Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from Matthew 16. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- If you have not noticed, you should probably be aware that all Christians are deeply “conflicted.” We have our sinful nature, which is utterly corrupt – without true fear or love of God, with no interest in doing what is right, and compelled to all manner of evil. On the other hand, we have been reborn to faith in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit, and can be described as “those who pursue righteousness.”
- In this conflict we are often disturbed and disheartened – both by the pain and rigors of self-denial, and also by our difficulty in avoiding sin and the guilt that accompanies this effort. These are both aspects of the truly dismal warfare that our sinful nature continues to wage against God and ourselves.
- But we must not give up. God’s Word describes these realities and also the help that He has provided for us, so that we do not fall prey to dismay, depression, despair, and defeat. If we can hold on to these truths and realities assured to us by God’s Word we will ultimately prevail in our life of repentance and faith.
- The first and most important thing to remember is that:
I. The Pursuit Of Righteousness Only Succeeds By Faith In The Mercies Of God
OT Lesson: “I called Abraham that I might bless him. . . . MY righteousness draws near, MY salvation has gone out. . . . My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will never be dismayed.”
Epistle Lesson: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”
Statement: There are literally hundreds of passages in Holy Scripture which describe the origin of our being saved and accounted “righteous” by faith in the sight of God. The whole process of our salvation is His, and is His gift to us. It is not earned, seized, grasped, or acquired by us – it is given to us by God’s grace. For God is love, and He so loved the world as to give His Son to be our Savior, the Lamb of God Who takes away our sin.
Application: So “righteousness” must be pursued by faith. First, it is objectively given to us, accounted to us, by the grace of God. Second, only those who acknowledge this gift, this new status that God has bestowed upon us, can truly strive for genuine righteousness – that which comes from a pure heart and new spirit. Although this is in some respects “unsearchable and inscrutable,” it is all true!
Transition: But this is not something that we can fathom or “ferret out” on our own, but rather:
II. These Truths And Realities Of God’s Gracious Love Must Be Revealed To Us By The Father – Through His Word
Text: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.”
Statement: Again, “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” Or as James puts it, “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth.” [James 1:17.18]
Application: This is important for us to remember in our struggles, our “PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.” We became believers by God’s gracious calling; we will remain believers and heirs of eternal life by God’s gracious keeping! Nothing can change the gracious will of God toward us; we must never let go of this reality! It is the power of our new life in Christ!
Transition: And this is the central purpose, task, and dynamic of our life together within the church, for:
III. This Revealing Of God’s Gracious Mercy In Christ Is The Life And Work Of Christ’s Church – Carried Out In His Stead, By His Power And Authority
Text: “You are Peter, and on this rock [his confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior, the Son of the Living God] I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
A. By The Power Of Christ’s Word, The Keys To The Kingdom Of Heaven, We Bind The Sins And Condemnation Of Those Who Stubbornly Persist In Unbelief – And It Is Bound In Heaven Also
Text: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.”
B. More Importantly, By The Power Of Christ’s Word, The Keys To The Kingdom Of Heaven, We Loose And Remove The Sins And Condemnation Of Those Who Repent And Embrace God’s Love In Christ By Faith, And It Is Loosed In Heaven Also
Text: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . . and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Statement: I know how this strikes us – that somehow the church and ministers of the Word of God have inflated their importance, to stand in the place of God in these matters. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather the church and ministers of the Word humble themselves under the Word of Christ, and speak to others only what His Word speaks. In so doing they do not exercise a personal authority, but rather the very authority of Christ. And the purpose is not to bind, but rather to loose, for God is love, and He wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth!
Application: So also in our “PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” our dear Savior has given us a most precious and powerful assist – the assurance that our sins are forgiven and loosed from us! Therefore the accusations and condemnation of the devil, of our own conscience, and also of other people, cannot harm us. For within the fellowship of the church we have God’s judgment, the judgment of His Word, that looses us from all sin and guilt.
Conclusion: A part of our sinful nature responds to this by thinking that God’s gifts of forgiveness and salvation are license to re-commit ourselves to sin – but we know this can never be the case! Those whom God has pronounced righteous and revealed His love to are eager to give Him thanks and praise, and to serve and obey Him in righteousness. But herein lies the struggle, the inner warfare, “THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
But thanks and praise be to God for the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, and His “judgment” of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation! This certainty of His love enables us to fulfill the various “functions” that God has graciously assigned to us – whether prophecy, serving, teaching, exhorting, contributing generously, leading with zeal, or acts of mercy!
And so, with Paul, we say: “To Him be glory forever. Amen.”
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.