Jun 7, 2009
New sermons have been added and a new feature article has been posted.
Mar 12, 2009
The winter services have been uploaded and can be found in the sermons section.
New sermons have been added and a new feature article has been posted.
Mar 12, 2009
The winter services have been uploaded and can be found in the sermons section.
The Strait Gate
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
In our Bible text, Jesus is speaking about two gates and two roads. The gates and roads are totally different. In eternity, there will be only two alternatives for us human beings: Heaven or hell, the everlasting joy with God and the angels or the everlasting separation from the living God; a life with the Devil.
I think that we all want to reach eternal life with God. It means that we must follow the narrow road and go through the strait gate. None of us want to be eternally separated from our Heavenly Father.
But what is the strait gate? Is it my repentance? Is it the confession I make of my sins, which is not very comfortable for my flesh? Is it the question of doing good deeds for salvation? Is it the question of my spiritual fruits? And what about my sanctification? What about my spiritual feelings, experiences, gifts of grace, and so on? It is none of these. We cannot put in front of God something that comes from ourselves, even very good things like I mentioned -- things that show our own spiritual experiences. We must see our justification, and then we can see what the strait gate is.
The Augsburg Confession teaches us clearly about this. It tells us that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin or righteousness before God by our own merits, works, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sins and become righteous before God by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith when we believe that Christ suffered for us, and that for his sake our sin is forgiven, and righteousness and eternal life are given to us. It tells us that God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness, as Paul says in Romans 3:21-26 and 4:5. (From Article IV)
My own repentance and my own faith are not the basis for justification. Our justification is based through faith in Jesus Christ, but we are not justified on the basis of our own repentance. All is a gift from God.
With regard to confessing our sins, is this a special, basic element for our justification? It cannot be that because we know, from a psychological point of view, that we cannot make our conscience totally clean by confessing and confessing. This way is the road of unhappiness. Of course, confession belongs to a Christian way of life. The Augsburg Confession also teaches that private absolution should be retained and not allowed to fall into disuse; however, in confession, it is not necessary to enumerate all trespasses and sins, for this is impossible. (Article XI) Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. (Psalm 19:12)
I want to quote from the lay preacher, Juuso Runtti's teaching at the beginning of the 20th century: "The cleansing of the conscience and confession of sins are not the same thing. I know of people who have very exactingly made confession, but all the same, have not been cleansed from sin, nor have they possessed the peace of God. If we are dependent on confession in a spirit of the Law, then confession becomes a second savior."
Now we see that, at the strait gate, it is only there that we, as total sinners, can believe ourselves justified and saved by Jesus' merit; that we are clean and washed in Jesus, and that we believe it for our righteousness. That takes all our own purposes, merits, and deeds away. Our only righteousness is Jesus Christ. And that is enough for our salvation. To believe it as a total sinner is the strait gate. N. L. Von Zinzendorf, the great preacher of Herrhutism, had the custom of preaching to unbelievers thus: "Come, such as you are." It means that you can come to Jesus as you are, a total sinner, and without your own merits. Only Jesus counts.
We come back to the gates and roads in our text: two ways, two gates. Today God shows to you these possibilities. He exhorts you, by his servant and by his Word, to believe Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) In the company of Jesus, you will inherit eternal life. In the kingdom of God, there are all the treasures of faith. Jesus is living in his congregation. His blood cleanses us from all sin. We can hear his voice. That's why you should believe that all your sins are forgiven in his name. Through the strait gate, along the narrow way, you are going to eternal life.
Jouko Talonen
Finland
From the Christian Monthly.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
In our Bible text, Jesus is speaking about two gates and two roads. The gates and roads are totally different. In eternity, there will be only two alternatives for us human beings: Heaven or hell, the everlasting joy with God and the angels or the everlasting separation from the living God; a life with the Devil.
I think that we all want to reach eternal life with God. It means that we must follow the narrow road and go through the strait gate. None of us want to be eternally separated from our Heavenly Father.
But what is the strait gate? Is it my repentance? Is it the confession I make of my sins, which is not very comfortable for my flesh? Is it the question of doing good deeds for salvation? Is it the question of my spiritual fruits? And what about my sanctification? What about my spiritual feelings, experiences, gifts of grace, and so on? It is none of these. We cannot put in front of God something that comes from ourselves, even very good things like I mentioned -- things that show our own spiritual experiences. We must see our justification, and then we can see what the strait gate is.
The Augsburg Confession teaches us clearly about this. It tells us that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin or righteousness before God by our own merits, works, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sins and become righteous before God by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith when we believe that Christ suffered for us, and that for his sake our sin is forgiven, and righteousness and eternal life are given to us. It tells us that God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness, as Paul says in Romans 3:21-26 and 4:5. (From Article IV)
My own repentance and my own faith are not the basis for justification. Our justification is based through faith in Jesus Christ, but we are not justified on the basis of our own repentance. All is a gift from God.
With regard to confessing our sins, is this a special, basic element for our justification? It cannot be that because we know, from a psychological point of view, that we cannot make our conscience totally clean by confessing and confessing. This way is the road of unhappiness. Of course, confession belongs to a Christian way of life. The Augsburg Confession also teaches that private absolution should be retained and not allowed to fall into disuse; however, in confession, it is not necessary to enumerate all trespasses and sins, for this is impossible. (Article XI) Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. (Psalm 19:12)
I want to quote from the lay preacher, Juuso Runtti's teaching at the beginning of the 20th century: "The cleansing of the conscience and confession of sins are not the same thing. I know of people who have very exactingly made confession, but all the same, have not been cleansed from sin, nor have they possessed the peace of God. If we are dependent on confession in a spirit of the Law, then confession becomes a second savior."
Now we see that, at the strait gate, it is only there that we, as total sinners, can believe ourselves justified and saved by Jesus' merit; that we are clean and washed in Jesus, and that we believe it for our righteousness. That takes all our own purposes, merits, and deeds away. Our only righteousness is Jesus Christ. And that is enough for our salvation. To believe it as a total sinner is the strait gate. N. L. Von Zinzendorf, the great preacher of Herrhutism, had the custom of preaching to unbelievers thus: "Come, such as you are." It means that you can come to Jesus as you are, a total sinner, and without your own merits. Only Jesus counts.
We come back to the gates and roads in our text: two ways, two gates. Today God shows to you these possibilities. He exhorts you, by his servant and by his Word, to believe Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) In the company of Jesus, you will inherit eternal life. In the kingdom of God, there are all the treasures of faith. Jesus is living in his congregation. His blood cleanses us from all sin. We can hear his voice. That's why you should believe that all your sins are forgiven in his name. Through the strait gate, along the narrow way, you are going to eternal life.
Jouko Talonen
Finland
From the Christian Monthly.
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