Glory: Glory in Witness

Overview

Glory in Witness

Faithful witness begins with a clear understanding of what God has already accomplished. On the cross, Jesus bore the sin of the world, and God declared the world forgiven in Him—what theologians call objective justification. This is not universalism, which claims everyone is saved regardless of belief. Rather, the victory Christ won for all is personally received through faith. Faith is the empty hand that takes hold of what Christ has already done.

Crucially, faith is not something we manufacture. It is not a self-willed decision, not the same as contrition, and not the same as love (which flows from faith as its fruit). Scripture describes the natural human condition as hostile to God Romans 8:7, dead in trespasses Ephesians 2:1, and unable to receive the things of the Spirit 1 Corinthians 2:14. As Paul writes, "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8-9. Luther's explanation of the Third Article echoes this: "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." If any sliver of conversion depended on us, we would inevitably claim the credit. Instead, God uses the means of grace—Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper—to create and sustain faith where and when He pleases.

This shapes how we witness. When we say, "Christ has died for you; now all you have to do is accept Him," we unintentionally smuggle the law back into the gospel and place a burden on the hearer they cannot lift. As C.F.W. Walther warned, urging people to "make a decision" turns faith into a work and produces a muddled mess. A better pattern follows the Scriptures themselves: proclaim the law so that sin is exposed and the need for a Savior is felt; proclaim the gospel of forgiveness in Christ crucified and risen; and point to the vehicles—Scripture, Baptism, and Holy Communion—through which God actually delivers His Word of victory. Then ask simply, "Does this make sense to you? Would you like to be baptized?" The faith that responds "yes" is itself the Spirit's work through the gospel just spoken. Living faith also requires ongoing repentance; willful, unrepentant sin endangers faith itself Hebrews 10:26-27, which is why loving correction within the body is part of the church's care.

Prayer and apologetics each have their proper place but should not be confused with the means of grace. Prayer is a fruit of faith, not a vehicle that creates it—though we rightly pray for open doors and clear speech Colossians 4:2-4, for the rapid spread of the word 2 Thessalonians 3:1, for boldness Acts 4:29, for the conversion of hearers Romans 10:1, and for more workers in the harvest Luke 10:2. Apologetics defends the faith and serves growing disciples, but no one is argued into the kingdom. Sanctification builds on justification; first comes the foundation. So we glory in our witness not because of our skill or persuasion, but because God Himself has given us the gospel to speak and has promised, through that very Word, to do the converting. Our calling is to unleash it.

Transcript

Good morning. Let's pray together, please. O Lord, open our lips and our mouths in order 2s

for us to show forth your praise. Empower us to be faithful witnesses to your love. 9s

Bend our knee before the cross in humble confession. Lift us up in the blood and righteousness 17s

of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we may proclaim His name with joy before the unbelieving world. 25s

Let your spirit open the hearts of those to whom we witness that all may join in the glory 35s

you prepared through Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, welcome back. Last week we took a look at the subject, 42s

glory in tribulation. And we asked ourselves the question, when bad things happen, 51s

is that God punishing us? Of course, what we see in Scripture is the answer to that is no. God 58s

has punished sin in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so when bad things happen, when tribulations happen, 65s

what is God up to? God is using those times to give us gifts of perseverance, 74s

character and hope. He promises to bring good out of all things to those that love Him. 82s

And that good is linked as we studied to maturity, dependency, and a greater understanding of Him. 90s

He uses tests and trials to draw us closer to Him. And we also study that when there is a test, 96s

or when there is a trial, there will always be a corresponding temptation. So while God is at 106s

work, so also is Satan. And Satan will use the corresponding temptation to try and draw us away 113s

from Christ. And so we studied that we glory in trouble, is confident that God loves us, 121s

confident in his sovereignty and in his control, and what he accomplishes through them. 129s

Well, today I want to talk with you about glory in our witness, glory in our witness. And to do that, 135s

I want to lay some pavement here in terms of that which is underneath our witness, that which is 142s

underneath our understanding of what it is that we are to be about as we proclaim Jesus Christ. 149s

Justification is different than faith. Justification is different than faith. 158s

Justification you'll recall, the short little definition, is to be made just as if we never sin. 165s

