiveness by God-given faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). This newly-established relationship with God expresses itself in our thankful actions and our desire to serve God and neighbor (Ephesians 5:1-2, 8-10). “And then we lived happily ever after,” right? We’re saved by Christ alone. We’re saved through Faith alone. We aren’t saved by our good works, but we live them out as expressions of thankfulness to him. Easy peasy! As you have undoubtedly learned, these matters may be so simple that a child can understand them, but living them out is the hard part (see Paul’s description of his and our struggle to live as we ought in Romans 7:7-25, and Galatians 5:16-26). How do we navigate the struggle to live as well as we should, know Christ as well as we should, and be God’s people as we know we should? The answer is simple. The Word of God serves as our constant companion to ease our doubts, calm our troubled conscience, and give us direction as we struggle to live as people of God and leave his mark on the world. How can it do all that at once? Well, because it’s the Word of God, of course! God inspired (“breathed into”) human authors his enduring Word to reveal to us the truth of sin and grace (2 Timothy 3:15-16, 2 Peter 1:21). How do we know he did? Why, he tells us, of course (see passages cited above)! Now, isn’t that “the circular fallacy”? Isn’t it flawed logic to say that I should trust what the Bible says because the Bible says to trust what it says? Maybe it doesn’t seem like the most logically airtight argument in the world, but that doesn’t make it false by any stretch. Allow me to explain: Almost all systems of belief center on one truth: we should be good. You can believe in one god or many gods. You can believe in no gods at all, or consider it an open question. No matter what, most approaches to life boil down to that fact: we should behave well. Have you ever wondered why most religions (and even forms of atheism) basically boil down to that same point? The Bible explains that this is because mankind can easily observe and conclude that some powerful person or force created this world (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20). Haven’t you also noticed that basically everyone has some idea of right and wrong? Before opening a Bible or any religious text, each person has a conscience by which they try to live rightly (Romans 2:14-15). The problem is, if that’s all you’ve got, there are still a ton of unanswered questions and unsolved problems. Who gets to define what “right and wrong” actually are? What about when I do everything “right” but still feel bad about myself? Where are we going when we die? If there is a god, who is he/she? We cannot answer these questions if all we’ve got is our own senses and intellect. This is about as far as most faith systems get us. Most. The Apostle Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 that nobody could have cooked up who God actually is and what he actually does for us. John 1:18 affirms that salvation from sin by God’s grace through faith alone had to be revealed to us. This needed to be revealed to us. We should trust what God says about us, the world, and our lives, because these words come from God. Does that challenge our human logic? Sure, why shouldn’t it? Jesus’ life-saving obedience of God’s will for you, death for you, resurrection for you, and current all-encompassing reign for you is a lot more than I could have ever come up with for you. And it’s a lot better. That’s what all other faith systems other than the truth of the Bible lack: grace, unconditional love. Since this truth is revealed in Scripture, I better hang onto that Scripture! Since this divine, transcendent, out-of-this-world reality of full and free salvation comes from God’s Word, I want to stay in God’s Word! My whole life I want to be singing that song many learn to sing in their childhood: “Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so.” The Bible, then, becomes our constant companion. God speaks through it to soothe your troubled conscience with the Gospel, pointing always to his grace through Jesus. God grows your faith by deepening your understanding of who he is and how he works. He gives you guidance as you seek to turn your thankfulness to him into action. You’re reading this blog on the website or newsletter from a Lutheran church, so I hope you don’t mind a little more talk about Luther. Martin Luther recognized and taught that there are two main teachings in the Bible: the Law and the Gospel. When I read the Bible and discover that I’m not as well-behaved as I thought I was, that’s the Law at work. The Law reveals God’s will for his creation. When I see what God really wants from me, I am compelled to give up the charade of being “good enough for God.” That’s a good thing, even if it feels awful. It is good because it prepares me to hear the gospel, which is Scripture’s proclamation that God has saved me purely because he wants to, because he loves without conditions, and he promises to always love me and forgive me for Christ’s sake. These two teachings work together to keep us mindful of who God really is, how he really works, who we really are in Christ. “Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Once I’m comforted by the gospel, and looking for ways to say “thank you” to God, the Law returns, not to slay me all over again, but as a useful guide to help me find my direction as God’s dear child. I might need to come up with better ways to explain why obeying my commands is a good idea than saying, “Because I say so,” but do we really need any other explanation for how we can be sure God loves us than “Because he says so”? And knowing that this is the God who wants what is best for me, whose will is always good (Psalm 106:1), who is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does (Psalm 145:17), do I really need any more justification for following what he has to say than, “Because he says so”? I realize that this may bring up a whole host of other questions. I should hope that it does! I likewise hope that you’ll join us in our discussions of these things in our 9am Bible Class every Sunday Morning. You are welcome to reach out to us at any time. We would love to continue the conversation with you! God bless you through the revelation of his love that he gives in his Word! Pastor Mike Cherney

This devotion accompanies themes that have been studied in the previous week’s Sunday morning Bible class. Over the next few weeks, join us at 9am on Sundays at Trinity for the following discussions! If you want to get to heaven, you need to wash your hands. If you think that last sentence sounds too ridiculous to be believed, you might be surprised by Matthew chapter 15. In Matthew 15:1-3, a religious group called the Pharisees criticize Jesus’ disciples for eating without washing their hands. This is a good practice for sanitary reasons, but it was more than that to them. The Pharisees had attached ceremonial, religious, even moral significance to simple actions like scrubbing between your digits. To be fair, the Pharisees would agree that the opening sentence is ridiculous. They would say, “Hey, we’re not saying that washing your hands gets you into heaven! We’re just saying it’s really important for maintaining a morally and spiritually pure life before God.” Which raises the question: what’s the difference? Jesus answers the Pharisees’ criticism with a deeper criticism. It’s not just ridiculous to think that keeping your hands clean is the same as keeping your soul clean. It’s completely backwards. Jesus reveals the ugly truth that “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them” (Matthew 15:18-20). The problem of moral impurity cannot be solved with some hand soap, because it goes much deeper. As the Word of God incarnate (John 1:1-14) Jesus echoed with authority the Bible’s teachings about sin. Passages like Psalm 51:3-6 reveal that from the first second we exist, we have this inward problem of impurity. Passages like Isaiah 64:5-9 show that this sin creates a dreadful separation between us and the God who created us and expects righteousness out of us. We might think that the real “sinners” of the world are those that do the big bad stuff, but Jesus revealed in Matthew 15:18-20 that every sin begins at the same place: with a corrupt heart. Because of the corruption of sin, we fall far short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We don’t do the things we know we should (sometimes referred to as “sins of omission). We find ourselves doing the things we know we shouldn’t do (“sins of commission”) (James 4:17, James 2:10, Romans 7:15). Some people might appear to be more morally upright than others. Some may be more helpful to society while others are dangerous and commit horrible acts against other human beings, but as long as we’re talking about the righteous moral standard God requires, no one has met it (see Isaiah 64:6 again). Clearly, if it’s our task to live as perfectly moral people, we are unfit to the task. Therefore, if we have any hope of a salvation, we need something much more powerful than handwashing. If we are going to find any possibility of release from the guilt of our sin, it’s going to have to come from somewhere other than us. That’s the irony of Matthew chapter 15. The Pharisees badgered the disciples for not washing their hands. They were oversimplifying the solution to sin. Anyone who really faces the guilt of what they have done knows that resolving to be better on one’s own is hardly any comfort. The Pharisees were so committed to their program of self-righteousness that they missed who was standing right in front of them. It was Jesus, the Word incarnate, the Son of God in the flesh who rebuked them. Why was Jesus standing there, in the flesh, to begin with? Because as John 3:16 says, Jesus was sent to save us. Why? “Because God so loved the world.” Titus 3:3-7 reaffirms that, yes, we were in a very bad situation beforehand, but God saved us through the justifying work of Jesus Christ. Why? Because of his kindness and love. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 states that God’s solution for our sin was not to just clean up the surface, but to take the corruption and dirt in our hearts and crucify it on the cross of Christ, while at the same time awarding us with the righteous perfection of that same Savior. God’s expectation of perfect moral purity? It’s done, completed. Not through you, but through Christ on your behalf. The punishment your sin deserves? It has been served by Christ already (Romans 8:1). Our Designer’s purpose for us to live as his righteously perfect people? It is accomplished by Christ. All because of God’s mercy; his love; his kindness; his decision, in alignment with his character, to unconditionally love sinners and desire to save them. That’s what we call “grace.” But what does this mean for our lives now? Does it mean that we can do whatever we want, now that we’re forgiven? How do we calm our troubled consciences that continue to pester us about past wrongs? Do I get to take any credit for the good things I’m doing for the Lord? For questions like these, please read passages like the ones mentioned in the study above. Also, consider joining us for Bible class on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 9am for a discussion of how what we believe about salvation means for how we should act in our lives. May the God of grace fill you with the assurance that your sins are indeed totally forgiven in Christ! Pastor Mike Cherney

