Tag Archives: Pure

Loved Ones – Sermon on 1 John 3:1-3 for All Saints’ Sunday

1 John 3:1-3

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Typically, names are given. When you’re born, you’re given a name. Whether or not you like your name, doesn’t matter. The name your parents gave you is your name. Sometimes, you are given a nickname, which you may like or dislike.

In junior high, my schoolmates called me ‘string-bean.’ I didn’t like it so much. But being over 6 ft. tall and weighing maybe 120 lbs. soaking wet, it fit. When I made the varsity swim team, I thought, “This is my chance for a cool nickname,” because no one else from my school was a swimmer. So, I tried to give myself a nickname. The movie Rudy had just come out, and the story of that weak, little football player who finally got a chance and proved himself on the field was so inspirational that I told my teammates to call me ‘Rudy.’ I even had it printed on my first varsity swimming t-shirt. Long story short, ‘Rudy’ didn’t stick, sadly. Even worse was that one of the other swimmers was dating a girl from my school. As soon as he found out that I was called ‘string bean,’ the name followed me into the pool.

The Bible has lots of names and titles for people who are saved by grace through faith in Christ – Christian (Act. 11:26), believer (Act. 5:14), child of God (Jn. 1:12-13), people of God (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 21:3), citizens of the kingdom of heaven/God (Php. 3:20), people belonging to the Way (Act. 9:2). I could go on and on. All of those names and titles have a different focus, and you are probably comfortable with some of those titles and names for yourself. But the Bible has another name for you. Even though it’s a name that you might not like, even though it’s a title that you wouldn’t claim for yourself, it’s a name that is true and accurate. You, Christian, are a ‘saint.’

A saint is not someone who does a lot of good works, has witnesses who can verify two miracles, and gets recognized by people wearing funny hats at the Vatican. No! To be a saint literally means to be a ‘holy one.’ And no; you aren’t holy by your own works or efforts. You aren’t holy when it comes to keeping God’s commands. You aren’t holy because of your obedience. Instead, you are made holy by grace through faith in Jesus. Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). That means Jesus takes all your sin and shame and guilt and bares it to the cross. In exchange, Jesus gives you His perfect obedience, His total righteousness, His pure holiness. Because of Christ, God makes you holy. The fact that you are a saint is God’s work – not yours.

Here in chapter 3, John wants you to see, to behold, to recognize that you are a saint. Even though the word ‘saint’ doesn’t come up in the text, there are three other terms or titles in this text that point to the fact that you are a ‘saint.’

First, you are God’s child, and John wants you to bask in the fact that God has made you His child. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we…” we who are sinful and unclean, we who rebel against God, we who by nature are enemies of God, “See the love God the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God.” And John drives the point home, “And so we are” (1 Jn. 3:1).

You, dear saints, are God’s children. Jesus Himself said so. The morning of the Resurrection, shortly after Jesus finished tidying up His grave, folding up His burial cloths, and making the bed, He tells Mary Magdelene to tell the disciples, “Go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God’” (Jn. 20:17).

In Hebrews 2:10, Jesus is referred to as the Founder of your salvation who brings “many sons to glory.” Then, Hebrews goes on to say, “He who sanctifies,” (in other words ‘makes holy’), “and those who are sanctified,” (in other words, ‘who are made saints’), “all have one source. That is why [Jesus] is not ashamed to call [you who are made holy] ‘brothers’” (Heb. 2:11). Since Jesus, the Son of God, is not ashamed to call you ‘brothers,’ then you also are children of God. And children inherit characteristics from their parents. Since God is holy, holy, holy (Is. 6:3) – you also are holy. You, children of God, are saints.

John goes on to acknowledge that the world doesn’t recognize you as the children of God. People can’t look at you and say, “Oh, I see you’re a Christian. You look just like your heavenly Father.” You and I don’t bear that divine resemblance because even though we are children of God, we still sin and fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). In the eyes of the world, we look like sinners, so the world doesn’t see us as children of God. But the fact that the world doesn’t recognize that we are children of God shouldn’t surprise us. The world doesn’t recognize us as children of God because it didn’t recognize Jesus as the Son of God when He came to earth.

The second term John uses to point to the fact that we are saints is “beloved” or lit. ‘loved ones.’ God has poured His love into you. And by His love, He has given you the right to be His children who are born of God (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:5). And in that love you receive grace on top of grace (Jn. 1:16). Because of Jesus, God’s love washes over you. His love makes you clean, forgiven, and sanctified, i.e. holy and sainted (1 Co. 6:11). That is what it is to be God’s beloved. As God’s loved one, you also have His promise that the day is coming when you will be like Jesus because you will see Him as He is (1 Jn. 3:2).