So when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and He bore the sin of the world, 172s

your sin, my sin, the sin of every human being that ever lived is living or will live. When he bore 177s

that on the cross, the world was justified unto himself. We studied that in the past, that's what's 184s

called objective justification. There's not a potential justification for the world. Know that the 191s

world in totality has been justified. God has declared forgiveness. We are forgiven. That's 197s

objective justification. Subjective justification is the personal appropriation of that victory. 207s

And how is that victory personally appropriated, but that is personally appropriated through faith? 216s

So faith is the hand that appropriates the victory that has been won. 224s

So has the world been reconciled unto God? Absolutely. Did Jesus die for all people? 234s

Absolutely. That is just as a little aside, that's different than Calvinistic theology. 244s

John Calvin believed in what's called limited atonement, that Jesus came and died only for the 251s

elect. No? Luther said no for God so loved the world, the world that He gave His only Son. 258s

So the world has been reconciled. That's objective justification. The reception of that comes through 267s

faith. Objective justification is not universalism. Universalism believes, non-scriptural. Universalism 276s

believes that all will be saved regardless of what it is you believe. No? Objective justification 288s

is fundamentally different than universalism. Objective justification then, Jesus died for the 296s

whole world. The whole world has been declared forgiven and that word of victory is received through 304s

faith. So there's a difference then between justification and faith. Faith is the way then 313s

that we apprehend the victory that has been won through the Lord Jesus. 324s

Let's lay some more pavement of what lays underneath our witness. Faith is not 330s

self-willed. Faith is not self-willed. In other words, 345s

we don't put down on a piece of paper all the benefits of faith and all, well maybe our doubts 358s

or whatever you want to put on the other side of the ledger and then look at the two of them and 366s

to say, I'm going to decide to believe. Faith is not self-willed. When you got up this morning 372s

and you looked at the closet, you had a decision of what to wear, right? 383s

Totally within your power to where, where, whatever you choose. Faith is not like that. 389s

Augustine said that a great example of faith is falling in love, falling in love. So if you've ever 399s

been in love with someone or are in love with someone, the love was all of a sudden the 408s

realization that indeed you were in love with that person. For example, I didn't wake up one 417s

morning in my seminary dorm room in Bachmann Hall before I went through the tunnel to class. 426s

I didn't wake up there one morning in Bachmann Hall and said, you know today I'm deciding I'm 434s

going to love the knees. I've made the decision. I love her. I have self-willed and I made the decision. 442s

No, over the time of dating, one realized that I had moved from my like her to really like her to 450s

wonder if I'm falling in love with her to I'm in love with her. But the love was not a self-willed 461s

decision that I make. It was just a reality now of what was. Augustine said that the perfect example 470s

for faith is falling in love. So faith is not self-willed. It is something that God gives. Let's go 483s

to Ephesians, the second chapter, please. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 497s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2 504s

and we'll pick up in verse 8 Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8. 517s

4 by grace. That's the undeserved love of God. 4 by grace, you have been saved. There's objective 530s

justification. World has been redeemed. Here comes the vehicle through faith and this is not 543s

your own doing. It is the gift of God. Not the result of works so that no one may boast. Faith is not 555s

self-willed. Faith is a gift. God doesn't bring us to the point where he says, now I empower you to 567s

make your decision of whether or not you're going to believe that's a belief called prevenient grace. 579s

That God brings us to the point and says, all right, you're on your own now. I've done all I can. 588s

It's up to you. Now just think about that for a second. What does that communicate about God if that 594s

were true? That God on his throne is beholden to us. That God on his throne somehow would then say, 599s

oh, we were so close. We were just so close. If you just would have made that decision. No. 610s

Because if there's a part of us that is responsible for believing, then who gets the credit? 617s

We do. Who will certainly take the credit? We will. No. Faith is totally the work of God where he 630s

transforms the heart and we fall in love. How does the Scripture define us since the fall into sin? 645s

Romans 8 says that we're hostile towards God. Ephesians chapter 2 that we are dead in our 656s

trespasses and sins. First Corinthians, the second chapter, that the things of the spirit are 664s

foolishness to us. That's how we are born. As our confessions say, there is not a spark, there is not 671s

an inkling of desire for us toward God. We are born in absolute rebellion against Him. In our 680s

confessional writings in the formula of conquered, as recorded this, we believe that after the fall, 693s

and prior to his conversion, not a spark of spiritual powers has remained or exists in man, 701s

by which he could make himself ready for the grace of God or to accept the pro-offered grace. 708s

