“You just can’t make statements like that with backing it up with the Word!”

“Who do you think you are?!”

That’s right, actually.

I think I am nobody.

 But when the Word is attached to those statements they are true because of Christ Jesus and His forgiveness of your sins. Then the power of God (Romans 1:16) is attached to those statements (the two previous posts) about God and His Spirit being at work in you.

I could list a lot of other verses to back it up, and opponents could list lots of other verses from the Bible to back up their assertions that I am wrong and that there is something else we need to ADD to what Jesus has done for us.

No “3rd uses of the law” are necessary. No “inerrant Bibles” that drop directly from Heaven are necessary. No “decisions for Christ” are necessary. No “good works” are necessary. No “serious efforts” are necessary. No particular fingerprints of any particular church person need to touch you or the sacraments to make the whole thing “work” (be valid), either.   Those things may be  helpful from time to time in your life of faith (they may not be, also), but they are not needed IN ADDITION to Jesus.

“But the Bible says this, that, and the other thing about what I must be doing.”

Then who is right?

Jesus is right and He says that “your sins are forgiven for His sake”.

You see, therein lies the difference between a biblicist and one who trusts in the Word.

That Word is the forgiveness of sins. It is the person of Christ Jesus. It is by His authority that we can say (preach) those gospel sayings (truths) that trump the law sayings (truths).

 At times it can be useful to write a whole lot more about it. But it isn’t necessary. The Word will make it’s own way.  It will not return void.  And of that we can be sure.

“Your sins ARE forgiven, because of Jesus.” That death on that cross and that forgiveness… ARE… for you.

That is what is necessary. And that is ALL that is necessary for God (by His grace) to go to work in you. And you may not be a quick fix for the Lord. You and the world, and the devil, have spent quite a bit of time getting you to where you are right now. It may take the Lord the rest of your life to get you where you ought be, but be assured that He can handle the job…even when you get it in the way of it with all your “good motives and ideas”.

This was, this is, the great message of the Reformation. The fact that they (so many) would not accept it then, and that we (so many) will not accept it now, says a great deal about us and our desire to “stay in the saddle at all costs”.

Thanks for listening.

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