Trinity 9

1  Christ Alone Delivers Us

There’s a very popular preacher who teaches seven steps

to having your best life, now.

One reason he’s popular is because of his basic message:

that you can improve and overcome the evil in your life.

It’s a positive, optimistic message,

but it does not agree with the Bible.

In holy scripture, we learn a lot about God’s people.

We learn that they depend entirely upon God

to deliver them from evil:

even the evil within themselves.

In today’s epistle lesson,

St. Paul considers the example of the Israelites.

Nobody would suppose that these were not truly God’s people,

but their track record against temptation is awful.

At the very same time that God gave Moses the Law,

the Israelites were celebrating before a golden calf.

In Numbers 25, they bowed down to Moabite gods,

having committed harlotry with the women of Moab.

In Numbers 21, they spoke against God and Moses,

so the LORD chastised them with fiery serpents,

and many died.

In Numbers 16, after the rebellion of the man Korah,

the whole congregation complained about God’s judgment,

and 14,700 died in the plague that followed.

You would think that they would be better than average,

but instead, their example is dismal.

Yet they were God’s favored people,

with blessings and privileges above all the Gentiles.

Contrary to what many would like to think,

not even God’s people, not even Christians

can improve and overcome the evil in our lives.

As you hear the text again,

you will hear a lot that the apostle asks from us.

But though we try — and we should try —

we do no better than the Israelites.

But our text also tells us

the real answer to the temptations of evil.

It lies in Jesus Christ, through repentance and faith.

Christ alone delivers us,

because even God’s people fall in weakness, and because the blood of Jesus is our whole strength.

2  1 Corinthians 10:6–13

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

2.1  Because even God’s people fall in weakness

One of the controversial doctrines of the Bible

is the doctrine we call original sin.

By that we don’t mean the first sin,

but rather the origin of all the evil of mankind.

Sin originates from the sinful heart,

which is passed on from sinful parents to their children.

Original sin is therefore not just one act of rebellion,

but a continuing attraction and inclination to evil.

Justice demands that original sin be punished,

even if there were no other sins connected with it.

This is a controversial doctrine,

because nobody really wants to admit that he himself is evil.

It’s easy enough to see the evil in the society around us. It’s often easy to see the evil in some other people.

But many are blind to the worst faults

of their own household members.

We may notice the bad habits that annoy us personally,

but few want to admit that his or her spouse or child

is a drug addict, or has a violent and life-threatening nature, or is a molester of innocents,

even when it’s been proven.

If people refuse to admit that our loved ones are evil,

then we certainly don’t want to admit that we are.

So the message of the Bible is unpopular.

Instead, great crowds are attracted to the positive messages:

“You are basically a good person at heart.” “You can improve and overcome the evil in your life.”

Lutherans are accustomed to hearing about our sin.

At least, we should be, if we’re in church on Sunday.

But when we’ve heard it so much, the message doesn’t sink in. There’s still a hidden part of us that doesn’t really believe

that before God, we’re poor; that our spiritual lives on earth are miserable; that we are really sinners, through and through.

“Yes, I’ve heard all that before.

I’m a Lutheran, you see. We hear it all the time.”

But do you believe it about yourself?

Or do you think that you will do better than the Israelites?

The Israelites had heard all of this, too,

but so many of them didn’t make it through the desert.

Instead, the original sin we all share

rose up into idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God and complaining against Him.

Being a Lutheran gives no special status before God. But even those who had a special status

fell into sin.

Though Christians may think we are strong enough,

though we may think positively and optimistically, though we may even follow

the “seven steps for your best life now,”

we will nevertheless fail and fall into sin.

Our spiritual weakness will not get us through the desert.

You may wonder what good it does us to dwell on these things.

Our text provides the answer:

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Our spiritual situation is almost always far worse than you think,

when you are thinking about yourself.

Christ alone delivers us,

because even God’s people fall in weakness.

2.2  Because the blood of Jesus is our whole strength

Christ alone delivers us,

because the blood of Jesus is our whole strength.

That popular preacher doesn’t seem to say much about Jesus.

That’s not good for a Christian preacher.

But there may be something worse.

If I tell you that Jesus has helped you,

so that now you have your chance to keep God’s favor,

or if I say that the blood of Jesus

takes away your original sin, so that now you only need atonement for your current sins,

then I am leading you over a spiritual cliff,

from which you could fall all the way to hell.

These are things that some have actually taught —

and still teach.

It’s just as dangerous to rely partly upon yourself

as it is to rely completely upon yourself.

Paul wrote, Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

You may know about that little “Footprints” story:

a man had a dream that he walked beside Jesus on a beach.

He saw his life pass by as he walked, then looked back. During the hard times of his life,

there was only one set of footprints.

When he asked Jesus why,

He said, “It was then that I carried you.”

It’s a comforting little story.

But it can be a little bit misleading.

We might get the impression that the hard times in his life,

when it turned out that Jesus was carrying him,

were times when his faith was weak,

and the Lord had to do more to help him in his journey.

That’s not right.

No, the times when life was hard,

when he had to rely entirely upon the strength of Jesus,

that was when the man’s faith was strongest.

When things were going along well and smoothly,

that’s when his faith was weak — maybe even dead.

He didn’t think so, but that’s exactly what it means

where Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12: For when I am weak, then I am strong.

It seems excessively negative, doesn’t it?

To spend so much time on our weaknesses, our faults.

But it’s not excessive,

since we usually think about ourselves more than Christ,

“What must I do?” “When will I find the time?” “How will I have the strength?” “When will I be allowed to rest?”

It’s a part of our sinful nature to think that way,

and it shows that we still expect some good from ourselves.

I suppose we should agree that God’s Law is right.

But the good it requires is not in us, not a trace. God’s Law says: “Do this,” and with us it’s never done.

We won’t ever find enough time. We won’t ever have enough strength. We won’t ever have the rest.

But God’s Word also speaks the Gospel to us.

When we really despair of our own strength and merit,

only then is it time for the Gospel.

The Gospel is all about Jesus, and sets our eyes upon Him,

instead of upon us.

Through Jesus, our original sin is truly forgiven,

but so are the countless sins we commit every day.

Through Jesus, the burden of the Law is lifted from us,

and we are given instead the gift of righteousness before God.

Jesus shed His innocent and divine blood for us all,

and as a result,

we may now stand before God or in the face of evil.

God’s Law still accuses us, but we plead the blood of Christ. The devil accuses us, but we point to the blood of Christ. Weaknesses condemn us, but our defense is the blood of Christ.

To be sure, we still feel guilt,

because we are still sinners.

When we look to ourselves, the Law’s demands are never done,

and it destroys us, like the Israelites in the desert.

But when we look to Jesus Christ, the Law is already fulfilled,

and He even sustains us through every temptation.

Our text speaks about those temptations, and there are many.

If you’ve tried to resist temptations by force of will,

you may have noticed that it doesn’t work.

But God has provided a way out,

a way that is within our spiritual ability:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Here’s how we may bear our great temptations:

Do nothing,

at least do nothing from your own powers.

Instead, in prayerful repentance,

let Jesus do it all. Let Him pick you up and carry you through it all. Let His Word speak to you and through you,

and rely upon His forgiveness.

Our Savior is far more important than we usually think.

Especially when we think things are going well for us,

Christians are a lot like prisoners in Satan’s POW camp.

But the day is coming when we will be released from this world.

In many ways, it’s already happening.

You can’t rely upon your own strength to resist.

But your sins, and your sinfulness are forgiven.

Christ alone delivers us,

because His blood is our whole strength.

Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!