Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray you and yours are well.
Martin Luther famously said, “A Christian is perfectly free, Lord of all and subject to none; at the same time, a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”
What will you do with your freedom in Christ? Some will use this freedom as a license to sin, making a mockery of grace. This is not God’s will for us. We should not grieve the Holy Spirit, who desires to lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Others will not feel comfortable with the freedom of being a Christian and still cling to good works as their source of justification.
One thing is certain: God does not need our good works, but our neighbor does. This is why Jesus teaches us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).
We have been set free from the requirements of the law. The law was fulfilled for us by Jesus when He died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead as proof of His victory over sin, death, and the devil. In Baptism, in Absolution, in Communion, we receive the righteousness of God. We are covered by Him and we are claimed as His.
When we do good works, we are actually doing God’s works. He prepared them in advance, He provided everything necessary, He planted the idea to do them in our hearts, and He produces the results. We are blessed to see His work in our world, and what a blessing it is.
Enjoy the freedom that is yours in Christ; encourage others to receive it also.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Jim