Through the Apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit teaches us that “the works of the flesh are evident.” Sin is pretty obvious, really. God hasn’t left it a mystery. The Ten Commandments are clear. The problem is that we like sin and so we contort ourselves in every which direction to try to justify what is clearly sin. “I don’t need to go to church to worship God. I can worship Him anywhere.” “I can be angry with my neighbor because he really deserves it.” “I don’t have to believe everything in the Bible because it was written by men.” But try as we might, refusing to gladly hear God’s Word and learn it breaks the Third Commandment and earns God’s wrath. Anger for any other cause than the glory of God’s Name and the truth of His Word is murder and is worthy of God’s unmitigated anger. Not believing the whole Word of God is to make Him out to be a liar and invites His strict word of eternal condemnation. Try as we might, sin is and always will be sin. And without the help of the Holy Spirit, sin and judgment will be all that we ever know. Only when Christ heals us by the Word of forgiveness are we at all able to do anything that is pleasing to God because we poor sinners have been made pleasing to God by the Blood of Son. May our gracious Lord lead you by the Holy Spirit to everything that is profitable for your salvation, namely, His Word and the Holy Sacrament. We look forward to seeing each of you in the Lord’s house this Sunday.
Pastor Ulmer