HOW TO USE: This blog is written to serve as the basis for discussion. Find a partner or group to read through it together! Take turns answering the questions and listening to each other’s answers. Comment, email, or share your insights from your discussion with us! Here we are! This is our last Bible study post on the book of Acts. Luke finishes his account of the life of the early Christian church in the same way it began, by showing us how God’s gospel conquers all challenges and obstacles. These last two chapters are an insightful portrait of the Apostle Paul. As you read Acts 27 and 28, see what you catch about Paul’s character, his faith, his leadership, and his commitment to gospel outreach. More importantly, see what you catch about the commitment of Jesus himself to bring the message of salvation across borders, for the salvation of souls. Read Acts 27 Take a closer look at verses 25 and 26. How does Paul demonstrate his faith that God controls the outcome? The entire experience must have been absolutely harrowing for the 276 passengers on board. Yet, when it was all over, how would they think of Paul now? Jesus does not promise to block every disaster from harming us like he uniquely did to Paul and his travel companions. However, what opportunities might you have to testify to what you believe by showing calm confidence in the Lord through troubling times? Recall Acts 23:11. What was the purpose for preserving Paul’s life through this dangerous storm? Read Acts 28:1-16 Compare the snake bite incident with Acts 14:11-19, when the Lycaonians mistook Paul and Barnabas for Zeus and Hermes. What do you make of the frequent encounters between the gospel and local superstitions? How have you seen that conflict play out in modern times? Paul and his companions must have been relieved to set foot on dry ground after their terrifying journey! Yet the work of the gospel ministry continues. What themes from Acts are repeated here in Luke’s telling of Paul’s activity in this new area? Read Acts 28:17-31 Paul wants to keep his modus operandi of speaking first with the Jewish leaders in the community. However, dude to the strict terms of his arrest, he is unable to visit the local synagogues. How does Paul demonstrate his flexibility and commitment to get the gospel message out there? How does Paul show kindness to his opponents in the way he recounts his previous conflicts? Paul reasons with his fellow Jews that “Moses and the Prophets” point to Jesus. This is another way of referring to what we call the “Old Testament.” How have you seen it emphasized that the Old Testament also centers on Christ at church (in worship, study, art, etc.)? Paul is no longer able to be the street evangelist he once was. Instead, he adopts an approach that we might call “hospitality ministry.” Which method of sharing the gospel best fits your personality: going out and witnessing to new people, or welcoming them into your home? What are the benefits of both? What does it mean to you to “proclaim the kingdom of God … with all boldness and without hindrance”? Congratulations! You’ve studied the entire book of Acts with us! Please send us your takeaways from this wonderful account of the life of the early Chirstian church. What do you think the most important key theme is from this book that any modern Christian church must know? God bless your meditation and discussion! Pastor Mike Cherney

HOW TO USE: This blog is written to serve as the basis for discussion. Find a partner or group to read through it together! Take turns answering the questions and listening to each other’s answers. Comment, email, or share your insights from your discussion with us! We are nearing the end of our time together in the book of Acts. Throughout this exciting account of the early life of the church, we’ve witnessed the rapid growth of the Christian community. We’ve seen how leaders adapt to change and address growing pains. We’ve witnessed important people like Peter and Paul assert the importance of believing the message about Jesus and living accordingly. Now, as you read Acts 26, you’ll notice that all along, we were never far from the essential building blocks of the faith. As you read Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa, you’ll see that the essential message of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection was always the driving force behind everything the Apostles accomplished. This is an especially timely reminder right now, as we get ready to celebrate Christmas! May this devotion study motivate you to take what you hear in church on Christmas to heart as the theme of your whole life: that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners such as you and me (1 Timothy 1:15). And