Thanks to Rob & Colleen for graciously offering their home for Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church's Church picnic yesterday. I don't know if anyone got out on the boat after I left, but if so, I am guessing it was a nice day on the lake. The food was great, though. Not enough stomachs for the desserts! Some photos:
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TRUE LOVE MEANS SAYING THE HARD TRUTH.
In
the name + of Jesus.
The Lord had called Ezekiel to a watchman
over the people of Israel. The job of a watchman was to stand on the walls of the city and keep
a look out for any threat to the city.
People who lived in the city would commute to the fields around the city
to tend their flocks and herds or to till the ground for crops.
The watchman
allowed the people to tend to their daily work without concern for their
safety. If he saw an enemy approaching,
he would blow the trumpet to alert everyone.
The people in the fields would, then, flee back to the safety of the
city and take refuge behind its walls.
If they ignored the trumpet, or if they did not want to bother to stop
their work, their blood would be on their own heads. On the other hand, if the watchman failed to
blow the trumpet and alert the people of the danger, the people would be
killed, but the watchman would be accountable for their blood. Therefore, it was crucial that the watchman
be faithful in his calling. The lives of
people were at stake.
The Lord told Ezekiel, “So
you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever
you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7). The trumpet that Ezekiel sounded the call of the
people to repent of their sins. They had
turned away from God’s word; and by turning away from God’s word, they turned
to evil.
Ezekiel was sent
by God to proclaim the word of the Lord.
His life would have been easier if he had just kept his mouth shut and let
people do whatever they wanted. Many
would have preferred Ezekiel mind his own business. But Ezekiel’s business was that he was a watchman. He was duty-bound to tell people the word of
the Lord. He might not have been able to
make them care, but he would not let them remain ignorant. Ezekiel was a man under orders—God’s orders. So, Ezekiel had to tell people the hard truth
about their sins and God’s judgment whether they hated it or loved it. It was crucial that the watchman be faithful
in his calling. The lives of people were
at stake.
This is still
the role of the Church. The Church has
been entrusted with the word of God. We
are not to keep it to ourselves, but to proclaim it. You could argue that the Lord’s instruction
in these verses is just for pastors.
That is true, to an extent.
Pastors are under orders to speak the word of the Lord and to warn people
so they will not be swept away by their sins. Pastors are accountable to God for their faithfulness
in doing this. It is crucial that the
watchman be faithful in his calling. The
lives of people are at stake.
But this is your
concern, too. Jesus taught his disciples,
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault,
between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15).
These are
instructions about one Christian speaking to another. Out of love for each other, we do not want to
see anyone turn away from the Lord and be swept away by sins. Since you love your family and friends, then
you can love them enough to tell them the hard truth. You can tell them what God’s word says so
they can escape being condemned by it. True
love means saying the hard truth.
Many people will tell you that this is not
what love does. People say that love
means accepting people no matter what.
Love means letting people do what makes them happy. But this is not true. Think about raising children. If they run amuck in your house, draw on the walls
with markers, pull all the pots and pans out of the cabinets, and flush socks
down the toilet, will you let them keep doing it because it makes them happy? Will you let them keep acting this way
because you love them? On the contrary, precisely
because you love them, you will discipline them, correct their destructive behavior,
and teach them self-control. If you don’t,
they will suffer much worse consequences when they are older. True love means saying the hard truth, even
if it results in a tantrum from those children.
It is no different when we get older. Some insist they have the right to do
whatever they want, even if it is clear rebellion against what God has
said. Many immoral behaviors are
defended with the phrase, “Love is love.”
It is a nonsensical phrase, suggesting that anything is good if it is wrapped
up in terms of love. But what would you
say to a married man who becomes enamored with his co-worker? What if he becomes so involved with her that
he leaves his wife for this new woman, insisting, “She is my soulmate. This is true love.” If “Love is love” and if “the heart wants
what it wants,” will you fault this man for leaving his wife and family because
he found love in another woman? Wouldn’t
you instead tell this man, “This is not love.
It is selfish and it is evil.
Repent”? Examples like this abound.
Now, the phrase, “The heart wants what it wants,”
is true. We have desires, sometimes
intense desires, and we want to act on them.