And it’s a good thing that we need to wait for that transformation before we look like Jesus. Can you imagine if you already had the glory of being God’s beloved child? Imagine if as soon as you were Baptized and given the gift of faith that you started to radiate like Jesus did in the Transfiguration. You face shines like the sun (Mt. 17:2), and your clothes become radiant and intensely white (Mk. 9:3). You’d probably get pulled over all the time, and the police would demand that you have more tint on your windows.

The third term John uses to ‘saint’ you is in this text is in v. 3. As you have this hope of being like Jesus when you see Him John says, “Everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.” The root of the word for ‘purifies’ and ‘pure’ is the same as ‘holy’ and ‘saint.’

This purification doesn’t happen by you doing good works and no longer sinning. This purification comes through faith and the hope you have of being like Jesus – which is, again, only by God’s love and grace. To live by grace through faith is to have this hope. The picture here is that, through faith and hope, Jesus’ purity is given and poured into you. The Old Testament had all those regular sacrifices that delivered this same purity by pointing people forward to the cleansing that comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Now, you have the fullness of what those were pointing to. Faith in Christ continually purifies you as Jesus Himself is pure.

Since the last time we celebrated All Saints’ Day, one of our sisters in Christ became like Jesus. On Tuesday, March 25th, Ros, who was already a saint in this life, saw Jesus as He is. She entered that great multitude around the throne of Jesus. She exited this great tribulation and got her white robe. She is now sheltered in God’s presence where Jesus will shepherd her to springs of living water (Rev. 7:9-17). Now Ros and every other believer who has gone to be with Christ surrounds us and cheers us on as we look to Jesus, the Founder and Perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2).

Dear saints, behold what manner of love the Father has given unto you, that you should be called children of God – and so you are. God your Father now invites you to His Supper. God the Son comes to serve you. And God the Holy Spirit comes to continually purify you by grace through faith. This is God’s promise, and this is our hope. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Purified & Redeemed – Sermon on Hebrews 9:11-15 for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Hebrews 9:11–15

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

As You Believe, So It Is – Sermon on 2 Samuel 22:26-34 for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity

2 Samuel 22:26-34

26 With the merciful you show yourself merciful; 
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 

27 with the purified you deal purely, 
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 

28 You save a humble people, 
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 

29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, 
and my God lightens my darkness. 

30 For by you I can run against a troop, 
and by my God I can leap over a wall. 

31 This God—his way is perfect; 
the word of the Lord proves true; 
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 

32 “For who is God, but the Lord? 
And who is a rock, except our God? 

33 This God is my strong refuge 
and has made my way blameless. 

34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer 
and set me secure on the heights.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

If this text feels like a Psalm, you are a good student of Scripture. 2 Samuel 22 is actually the same as Psalm 18. David wrote at least 74 of the 150 Psalms, and it’s interesting (at least, I think it’s interesting) that this is the only place in the story of David’s life where a Psalm recorded. We don’t know exactly when the Psalm was written. But this is placed here in 2 Samuel 22 at the end of David’s life, and v. 1 tells us that this was David’s song, “when the Lord delivered [David] from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.” And the contents of the Psalm are a very fitting way to wrap up David’s story.

David had fought his last war. He had faced the lions and bears as a shepherd. He had killed the giant, Goliath. He was rescued from the spears of King Saul. David had been saved from the Philistines. David was reestablished as king even after his own son, Absalom, had dethroned and hunted him. And, maybe, most importantly, God had rescued David from himself. God forgave David for his adultery with Bathsheba. God absolved David from the sin of murdering Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. Through it all, God was faithful to David in the face of David’s enemies of the devil, the world, and David’s own sinful flesh. From a humble shepherd who was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse to the conquering King of Israel, David’s life is a rags to riches story. But morally, David started out better than he ended. The tail end of David’s life was disappointing to say the least, but that is what makes this passage so interesting.

The verses you just heard are the middle of the Psalm where David is reflecting on all of God’s gracious acts throughout his life. David addresses God, “With the merciful You show Yourself merciful; with the blameless man You show Yourself blameless; with the purified You deal purely.” God does show us all these things about Himself, but it sounds as though David is bragging that he was those things – merciful, blameless, and pure. How could such a great sinner like David say something like that?

Well, look again at v. 33. “God is my strong refuge and [He] has made my way blameless.” It was God who made David all those things. By God’s declaration, by God’s mercy, and by God’s absolution, David was merciful, blameless, and pure.

