Dear redeemed in Christ,
We Christians have a double-nature. Unbelievers have just one nature. That sounds like we have a great advantage over others. Well, in Christ, we do. Surely, He has saved us! The advantage is NOT because of what we do. Rather, the advantage is because of what God has done for us; the righteousness of Christ has been placed over us. God looks at us and sees not our sin because He sees the righteousness of His Son. Any boasting, then, is not in ourselves, but all boasting is in the Lord.
St. Paul writes: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come….For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21)
While unbelievers have just the one nature–sinner, Christians have two natures. We have been made something new in Christ–a “new creation”–now having the “New Adam” in us–through faith in Christ by the power of the Gospel. So, yes, we Christians do have two natures. The other nature is still that rascal “Old Adam”–our sinful flesh that has dwelt in us ever since the time of our conception–what we inherited from Adam and Eve. And it is because of this sinful nature that we continue to sin every day in thought, word, and deed. We are at the same time both sinner and saint. We are not partially sinner and partially saint. We are 100% sinner and 100% saint…two natures!
So, what does it mean to be in Christ? Clothed in His righteousness through the forgiveness of sins–first applied to us by the Holy Spirit in the waters of Holy Baptism, so by God’s grace in Christ we are empowered with a new mind and a new heart. As saint, we want to live for God. We want to obey Him and strive to keep His commandments. We want to be faithful to Him. And it grieves us when we fail to do so. When our sinful flesh shows its dark and mucky colors (exposed so harshly by God’s Law), so then, by our new nature in Christ, we are filled with remorse and beg God for His mercy and by faith cling to His strong Word of forgiveness and peace. (This is what repentance is all about!) That pardoning Word of the Gospel also propels our new nature in Christ (saint) to rise up to again seek after holy living (the fruits of repentance).
So, we have this daily struggle inside of us–one nature against the other. The sinful flesh constantly runs after evil, Satan, the world, and our fleshly desires. The sinful flesh is always happy to sin–and does not even worry about committing sin. The saint in us–being joined to Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit–hates sin and seeks to avoid it–crying out to God in prayer:
“Hallowed by Thy name.” May Your name be kept holy in my life, O Lord, in all that I think, do, say, and believe. Keep me far away from false teaching and to shun it when I hear it.
“Thy kingdom come.” Come and reign over me, O Lord, by Your Word and Sacraments. Keep me in the fold of Your Church. Strengthen me with true faith. Come and reign over the hearts of others, too. Bring me, together with all Your Church to our heavenly home.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” May Your will be done in my life, O Lord.
“And lead us not into temptation.” By Your Word and Spirit, protect me from the evil one and all his lies and from the strong influence of the world and from my own sinful nature.
“But deliver us from evil.” Keep me from all that is evil, and in Your timing and purpose, take me to be with you in heaven to enjoy with You the fullness of life everlasting.
As saints of God, we are under the grace of God. And under grace in Christ Jesus means that sin is no longer our master. We are slaves to God’s righteousness in Jesus Christ. This is made real and effective in us as we remember our Baptism–daily confessing our sins and remembering God’s mercy and forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. His cross before us, as well as the tomb of death that He overcame. This devotion to our Lord and Savior as His called saints is our Lenten journey. It is our lifelong journey through this temporal life.
The Lord bless you and keep you!
Pastor Kotila
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Congregational Meeting (from 2/15) that we have not yet been able to have will be held (God willing) this Sunday, March 1st at 10:30AM.
Divine Service this Sunday will be a Signed Service for the Deaf. There will be no Holy Communion.
Join us tomorrow evening for our first Lenten Supper at 6:00PM, hosted by the Ladies of Holy Trinity. Evening Prayer follows at 7:00PM.
Today: 6:30PM Jr. Confirmation Class
Wednesday: 10:00AM Bible Study
6:00PM Lenten Supper
7:00PM Evening Prayer
Thursday: 7:00AM Emmaus Walkers Men’s Bible Study at Immanuel Parish Center
9:00AM Circuit 6 Pastors’ Conference here at Holy Trinity
6:00PM Bible Study
7:00PM Choir
Sunday: 9:00AM Divine Service — Signed for the Deaf — No Holy Communion
10:30AM Quarterly Congregational Meeting
Roze needs 9 bell ringers for the pieces for Easter Sunday. We will practice right after Divine Service on March 1, 8, 15, 22, (and maybe March 29). We will also practice on Wednesday, April 1 at 7PM.
Remember to check your mailboxes for lots of good things!
SERVING THE LORD THIS WEEK:
Ushers: Paul Arbesman
Mike Plourde
Elder: Gene Giblin
Altar: Laurie Sonstroem
Acolyte: Richeeba Frederick
Coffee: R/M Wollenberg
Have a blessed week in the Lord!
Pastor Kotila