But the phrase fails to recognize that our hearts are sinful and
corrupt. The heart often wants to do or
to take what God forbids. And the slogan,
“Love is love,” might be popular, but it is not Scriptural. What does the Bible teach us? “God is love” (1 John 4:16, emphasis
added). That means whatever God
says is said in love. In love, God directs
us to what is good and pure. And if it
is good and pure, we benefit others as we do it. When God calls us to repent because we are
not good or pure, he is doing it because he loves us. True love means that God will tell us the
hard truth so we will not be condemned for chasing the lies.
You might be afraid to speak to your loved
ones about their sins and to urge them to repent. What if urging loved ones to repent means they
get angry and you never see your family again?
It is true: Families can be torn apart by such conversations. But would you be willing to keep your family
for a time only to lose them for eternity?
Like Ezekiel, all you can do is sound the trumpet. You sound the trumpet because you love your
loved ones, and because it grieves you to see them in danger. It is crucial that the
watchman be faithful in his calling. The
lives of people are at stake. True
love means saying the hard truth.
If you should find yourself having a hard
conversation with a loved one about his sins, he might become defensive or
angry. That is often how we try to hide
our guilt. He may also accuse you of being
judgmental or acting superior. This is
why it is best to sound the trumpet of God’s word. Even if your loved one is not accountable to
you—though his sin grieves you and may influence others—all are accountable to
God. Therefore, we proclaim God’s
word. We say, “This is what the Lord says,
but this is what you are doing. You are
fighting against God, and I would hate to see you suffer for it. You are on a dangerous path. Please put a stop to your sin. If you need me to, I will help you however I
can.” You are not having this
conversation for your good, but for his.
This is true love; and true love means saying the hard truth.
The Lord told Ezekiel: “Say
to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that
the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). If you urge people to flee from their
sins, it may produce better behavior in them.
Better behavior will spare them of harm to themselves and to their loved
ones. The man who puts away his internet
porn will focus on improving his marriage to the woman in his house who is real
and not virtual. The liar can get back
some respectability by being honest. Rather
than pondering evil about someone, the gossip can devote his words and his time
to praying for them. There is benefit in
that, but to be saved, we need more than better behavior.
True love means saying the hard
thing. But true love does not just expose
the wound; true love also puts salve on the wound and provides its cure. So, in love, God does not just inform us of
our sins; in love, God informs us how he takes our sins away. The Lord does not take pleasure in damning. He is not a God who is eager to smite and
destroy. He is eager to redeem, to rectify,
and to restore.
God proved his love by becoming a man and
taking our sins upon himself. Jesus
Christ is God in the flesh. He willingly
gave his life as the ransom price to set us free from all wickedness, guilt,
and shame. This is true love because
Jesus did not do this for his good, but for ours. Jesus did not suffer and die for us because
he owed it to us or because we proved ourselves worthy. Long before you and I were in this world,
long before we had sins on our record or reason to fear God’s judgment, Jesus
gave himself as the atoning sacrifice for us.
This is love—that Jesus suffered what sinners deserve so that we will
not suffer what we deserve. The Lord has
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but it pleased the Lord to make himself
a guilt offering for us. It pleased the
Lord to die the death of the wicked in order to pardon us. And Jesus willingly took up the task he was
given because he loves his Father, he delights in God’s word, and he is also eager
for our redemption. Jesus was not only
eager to do these things, he accomplished them.
And this is not a hard truth, but joyous good news and the truest, purest
love there is. For, God is love.
But what hope is there for someone who
rejects God’s word? The writer to the Hebrews
asks: “How shall we escape if we neglect
such a great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3)? If people reject God’s word, where will they
find forgiveness or comfort or peace? How
can they cope with guilt or shame or death?
Denial and defensiveness can only last so long, and then comes the
reality of death and judgment. True love
cannot stand by and let loved ones perish.
If they reject God’s word, if they prefer to let the heart have what the
heart wants, then the truth of God’s word becomes especially hard—they are
lost. But God’s truth still stands, so
we say so. And then we pray for their
repentance.
