Where is Your Identity?

Many trees appear to be healthy when we see them in summer. But, in the winter, after their leaves have all fallen off, we sometimes find that hidden underneath the lush green of the summer foliage was a parasitic plant called mistletoe, which had been slowly sucking away some of the tree’s vitality.

We as Christians sometimes have hidden sins—which like the mistletoe—slowly suck away our spiritual vitality. Although not always evident in times of outward spiritual health and fruitfulness, we must always examine ourselves for those small, often unseen, parasites of sinful habits that will sap our vitality. And we must also remember that just because they are not apparent now does not mean that in another season of our life God will not reveal them for all to see.

My place in this World

The Christian theologian therefore performs his holy office, first of all, in order that sinners may believe in Christ and obtain salvation through Him. But sacred theology effects not only conversion, but also sanctification and good works. This objective the Christian theologian must constantly bear in mind, urging with holy zeal those entrusted to his care to be zealous of good works. : “These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” However, good works are not the means by which eternal salvation is obtained, but rather the effects and fruits of faith. Good works, in the Scriptural sense of the term, are such works as are done by those who already have obtained salvation through faith in Christ. : “A man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law”; 6:22: “But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness.”

Mueller, J. T. (1999). Christian dogmatics (electronic ed., pp. 65–66). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

How are you living?

Life in Adam

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In Adam, God is distant. You only know God as He engages you for either instruction or punishment. He may be the God of creation (), but He only shows up to tell you what to do, or to punish you when you do wrong ().

Life in Moses

Romans 2:17–29 ESV

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Under Moses, God comes closer, and gives you His Law, but He is still Alien. You only know Him through His Acts (),

Psalm 103:7 ESV

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

and you respond with praise (),

Psalm 150:2 ESV

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

but you know only His will, not His heart.

Life in Christ

Romans 6:12–23 ESV

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When Paul writes this portion of Romans, he has already led you through the previous ways of identification before God. He has shown you how those other ways don’t lead to peace with God, but instead leave you mired in anxiety and anger, because God may be your Maker, and He might be your Lord, but He doesn’t feel like He is your Savior. You might fear Him, you might even reverence Him, but you cannot love Him, because you don’t know Him.

In Christ, God does for you what He didn’t do before - God does a new thing ()

Isaiah 43:19 ESV

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Through Christ’s life, His preaching of the Gospel, His death on the cross, and then His resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, we finally, truly, taste and see that the Lord is good - not just morally excellent, but beneficent.

beneficent /bɪˈnɛfɪs(ə)nt/ ■ adjective doing good or resulting in good. —DERIVATIVES beneficence noun beneficently adverb —ORIGIN 17th century: from Latin beneficent-, from bene facere ‘do good (to)’.

COED

In today’s Epistle reading, Paul doesn’t argue or persuade from fear, but from identity. You are now identified with the Crucified Christ, with the Risen Christ. Christ died to sin and for sin. Sin can no longer be your master. Christ rose from the dead; you are no longer under Law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14 ESV

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

The Law caused you to view God as a tyrant, One Who viewed you as an object of His wrath. In response, and in keeping with your fallen, Adamic nature, you rebelled. In return, God chastened.

The Gospel shows you a side of God, one that was always there, but hidden, behind the fire, behind the cloud, behind the stone tablets, behind the veil. God said that He is merciful, but you didn’t believe it. Now, through the Gospel of Christ, God shows it. In response, we surrender.

Romans 6:19 ESV

I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Under the Law, we were captives of sin -

Galatians 3:23–24 ESV

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

Through the Gospel, we have been made sons of God -

Galatians 3:25–27 ESV

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

No longer a rebel, no longer a slave to the Kingdom of Darkness. We have good news for those who do not know, for those who think that God does not care. The love of Christ controls us, too, like it did Paul.

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Just as we have been made new, others can, too. The Good News isn’t just for a few.

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Living and sharing Christ’s Good News isn’t a burden; it’s a blessing! Not because I say so, but because “you’ve tried Him and you know Him - you’ve found Him to be a friend!” When you know the goodness of Christ, it makes no sense to bury it, so that you won’t lose it. Rather, you know that He has promised to be with us as we go into this world working with Him as He works in us.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Christ has already won, and we are the proof of it. The devil cannot defeat Him, nor will he defeat us.

Everywhere we go -

People ought to know -

Whose we are -

So we tell them.

We tell them in our neighborhoods, as we engage in our vocations. We tell them by our actions, as we walk in love, with them and with one another. We tell them in this worship, as God offers us His gifts and we, in thanksgiving, receive them.

We tell them whose we are, so that they can know that they can be too. We tell them His good news, so that they can experience it too. We tell them of His great love for all, so that they can be a part of it. We welcome them to join us, because the marriage feast of the Lamb is near, and there is still room.

In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, may His peace be with you, Amen.

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