You hear that attack against Pervenian grace there? 717s

Nor that he has any capacity for grace, by and for himself, or can apply himself to it, 722s

or prepare himself for it. Just to make sure that we make sure that we're understanding that it 730s

goes on. Or help do effect or cooperate toward his conversion by his own powers, either altogether 737s

or halfway or in the tiniest or small degree. That's all encompassing, isn't it? You're making 748s

the same point and you are continuing to make it over and over again. But as a slave to sin, 757s

John 8, the captive of the devil who drives him Ephesians 2, 2 Timothy 2. Hence, according to 763s

its perverse disposition and nature, the natural free will is mighty and active only in the direction 772s

of that which is displeasing and contrary to God. Luther writes in the third article of the 779s

small catechism, I believe that I cannot, by my own understanding or effort, believe in Jesus 790s

Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. I cannot. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel 797s

and lightened me with his gifts and sanctified and kept me in true faith. You see the one that 806s

gets all the credit and who's doing all the work? All we can do is say no to God. And God, 815s

through word and sacrament, turns the no into a yes. So faith is not self-willed. Faith is not 824s

contrition. It is not contrition. Again in our confessions it says, 840s

there cannot be genuine saving faith in those who live without contrition and sorrow and have a 852s

wicked intention to remain and abide in sin. Notice the distinction there between faith and contrition. 861s

Also notice the danger of living where there is no repentance because what can happen is that 872s

that can kill faith. It can kill faith. Again there cannot be genuine saving faith in those who live 881s

without contrition and sorrow and have a wicked intention to remain and abide in sin. 890s

Let's go to Hebrews. Hebrews the 10th chapter. Good way to find Hebrews is to go to Revelation. 899s

Work your way backwards. You're going to cross over the John's, the Peters. You'll hit James and 910s

then Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26. 917s

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, 930s

there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of 937s

fire that will consume the adversaries. You see that is why when one is caught in sin and is 946s

unrepentant, the loving thing for the church to do is in gentleness to go and confront that person 956s

in their sinfulness. It is not to allow them to continue on in their unrepentant state. 963s

That's the exercise of the office of the keys that we've studied, right? To declare to those that 974s

repent that their sins are forgiven, to declare to those that don't repent that their sins are not 979s

forgiven. So faith is not self-willed. Faith is not contrition. No contrition, sorrow for sin precedes 985s

faith. Third, faith is not love. Faith is not love. Love is a fruit of faith. Love follows where 997s

there is faith. Romans a third chapter. We're justified by faith apart from works. 1016s

So neither of the preceding contrition then or the subsequent works matters. 1028s

It doesn't belong to the article of justification. Love is a fruit of faith. So faith is not 1036s

justification. Faith is not self-willed. Faith is not contrition. Faith is not love. 1045s

How does one come to faith? Again, we'll go to our confessions and the Augsburg confession. 1055s

Through the word and sacraments as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. 1062s

And the Holy Spirit produces faith. Where and when it pleases God in those who hear the gospel. 1069s

So faith then is born out of God's action as God uses means, word and sacrament. 1080s

Let's listen to Lutheran Theologian by the name of CFW Walter. 1093s

And this has to do with the implications then for how it is that we glory in our witness and how 1101s

it is that we go about witnessing. Walter writes this, the word of God is not rightly divided. 1107s

When one makes an appeal to believe in a manner as if a person could make himself believe or at 1117s

least help toward that end instead of preaching faith into a person's heart by laying the gospel 1126s

promises before him. Let's unpack that. We confuse law and gospel when we preach as if Jesus has 1135s

done this. He has died for you. And now all you have to do is accept him. Did you hear the gospel 1149s

in the law just get mixed in so doing? Because this is what Jesus has done. Gospel language is 1158s

because they're for language. Because Jesus Christ has done this, therefore you have been redeemed. 1167s

Law language is if you do this, then this will happen. If you eat your peas, you get deserved. 1175s

That's not gospel language. That's law language. I've got to do this. I've got to get myself past the 1188s

peas to get the ice cream. That's law. It's not gospel. It's law. So Luther says here, 1197s

if you lead a person to the point where they think then that they are the ones here that come up with 1206s

the faith, you've just mixed law and gospel together. And remember what Luther said happens when you 1213s

mix law and gospel? He says you have a muddy mess. A muddy mess. Walter goes on. He says you may 1222s

spend a lot of time telling men that they must believe if they wish to be saved. 1233s