True love means saying the hard truth. Confessing God’s truth is not optional for us. God’s truth keeps us secure and preserves our faith. Therefore, we cling to it. And since God’s word is the only way that sinners can be rescued from their sin and its judgment, we eagerly confess it and proclaim it. God’s word reveals the Savior we need, the Savior we have, and the only Savior there is to deliver us from sin, death, and the devil. It should not be hard to speak these truths, because they are good news of great joy which is for all the people. God’s love for us is our reason to rejoice. Our love for God is our reason to confess his word. And our love for others is the reason to confess it to them.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Greetings!
REGULAR SCHEDULE
Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Divine Service -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM (begins September 13)
For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.
SERVICE SETTING 2
In September, we will begin using Service Setting 2 in our new hymnal. In order to prepare for its use, we are introducing parts of the liturgy after our services. We are rehearsing each part of the liturgy so that when we begin to use it, we will be familiar with it. The start date for Service Setting 2 is September 10.
FALL EVENTS
These events serve both to unite our own members better and to connect with people from our community. Look for ways that you can help out to make each event a success. Let’s make the most of the opportunity for each event.
SEPT 10 -- Church Picnic at Fadool’s house (Noon - ???)
OCT 6 -- Indian Restaurant outing
OCT 22 -- Trunk or Treat (3 – 5 PM)
NOV 5 -- Presentation on how a Christian may deal with Anxiety
DEC 3 -- Church Decoration
DEC ? -- Christmas for Kids (TBD)
DEC 24 / 25 -- Christmas services
ADULT BIBLE CLASSES
SUNDAYS at 9:00 AM. We are studying St.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
09/10 Ephesians 1:1-14 Chosen in Christ
09/17 Ephesians 1:15-23 Enriched by Christ
09/24 Ephesians 2:1-10 Alive in Christ
10/01 Ephesians 2:11-22 Founded upon Christ
WEDNESDAYS at 6:30 PM. We will be studying the
life of Joseph: Humbled and Exalted Servant of God's People.
Sept 13 Favoritism and Jealousy (Genesis 37)
Sept 20 NO CLASS
Sept 27 Joseph sold into slavery (Genesis 37)
Oct 4 Fleeing from temptation; Suffering for faithfulness (Genesis 39)
Oct 11 Dreams and Prophesy; Joseph is exalted (Genesis 40-41)
CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (August)
> We have arranged a presentation by a WELS member
who authored a book (“Whatever Is True” https://online.nph.net/whatever-is-true.html) about dealing with anxiety in a Christian context. He will talk about his own struggles and how
he has coped with his challenges with the word of God and prayer. Mental health has become an increasingly
common issue. The presentation will be
Sunday, November 5 at 6:30 PM, and will be presented virtually. We welcome anyone from the community to join
us for this presentation. Let your
friends know.
> We need to replace the trees which were
removed from our property. Bob Wozniak has done the research to
determine which trees and shrubs can be planted. There are a few ways you can help make this
replanting more cost-effective. You can
sponsor a tree (or trees). Cost and
sign-up will be made available in the coming weeks. OR You can be here to assist in the planting
around the church grounds. Look for a
work bee date later this summer. Your
support is appreciated.
SHARE THIS POST!
We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!
In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder
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REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM
Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM
GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org
PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com
Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, September 3, 2023.
Bible Matters is a topical discussion group that enables God’s people to become more comfortable in discussing matters of the Christian faith and more confident in defending the Bible’s teachings.
Bible Matters will meet on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM. Here is our tentative schedule for the Fall.
Sept 13 Favoritism and Jealousy (Genesis 37)
Sept 20 NO CLASS
Sept 27 Joseph sold into slavery (Genesis 37)
Oct 4 Fleeing from temptation; Suffering for faithfulness (Genesis 39)
Oct 11 Dreams and Prophesy; Joseph is exalted (Genesis 40-41)
Oct 18 Being put to the test (Genesis 42-43)
Oct 25 Standing before the sovereign king and judge (Genesis 44)
Nov 1 God’s people preserved (Genesis 45-46)
Nov 8 Forgiveness; not deserved by freely given (Genesis 50)
Nov 15 The hope of the resurrection (Genesis 49-50; Exodus 13:19)
Nov 22 Thanksgiving Worship (7:00 PM)
All are welcome. Feel free to bring guests!
Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 10:00 AM - Noon on Saturday, September 9. No appointment is necessary. Just stop in. If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more. Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.
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Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI
What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.
What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V
These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.
Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.
Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment. In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.
