Politicians: Do not take the name of the Lord our God in vain! Do not bear false witness in His name!

Sunrise at the altar of Old Sheldon Church, Beaufort, SC
May the Son of Righteousness shine upon the candidates
as well as all people.

My child, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.

Proverbs 1:10 NRSV

I spent last evening watching the GOP candidates debating. There was indeed some debating going on. But, there were also a lot of attempts to entice candidates to act and speak rashly against one another. Questions were posed in attempts to get the candidates to speak negatively about one another and to fight amongst themselves rather than actually letting the voters know exactly where they stood on various issues. A few of the candidates managed to not get pulled into the breaking of the commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." They managed to deflect the enticement to sin even while speaking truthfully from their hearts and minds. It seems at least some of them are wise enough to know that they don't need to give fuel to anyone from an opposing party for later debates.

Now, many of the candidates sound as though they are attempting to appeal to a Christian base. However, I did not recognize the Christianity in some of what was said last night. Just because someone says they are a Christian doesn't make it so. I've seen more than one local politician decide it's time to start showing up for worship just prior to elections. Please, don't use the name of Jesus to get elected. Do not consent to sin by taking the Lord's name in vain.

Thanks be to God for those candidates who have managed to not get pulled into breaking the second or eighth commandments and who are not confusing their own (the world's) brand of morality with Christianity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Confession

V. Confession

How Christians should be taught to confess.

What is Confession?*

Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess those sins alone which we know and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Here consider your station according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, a man-servant or maid-servant; whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any one by words or deeds; whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done other injury.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

No, the confessional has not been done away with in the Lutheran church. Yes, we confess our sins corporately and receive absolution every Sunday morning at Zion. Yes, I am available to hear private confessions whenever you feel a need. I assume that all Christians are aware that they are able to confess their sins directly to God. However, I am aware that many Lutherans are not aware that private confession with their pastors is also available. I do not hear many private confessions. Mostly, the ones I do hear are younger people. Some of us are so troubled by our consciences that we need to be able to put voice to our sins and hear with our ears and believe these words: "You are forgiven. God forgives you all your sins."

 

There is no need to be burdened by the sins that trouble your conscience in such a way that it disrupts your ability to serve God or neighbor. Confess your sins so that you might be reassured that you have been forgiven and reconciled to God our Father, through Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Punished For The Sins of Your Father?

What Does God Say of All These Commandments?

Answer.

He says thus (Exod. 20:5f): I the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

What does this mean?--Answer.
God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and gladly do [zealously and diligently order our whole life] according to His commandments.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

What God says about these commandments usually brings a few questions from youth during confirmation class. They are sometimes just a bit concerned about whether God will punish them for their parents sins.

I try to reassure them that if a parents rejects God; but, the children love God, God will not punish them for their parents unbelief. Read what Ezekiel 18:14-20 has to say regarding this matter of children being punished for their parents' sins:
“But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
 He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

And, in Deuteronomy 24:16 we find:  ^"Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin."

So what does it mean for iniquity of the fathers to be visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation? Children will often follow in the ways that they have learned from their parents; but, not always. Although, we are born with sinful natures; we also learn sinful behaviors. Sometimes, sinful behaviors are learned from and even encouraged by our parents. However, there are those who will find their parents' ways so detestable that they will go in the way in which the Lord leads them.

As parents, we are to teach, with both the words of our lips and our lifestyles, the way in which our children ought to go; the way that is most pleasing to the Lord. We must use caution that our lifestyles do not lead our children in a way that they will experience most unpleasant consequences in this world and the next. As children, we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and not necessarily in the way that our parents and the world would teach us.

May God help us to love and trust in Him, and gladly live according to His will.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love: The Two Tables of the Law

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Luke 10:27 NIV)

Jesus taught that the law can be summed up with this one word: love. We all fall short of keeping the law. Sometimes, it seems that the harder we try to keep the law, the harder it is to come near the goal. Instead of focusing on what we have to do or what we cannot do, might I suggest that we focus on loving, even as God loves us.

For the past three days we have dealt with what we teach as the first table of the law; that is, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. For the young person who is attempting to learn and even memorize the ten commandments, it is helpful to understand that these three commandments come first because God always comes first.

When the love of God is first in our lives, the rest of the commandments, the second table of the law, which is the love of neighbor, follows naturally behind even as a caboose will follow the train. The caboose can go nowhere without the engine. It follows wherever the engine will take it. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus who loves us so much he was willing to die for us.

When we put God before ourselves; when we follow Him, even the second table of the law will more naturally fall into place. That is not because it is natural for us to love; but, because it is the nature of God to love and we are connected to Him. As He abides in us and we in Him, His love abides in us and through us reaching out to a world in need.

According to St. Paul: "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10)

If your aim is to live according to the law, focus not so much on the shall not's. Rather, keep your heart and mind focused on what you have been given permission to do. That is to love: love the Lord your God and your neighbor. Focus on living more fully in the love of God for it is through love that the law is fulfilled.

God's Peace - Pr. J