And your hears may get the impression that something is required of them which they must do. 1239s

They'll begin to worry whether they will be able to do it. And when they've tried to do it, 1246s

whether it is exactly the thing that is required of them, thus you may have preached a great deal 1253s

about faith without delivering a real sermon on faith. See how does faith come? 1260s

But faith comes by the operation of God as he uses the word. And remember that quote earlier from 1273s

our time that we speak faith into them? And how does that happen? By what we do? Absolutely not. 1282s

But God then taking the proclamation of Scripture and birthing that faith. Let's explore this further. 1291s

Walter says, a preacher may be able to preach a sermon on faith without ever using the term faith. 1303s

Let us think about that for a little bit. You can preach a sermon on faith without ever using 1310s

the term faith. It's not important that he din faith into the ears of his audience. But it is 1315s

necessary for him to frame his address so as to arouse in every poor sinner the desire to lay the 1322s

burdens of his sin at the feet of the Lord Jesus and say to him, thou art mine and I am the 1330s

God. So when you listen to sermons, do you hear Pastor Maleneck and I saying faith every single 1339s

sermon? No. But as we proclaim the gospel, how does God use that word to create what? Faith. 1348s

You don't hear from us. Jesus Christ died on the cross. Now all you have to do is accept him. Why? 1362s

Because now we've got a muddled mess. You don't hear us say. All who want to accept Jesus Christ 1374s

as Lord and Savior, please come forward during the playing of the hymn. Why? Because the gospel and the 1384s

law gets mixed. And the hearer then says, well, Pastor, that's precisely my problem. I can't 1394s

accept and you're telling me to accept. I like how one author puts it. It's like telling a drowning person 1408s

swam, right? Or describing faith as if faith is something where you hear the language, just take the 1420s

leap of faith. Well, that's the problem. It's the problem. I can't take the leap of faith. You see, 1429s

that's not by the operation of God preaching faith into the person. That's putting them under the 1438s

bondage of the law and the gospel then and the law are mixed and you've got the muddy mess. 1448s

Now, does that mean that faith should never be mentioned? Certainly not. Where's the emphasis lie? 1462s

Who creates the faith? The Holy Spirit. So, as we witness then, as we witness, we share the law. 1472s

The little memory device on that is what is the law. The law shows us our sin. 1493s

Because if we don't understand our own sinfulness, then we don't understand the need for a savior. 1500s

And so, we proclaim the law. In every single sermon, you're going to hear law. You're going to hear 1507s

law. You're going to hear it in today's sermon with Pastor Maloneck. I mean, when she starts going 1518s

right at the law and pointing out our sinfulness. Every single good, Lutheran sermon, you're going to hear 1527s

the law. Because if there's no law, then there's no need for the savior. So, we proclaim the law. We 1537s

proclaim the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ that our sins 1544s

are forgiven through Him. That Christ has borne the wrath of God for the punishment of sin upon him, 1550s

self, that the world has been redeemed. So, we proclaim law. We proclaim the gospel. 1557s

And then, we proclaim vehicles. Vehicles whereby God comes with this glorious word. Well, 1566s

what are the vehicles that He comes by? It's the means of grace. What are the means of grace? 1578s

There's three, scripture, baptism, and holy communion. And so, after we have proclaimed the law, 1585s

after we have proclaimed the gospel, we then say that what the Lord Jesus Christ has done is He's 1596s

taken His word of forgiveness, His word of life, and He attaches it to vehicles. So, in the word, 1602s

scripture is, is studied, or when it is proclaimed, when the word is put with the tangible of the water 1611s

and baptism, when the word comes to us in holy communion, Jesus Christ, truly present, in the bread 1619s

and wine for the forgiveness of sin, God is coming through the vehicles that He has appointed to 1628s

deliver us His fantastic word of victory, that fantastic word that is for all of us, 1635s

that we are forgiven and redeemed through the cross of Jesus. Then the question, 1644s

does this make sense to you? This makes sense to you. Notice what's being avoided here. Notice, 1656s

at this point you don't say, so do you want to accept Jesus? Why? Because what just happened 1664s

in comes the law, in comes the law. You say, does this make sense to you? This might not make sense 1673s

to someone. They say, you know, it's kind of with you there when you're talking about the law, 1681s

but can you talk about that further? Or why in the world, but God do that, the gospel, 1685s

and you loop back and you talk a little bit more about the gospel, or you say, I lost you when 1692s

you got here, and you loop back to here on the vehicles. So you simply ask, does it make sense to you? 1699s

