It is not enough to simply have the Word of God pass over your eardrums. The Word of God is not mystical. It must be received in faith and then we must keep (or better translated, “guard”) it. We have to read and hear it in our homes and in the public gathering of the saints. We must apply ourselves to what is heard. We must repent before God’s righteous judgments. We must receive in faith that Christ’s atoning death has freed us from eternal condemnation. We must work daily to set aside the sins of our flesh and bring every thought captive to Christ. St. Mary was not saved simply because she was the mother of Jesus who gave birth to Him and nursed Him. She now rests in God’s presence because she received Christ in faith. The way that we are made Christians (being called by the Gospel) is the same way we are kept Christians – the Word of God. We have heard and understood nothing of the Scriptures if we believe that hearing the Gospel once is sufficient for salvation. You don’t take seriously the Word of God which tells you about the viciousness and relentlessness of the devil’s attacks if you aren’t daily opening your Bible and calling upon God in prayer, if you aren’t gathering to the table of Christ to be fed with the food of His Body and Blood. The evil spirit driven out at your Baptism is always looking to return and bring seven other spirits who are even worse than he is and set up shop in your heart and your mind. Your defense? Hear the Word of God and keep it. Heed what it says that you may be filled with the blessings of God. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer