Proper 14 (2022)

Proper 14, 2022

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Cornwall

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:1

The Signs of Salvation

How is it that we know that God is at work within us? How is it that we know that God has elected us? How is it that we know that God loves us? How is it that we know we’re saved?

In a world where we’re always trying diagnose everything, understand everything and so on, it’s necessary that we dwell constantly on the fact that the promise and assurance that God loves us, chose us, and has saved us rests sufficiently upon His own Word. That if we don’t believe THAT in and of itself, without any visible sign to look for, then we’ll never believe any signs. As Jesus says in the telling of the parable of the rich man and lazarus, I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead

But to stop there, really is to sell ourselves short of God’s promises and gifts to us. He hasn't JUST given us His Word – but that Word has had effect in our hearts, in our lives, and in our world. Because God inst content to simply stop at His Word, but His Word does things. He wasn’t content to stop at the assurance of His Word, but to give us signs and seals, as our Lutheran confessions call them, of His love for us, His election of us, and His work in us.

AP 3:33 (Justification) on good works as signs and seals of our salvation

just as Christ connects the promise of the forgiveness of sins to other sacraments, so he also connects it to good works. And just as in the Lord’s Supper we do not obtain the forgiveness of sins ex opere operato(by the work being worked) apart from faith, the same is true in this work. Indeed, our forgiving is not a good work, except when it is done by those already reconciled. Accordingly, our forgiving, which indeed pleases God, follows divine forgiveness. However, Christ normally connects law and gospel in this way so that he might convey both the teaching of faith and that of good works; so that he might warn that it is a hypocritical and fake repentance unless good fruits follow; so that we might also have many external signs of the gospel and the forgiveness of sins, which remind and console us; and that we might be able to exercise faith in a variety of ways

and so, these are not so much thins legally required of us by God, but gifts He gives to us in abundance, part of our salvation, signs of our salvation, seals of our salvation. Together here our confessor, Philip Melancthon shows that Christ has tied together both Law and Gospel together, showing that from faith comes good works, indeed from the Word comes both faith and love (works) and HOPE as Paul has said to us this day. From which we have assurance and certainty of our salvation – external signs of the gospel and forgiveness of sins (both for us and for those looking at us from outside) which remind us and console us when we look to the effect He has had on and in our lives, yes indeed we can look here and find signs of His grace in us.

God uses a multiplicity of gifts, of signs, and of seals of this Gospel and this justification that He has worked in us by His Word and Work alone. Thus we confess that this is not the only way that assurance comes, but so that “we might be able to exercise faith in a variety of ways.”

AP 3: 67: good works are to be done because God requires them. Therefore they are the results of regeneration, just as Paul teaches in Ephesians 2[:10*]. “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”152Thus good works ought to follow faith as thanksgiving toward God. Likewise, good works ought to follow faith so that faith is exercised in them, grows, and is shown to others, in order that others may be invited to godliness by our confession. Thus Paul says [Rom. 4:11*] that Abraham received circumcision, not because he was regarded as righteous on the basis of this work, but in order to have a sign written on his body, by which he might be reminded and constantly be brought to a greater faith

Signs for our own assurance, and signs of God’s work in us to the world around us.

SO it is in 1 Thess 1;

The structure of Paul’s argument is this; we KNOW that you are loved by God and that He has chosen (that is, elected you unto salvation) in that / because... He is at work in you. Because this Word by which He works in you, has not come in simple words, nor did the Sacraments come as mere elements, but they came in power, and they came whit great effect, (with great conviction, the NIV says, or whit great assurance, as the NKJV says). That is this Gospel came to them (in Word and Sacrament) it didn’t just come upon them and leave them as they were, but it came and moved, it came and created, and performed, and effected the things that it worked upon. And so, the Gospel that was preached to them came not only in Word but in great power and had great effect, planting and creating a faith within the minds of its hearers,

Let me put it this way, who are the elect? Those who believe, most certainly.

FC 11

became imitators (attempted to put the Law of Gospel and example of Christ and the apostles into practice)

not only believed the Gospel but welcomed it in during a time of persecution and received it with great Joy produced within you by the Holy Spirit

^ Joy itself (A fruit of the Spirit)

(became model to all beleivers – not only followers and immitators, but leaders, models, examples of Christian living and ministry)

They preached this gospel – in Thessalonica, in Macadeonia, in Achaia, everywhere

Certain churches like to emphasize the fruits of the Spirit, and “introspection” and “self-examination.” Are we believers? Are we “in the faith?” And, in some ways, whit good reason. Paul does command us to examine ourselves “where ye be in the faith.” But how is that done? By only looking to see if we’ve become less sinful and more virtuous? Sure, IN PART, but not in whole. Over the last few months, as we’ve been going through Paul’s letters both in Vespers and in the Lectionary for the divine service in the morning, Paul, and I, have been speaking to you about something that the Early Christian Church emphasized as a unified whole. 3 things, always together, always working in union, never separated, - and those things are faith, hope, and love. Here we see that again. Paul says, your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so as we look at the “the fruits” of the Spirit, or the “signs of salvation” we begin at the Word, but we don't stop there. We continue on to the works produced in us by God and His grace. But we don't stop there. We continue on to see the joy we’ve been given, we look to the faith produced in us, the liturgy we practice, the sacrametns given, the Word preached, to us and by us. All of these things come together to form the Faith, the hope, and the love that seal us to the end, bound together. Never separate, always together, the work of God; that you believe (Jn 6:29), His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Eph 2:10), those who hope in Him k

Col 1:5-6 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it