And then you say, would you like to be baptized? Would you like to be baptized? 1709s

Because who does that root everything in? God's action. God's action. There is a Lutheran way, 1718s

and a very scriptural way, may I add, in terms of witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ using the 1729s

various components, not mixing law and gospel, not making it that faith is something that they 1739s

have to will or do. You see, when you ask the question, you want to be baptized, and the person 1748s

says, yes, what's there? Faith, right? Faith. And how did it get there? The Holy Spirit using 1758s

law and gospel to transform the heart of the person. You should one ever discuss 1773s

the new life of sanctification, being set apart, growing to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 1785s

At this point in presenting the evangelism message, we all need to hear that message, 1795s

absolutely. It's in the scriptures most certainly, but it's not the foundation of the faith. 1804s

This is the foundation of faith. Justification is the foundation of the faith. There'll be a time to 1813s

talk about what the Holy Spirit does then in each of our lives to make us more and more like Jesus 1821s

Christ. For now, the message is focused on justification. What about the place of prayer in 1827s

evangelism? Place a prayer. Prayer is not a means of grace. Prayer is not a means of grace. It's not 1840s

a vehicle whereby God is giving to us the victory of the cross and the empty tomb. Prayer is a fruit 1848s

of faith. It's not a means to attain the faith. So it certainly can be appropriate to pray before 1859s

the visit, after the visit, during the visit. Certainly appropriate to pray if a person's going 1871s

through a difficult time. Appropriate, of course, to pray if the person desires to become baptized, 1878s

a prayer of thanksgiving or if they're struggling with regard to if the gospel can be true that the 1886s

Lord will remove any burdens. Is it appropriate for us to pray that doors will be open for the gospel? 1897s

Absolutely. That's Colossians 4. The ability to clearly present the gospel as Colossians chapter 4 1906s

also. Second Thessalonians 3 for the rapid spread of the gospel. Acts 4 for boldness and proclaiming 1913s

the gospel. For Romans 10 for the conversion of people to whom we bring the gospel. In Luke 10 that 1921s

there will be more workers to be sent into the Lord's harvest. Absolutely. But his prayer means of 1930s

grace whereby God delivers to us his word of forgiveness and victory. No prayer is a fruit of faith. 1938s

How about apologetics? Apologetics is a defense of the faith. That's really what all of the 1954s

Academy of focuses on. Is how is it that we can defend the faith? Is that helpful? Absolutely. 1963s

But our call is not to argue someone into the kingdom. You ever tried that? 1978s

We tried to argue somebody into the kingdom? No. Our call is to proclaim. Proclaim the word of God. 1988s

To proclaim the very means whereby God brings people into faith. Is there a time later on in which 1998s

you can do some apologetic work in terms of defending the reliability of Scripture? Absolutely. 2008s

Is there going to be time later on that you can do apologetic work in terms of saying, 2014s

let's have a study about the law and the gospel here. Absolutely. 2019s

Is there time in a place for apologetics? You bet. But here, sanctification builds on justification, 2026s

focus on justification. Apologetics, that comes later. That comes later. The defense of the faith. 2037s

Simply proclaim the word and unleash the word. One theologian said, how do you defend the 2048s

Scriptures in the end and the response was like a lion you just let it out. Let's let it go. 2059s

And the Scripture will change hearts. One is not converted by an intellectual argument of why 2066s

the Scriptures are inherent and infallible. Can you make that argument? Absolutely. In fact, 2076s

it's one of the Academy classes. Why is it that Scripture has authority? 2082s

So we work apologetically on it, but what converts the heart? It's the proclamation of the gospel. 2089s

That law, that gospel, sharing of the vehicles, does this make sense? Would you like to be back guys? 2097s

That then, rightly distinguishes law and gospel and it keeps the gospel, the gospel. 2108s

May we glory in our witness. May we glory in the incredible word that God has given us to share. 2119s

May we glory that God has called us to share it. For we are His plan, that we are to be the mouths 2128s

that proclaim the glorious gospel. And may we glory in the word and in that calling. 2142s

Well, we're going to continue on next week. We're going to talk about glory in our rule with Christ. 2150s

Glory in our rule with Christ. 2158s