Now, whenever we hear passages like this, we need to recognize God’s actions come first and then God’s attributes shine through God’s children. The text does not say that God is merciful to the merciful, blameless to those who are blameless, and pure to those who are pure. If that were the case, God’s mercy, blamelessness, and purity would never be revealed because we are all sinners. Instead, we need to recognize that God is the one who makes us blameless, makes us merciful, and makes us pure, and all of that shines through us. We are not the light of the world. Jesus is, and His light shines through us for all the world to see. God is merciful, blameless, and pure according to His nature, and God works on us and in us to make us like He is. Colossians 3:10 says that we are being renewed after the image of God, and Romans 8:29 says we are being conformed to the image of Christ. As Christians, God is renewing us in His image.

So, again, with the merciful God shows Himself merciful; with the blameless God shows Himself blameless; with the purified God deals purely. But then notice how v. 27 changes gears, “with the crooked You make Yourself seem tortuous.” Big change there. Just quickly, the translation there is tortuous not torturous. Torturous is related to torture and causing extreme pain and suffering. That’s not the translation here. Instead it is tortuous (remove the second ‘r’) which means full of twists and turns or shifty. It isn’t as though God is shifty toward crooked, bent sinners. Notice very carefully, shifty and complex is simply how God seems to the crooked.

Dear saints, we don’t and can’t change the nature or character of God, but what you believe about God does shape how God will appear to you. In short, as you believe, so it is (Mt. 8:13, 9:29). If you believe God is merciful, and He is, you have no trouble seeing God’s mercy. If you believe God is blameless, and He is, His blamelessness is apparent. If you believe God is pure, and He is, you will see and receive His purity. But if you wrongly believe that God isn’t those things, if you believe God is a as crooked as you are, it will seem and appear as though God is twisted, convoluted, and out to get you even though God by His nature and character is direct and straight; He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6) toward you.

We can see this in how Jesus deals with the scribes and Pharisees. They were always out to get Jesus and trap Him in His teaching, and Jesus will respond in a similar way. Remember when they were trying to trap Jesus by asking Him a question about divorce (Mt. 19:1-9), and Jesus responds to this Law question in a similar fashion by asking them what the Law says. The Pharisees wanted to live by the Law, which isn’t possible, so Jesus lovingly points them back to the Law in an effort to mercifully show them that life does not come through the Law (Ro. 7:5-12). But rather than fleeing to Jesus to receive God’s mercy, the Pharisees stubbornly reject Jesus and are left under the torture of needing to keep the Law perfectly. Because of this, God seems tortuous.

Dear saints, the way you view God will affect the way you interpret all reality. Lord, have mercy on us, and deliver us from believing wrongly about You.

When life gets tough and bad things happen, when we feel the weight of the burdens and crosses we bear, one of the first things we sinners do is blame God. We ask questions like, “What have I done to deserve this?” “How could You do this to me, God?” Or, even, “What kind of God would allow this evil?” In those moments of grief, sorrow, and despair, God does seem absent, uncaring, and tortuous, but remember that your feelings do not dictate reality.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Your feelings are a good and important gift from God. But your feelings are also fallen and infected with sin and don’t always match up with reality. So, when God seems to be absent, when God seems to be uncaring, when God seems tortuous, that is not the time to reject or abandon God. That is the time to run to Him.

God loves you with the purest love. He has demonstrated His love for you in that while you were a sinner and enemy of God, rebelling against Him, God gave Jesus, His Son, to die for you and restore you (Ro. 5:8). So, when you feel forsaken, abandoned, and even cheated by God, ask yourself, “Did God send Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world to die for my sins?” The answer to that question is always, “Yes.” Then, be honest with God about your feelings. Cling to His promises that He gives you in His Word. Run back to Him in prayer, and ask Him to be true to those promises. That is what faith does.

Dear saints, God has given you His mercy by sending His blameless Son to redeem you and make you pure. That is how He is toward you now and for all eternity. Believe that, and watch how God’s mercy, blamelessness, and purity flow freely to you. Believe that and God will always be your rock, your strong refuge, and your shield as you take refuge in Him. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

If you have a heart that can expect of Him nothing but what is good—especially in need and distress—and a heart that also renounces and forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true God. If, on the contrary, your heart clings to anything else from which it expects more good and help than from God, and if your heart does not take refuge in Him but flees from Him when in trouble, then you have an idol, another god.[1]

[1] LC. 1st Commandment, par. 28.