It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
A day during Holy Week
A day around Labor Day weekend
A day after Thanksgiving weekend
The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, September 9, 10:00 AM - Noon. Appointments are not necessary. You need only drop in. All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.
Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it. If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession. Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets. (His life is easier if he remains ignorant. But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.) The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.
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THE CROSS IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION.
In the name + of Jesus.
Our reading begins with the words, “From
that time” (Matthew 16:21), which begs the question, “What time?” In the previous verses Peter had confessed, “You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). So, Jesus began to explain in vivid terms
exactly what that meant. Many Jews were
waiting for the Messiah, but they had expected the Messiah to be one who would
restore Israel to great power like the kingdom of David. They anticipated a throne in Jerusalem resulting
in power and prosperity for their nation.
The hopes of the Jews were not totally baseless. When David had announced his plans to build a
temple for the Lord, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to inform David that not David,
but David’s Son, would build the temple.
The Lord also told David: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your
fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from
your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall
build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13). The people recognized this as a Messianic
promise. So, they expected the Messiah
would restore and even elevate the kingdom and throne of David, ruling over
everything from Jerusalem. But the kingdom
of God is not an earthly kingdom with an earthly throne. Jesus began to explain this to his disciples.
“From that time Jesus
began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer
many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and
on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21). Jesus did not tell them what might
happen to him. The Greek word says, “It
is necessary.” All
these things were necessary to fulfill the words of the prophets, to satisfy God’s
wrath, and to deliver us from sin, death, and the devil. If Jesus did not fulfill these things, he did
not save us. The cross is necessary for
salvation.
Peter saw his hopes of earthly glory and power
slipping away. The Christ is supposed to
reign in glory, not die in shame. Therefore,
“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you,
Lord! This shall never happen to you.’
But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the
things of God, but on the things of man’” (Matthew 16:22-23). The
things of man are: What is good for me, my gain, and my glory? The mind of man will always ask, “How does
this benefit me?” I get frustrated with a
world that does not care about my well-being.
I even get upset with God because he does not fix my problems or satisfy
my fantasies. It is never as fast as I
want or as good as I want. And I usually
don’t get what I want. So, we take what
we want thinking nothing of God’s will or timing. Having your mind set on the things of man may
result in momentary pleasure, but it will certainly result in eternal death. Repent.
In contrast, the mind of God is set on
loving others and doing what is good for them.
Therefore, Jesus came into the world not for his own gain and glory, but
to serve for yours. It was necessary for
Jesus to suffer shame and die an undeserved death on a cross. This is what it takes to save you. The cross shows us that God is serious about
his Law. The bitter sufferings and death
of the Son of God show that the Lord holds nothing back from his wrath over
sin. It was necessary for Jesus to suffer rejection in a world where
even the religious leaders had in mind their own power and prestige. It was necessary for Jesus to be convicted
for our lust for earthly glory so he could pay the price for it. The cross is where Jesus dealt with our sins
and shed his blood to cover them.
The cross is necessary for salvation. Jesus’ brutal and humiliating sufferings and death
were necessary also to fulfill the Scriptures.
Isaiah had foretold: “His appearance was so marred, beyond human
semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind”
(Isaiah 52:14). He was a piece of hamburger after the
beatings and the floggings. King David had
foretold, “I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by
the people. All who see me mock
me. They sneer. They shake their heads.” (Psalm 22:6-7). Jesus’ death fulfilled the promises
foretold. It satisfied the wrath of God. Jesus bore the guilt of all sinners;
therefore, the full measure of God’s wrath was put upon Jesus.
The cross also shows the full measure of
God’s love and how great is his desire for our salvation. We cannot pay for even one of our sins, let
alone all of them. So, the Son of God made
the payment for us. Since God dies, his
death counts for everyone and for every sin. The cross is necessary for salvation; and
salvation was completed at the cross.
Your sins are forgiven. God’s wrath
is satisfied. These are the things of
God Jesus was committed to because God is committed to saving and blessing you.