may God prepare you like he did Paul to testify to that truth before many people! Read Acts 26 Once again, Paul asserts that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was a real, historical fact, and as such is the foundation of all gospel preaching. (For more beautiful explanation of this important fact, see 1 Corinthians 15:12-58.) Paul’s personal testimony include a few details that were left out of previous accounts of his conversion. What does Paul mention about his past life that highlight the amazing quality of his story? How does a Christian stay mindful of her/his story “before Christ” without recycling guilt over past sins? When Paul asserted Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, it got him into trouble. How does Paul show that there is no room for differences of opinion about this central fact? Since King Agrippa was familiar with Old Testament doctrine (to some degree), Paul begins to make it more personal to him in verse 27. How does this show Paul’s fearlessness in sharing the gospel? When Paul does this, King Agrippa immediately resists (verse 28). Why do you think he reacted this way to Paul’s witness? Take a look at the following passages. What echoes do you see repeated from Paul’s personal testimony in Acts 26? Colossians 1:12-14 Ephesians 2:19-20 Ephesians 3:1-10 Galatians 1:15-16 Imagine a friend asks you to basically summarize what you believe the Bible to be about. Using what you read in this study (and/or your study of Acts thus far), what 3-5 points would you bring up to summarize the truth of the gospel? At the time of this devotion’s being written, we are very close to our celebration of Christmas. How does Paul’s testimony about the gospel prepare you to celebrate the reason Christ was born? God bless your meditation and discussion! Pastor Mike Cherney

HOW TO USE: This blog is written to serve as the basis for discussion. Find a partner or group to read through it together! Take turns answering the questions and listening to each other’s answers. Comment, email, or share your insights from your discussion with us! I believe that public speaking is not a skill that occurs naturally to anyone. You may see a niece or nephew parade around the house with a microphone and think, “They are going to be a star someday!” I have pastor friends who have caught their kids performing the service to an audience of stuffed animals. The desire to perform or speak in front of a crowd seems to come naturally to many, but the skills to do this well only come with practice and training. That’s my opinion, anyway. In these next two chapters of Acts, we’ll follow Paul into a public speaking situation that would make any of us incredibly nervous. He has to plead his own case before the most powerful people in the known world. When you read, observe Paul’s cool and collected attitude, and think about how God has been preparing him for this moment through years of practice and training. Think about what gave Paul the confidence to stand before these powerful people and assert his innocence, and catch that same confidence for yourself – because the same God that prepared Paul for this moment is at work in your heart through the gospel! Read Acts 24 · Since Roman rulers would not care about matters of interpretation of the Bible, Paul’s accusers have to paint him an enemy of the state and a dangerous man to the Roman empire. They carefully choose their words in order to deceive Felix into thinking they are the good guys and Paul and his followers are the bad guys. How do you observe this deception at work? · Paul’s accusers never gave him the courtesy to hear him out, but instantly decided he was a threat and needed to be extinguished. Where do we see this type of “Us versus you” thinking still at play today? How can Christians fight this mentality when trying to reach the non-Christian community around them with the gospel? · In what verses do you see Paul doing his best to bridge the gap and do away with the “me versus you” mentality? · Paul declares that his goal is to keep a clear conscience before God and man (Acts 24:16). What is his motivation for doing so? · While Paul clearly believed and taught that we are saved by God’s grace alone and not our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9), he refuses to take God’s grace as a license for acting poorly. How does Philippians 3:12-14 explain Paul’s perspective on the kind of character a saved-by-grace Christian will have? · Paul had the opportunity to share this perspective with Felix and his wife Drusilla, but apparently hearing about living a life of good character while waiting for the resurrection was scary to them! What do you think they found so intimidating about this teaching? Read Acts 25 Things were looking good under Felix. Paul probably thought that his case would be eventually dismissed and he could go on with his life. However, Felix procrastinated the case so long that it was transferred to Festus, who had a different attitude and demeanor. · At first glance, it would appear that Paul is a hot potato passed between different rulers. None of them want to hang onto him for very long, because his case is so confusing to them. However, what might God have in mind for allowing this convoluted judicial process to continue this way? What comfort or encouragement might that give to those of us who wait for justice? God bless your meditation and discussion! - Pastor Mike Cherney