Eighth Sunday after Trinity - August 2, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Eighth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (August 2, 2009)

“The Spirit of God”

Readings:
Psalm 26
Jeremiah 26:16-29
Romans 8:12-17
Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon Form Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Epistle Lesson from the 8th chapter of Romans, especially the following verse:

Romans 8:12-17 (NIV)

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

In most times and places we do not talk about it, yet it is indeed an elephant in the backrooms and lofty spaces of our minds. Although here in our text, St. Paul, faces the issue head-on, he sums it up, and not so many words points out the obvious, “If you live, you will die.” Nobody wants to talk about death, nor for that matter sickness, nor disease. Just watch the faces of people who are forced into that type of discussion. Either their eyes begin to glaze over, or they’re waiting for their turn to offer how they can top your sickness or brush with death. But for some reason we like those same topics if they’re on T.V., in the movies, or in a book. In fact, I think we like to see a bad guy get his due. And we love to see a hero cross the impossible bridge to overcome unbeatable odds to defeat an overwhelmingly armed opponent. Then the villain is rightly sent off into oblivion. But as we all know, real life isn’t always so glamorous. In our world, our spirit seems to be broken by all the things which we face. And as we journey through life gaining wisdom and experience, our bodies seem to be increasing in weakness, aches, and pains. In fact that is what is meant by that old saying isn’t it, the mind is willing but the spirit is weak? But this in not the Spirit of which St. Paul speaks, for He speaks of,

“THE SPIRIT OF GOD”
(I – In the spirit of the world we die)

Yet with all the blessings God offers freely to us, we let our hearts and minds to be dimmed and dulled by the spirit of the world that we live in. St. Paul states, “we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; “ Well that sets up a pretty dismal scenario because we know that we all die. So it also follows that we must also admit that we all sin. The Holy Spirit through the hand of St. Paul has reminded us again and again that where sin reigns, there will be death. Yet it seems that that realization does not come to the forefront of our minds until we have either grown older or we have faced serious challenges in our lives.

So long ago, when we were young and in confirmation classes it was easy to remember that the S.O.S. of the Law of God, means that the Law shows our sins. But just like King David’s word in our Psalm today we cry out, “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; 3 for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.”(Ps. 26:1-3) We cry out for mercy based upon the fact that while we may not have lived by the whole Law of God, we certainly have lived by the spirit of the Law. We cry out, why me what have I done to deserve all this? And that would be the thought process of us all who are and have become modern day Pharisees, meaning we have become those who would find the loopholes to all that is given us in scripture. To live by the spirit of the Law. To drive 80 miles per hour because we’re just going with the flow of traffic. To break each of the commandments not by actuality, but by really just a series of technicalities. There is a difference isn’t there? Have I really murdered? Have I really stolen? Have I really committed adultery? Have I really coveted my neighbors wife, manservant, or maidservant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to my neighbor? Come on I’ve lived and breathed my whole life by the spirit of the Law, isn’t that good enough? Well I suppose one way to find the answer that question would be to just wait and see. If you and I have lived by the spirit of the world, and the spirit of the Law, and if that is good enough, then the proof of our own innocence will be that we will live forever. But, no matter how spirited we think we are, or how wonderfully we think we live, you and I both know the answer to that question. And all the aches and pains, the twinges and the challenges we face everyday remind us that living in the spirit of this world can only lead us to a bitter end.

(II – In the Spirit of God we live)

We are called to repent. And to repent means to turn around 180 degrees and that would mean not looking inward toward the spirit of what we have done, but rather acknowledge the reality of all that Christ has done for us. For where Jesus Christ is Lord, sin is overcome and the Law no longer controls and condemns us. There is a new “law,” a new and compelling order of things which sets men free from the old dark orders of sin, pain, turmoil, and death. Christ’s order is the order of life. And the life which Jesus gives us we hear by the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of life. This new order of the Spirit of life was given to us by the Father when He sent His Son Jesus Christ. The old order of the Law could not be overcome by our will, because our will and free choice from birth leads us to be in opposition to God. Martin Luther said, “Christians, are not led by free choice but by the Spirit of God, [according to Romans 8:14;] and to be led is not to lead, but to be carried along, as a saw or an ax is wielded by a carpenter.” (AELW 33:160) And that carpenter of whom Luther spoke, and of whom the Holy Spirit still speaks to you is Jesus Christ. For Jesus carries you along and through all of life’s trials, tribulations, operations, medications, accidents, and incidents, all the pain, suffering and sorrows that this world could ever dish out.

For God not only overcame all the misdeeds of our lives He overcame the resulting death of all our sins too. God, in sending His Son Jesus Christ into the flesh, identified with us, and gave us a man who would feel our pain. And Jesus would not only feel the pain of life in this world, He felt all the pain, all the sin, all the suffering of every person in the world, and that even includes you who are here today. Jesus Christ came into this world and went to the cross knowing that He would die, knowing that He would not only endure all that pain for you. He knew that He would conquer the spirit of this world, for you.

In Christ’s death, He conquered your death. In His agony and loss of life, He suffered just as you do. Yet the spirit of death could not hold Him. All of mankind, including you and me, could not overcome, nor hide from our sin, so we are faced each day with its effects. God said, “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?”(Jer. 23:23) The answer is no, we cannot run, and we cannot hide. But the Spirit seeks you out and you receive that Spirit in the hearing of God’s Word. You receive the Spirit in Holy Baptism, and God tells you, “you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.”(Rom 8:15) God knows that you live by His Spirit, He knows all that you are facing. He knows all that you are going through, for in Christ He has lived it. In Christ He has also died so that in your death you will not die, but you will live with Him and “share in His glory.”(Rom 8:17) The reality is that spirit of this world would leave us to die a forlorn and bitter death. But the reality of the Spirit of God leads us not to death, but to Jesus Christ who won for you an everlasting life.

Amen.

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