The cross is
necessary for salvation—not only for Jesus, but also for us. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would
come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow
me” (Matthew 16:24). When we deny ourselves,
we deny any idea that we have done anything to earn God’s favor. We are always prone to commending ourselves. We are better than others. We are in church more often than others. We are nicer than some of the people we work
with. And so on. But to trust in such claims is also to tell
God that his grace is not necessary, and that we don’t need Jesus’ sufferings and
death as much as others. After all, we
did our part. But this is a lie. By denying ourselves, we get to be honest
about ourselves. We are guilty of
sin. No matter what anyone else has done
or not done, we are guilty. We deny our
worthiness. And the crucified Savior who
is risen declares, “Peace be with you.
You are clothed in my righteousness.
You are cleansed by my blood. You
are heirs of everlasting glory.”
The cross is necessary for salvation, for
it keeps us mindful of the things of God rather than the things of men. We deny ourselves every sinful inclination that
lingers within us. And you know what
these are. We still love ourselves. We still seek glory and gain for ourselves. We hate anyone who stands in the way of these
things. We even despise people whose
success has not harmed us in any way, but we are angry just because they have
succeeded. These are the sins Jesus died
to release us from. How could we continue
in them?
It would be like
a man who drinks a cup of water with arsenic in it. He wakes up in the hospital, having barely
survived the poison he consumed. When he
is released, he goes back home, picks up the same cup, and starts drinking it again. Or, as Proverbs says, “Like a dog that
returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”
(Proverbs 26:11). We would be just as foolish to run back to our
sins; for they will always be unfulfilling, and they still result in death and
divine wrath. Jesus released us from
that! Why go back to it?
Deny yourselves
what your sinful heart craves. The Bible
directs us to “put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which
is idolatry. On account
of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5-6). The cross is necessary for us. The cross is designed for killing
things. Our sinful desires are harmful
and destructive. They cannot be satisfied
by giving into them a little bit from time to time. They will always demand more. They cannot be tamed; they must be
killed. Therefore, the cross is necessary
for salvation.
Then the things of man must be supplanted by the things of God. His word brings forgiveness, but it also
brings direction. How do you know what
is good and right? Jesus said, “Follow
me” (Matthew 16:24). The word of God
shows us the path of righteousness. We
cannot trust our own thinking to determine what is good and right. Peter thought the way to the cross was wrong,
and Jesus called his sentiment Satanic.
So also, we set our minds on what God says in his word and remain
determined to follow. Our goal is to
live as Jesus leads, for we know his path leads heavenward.
The cross is necessary for salvation. Jesus tells us to take up our cross. But we do not choose what kind of cross we
bear. Just as Jesus had a cross laid
upon him, so also the cross is laid upon us.
And God is the one who puts it there.
God sends us hardships and difficulties which he calls upon us to
endure. While this seems cruel and
unfair, we also know that God only works for our good in what he does.
Some crosses are common. God lays upon you responsibilities with your family,
your job, and in your community. The
sinful nature tells you to avoid them and spend the day scrolling through your phone. But God knows that you serve a better purpose
by getting off your chair and doing good for other people. Therefore, he lays those responsibilities
upon you. It may feel like a cross you’d
rather cast off, but the cross is necessary.
It puts to death your laziness.
It allows you to love and serve your neighbor. It presents the good works God seeks from
you.
Other crosses are much more burdensome,
and we usually don’t know why the Lord afflicts us with them. These crosses may be a mental disorder, a
physical disability, or the frailties that come with age. Perhaps it is a financial cross from some unavoidable
expense. Maybe it is stress or strife from
your own family. Maybe it is ridicule
for living a Christian life. These
crosses you may bear your whole life. How
does any of this serve your good? Remember
what the cross is for—killing things. By
bearing your cross, you put to death a love for this world and long for the
world to come. By bearing the cross, you
put to death your own ideas and are forced to trust God’s promises. By bearing the cross, you recognize your
weakness and must call upon God for strength, hope, and comfort. The cross forces you to set your mind on the
things of God, and that is a good thing.
That is why the cross is necessary for salvation.
Of course, it is not the cross you bear that saves you. That cross disciplines you and points you to Jesus. It is Jesus’ cross that saves you. It was necessary for Jesus to “go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21). Jesus’ cross was necessary to take away your sins. His resurrection was necessary to defeat death and open heaven. It was necessary so that the Son of David would live and reign forever on his holy throne in accord with God’s promise. So, the Messiah is glorious after all; and his glory is that he has done the necessary work to save you.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
