The Promise of Life

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Regeneration

Regeneration

Many unregenerate men consider themselves to be God’s children, or “sons of God.” But being a product of God’s handiwork does not qualify one for a sonship relationship.

A cabinetmaker constructs a cabinet. But this does not make the cabinet a “child” of the cabinetmaker. A birth process would be necessary for this. The unregenerate man who claims sonship with God “because he made me” is basing his claim merely on the fact that he is a product of God’s handiwork. Like the cabinet, he lacks the new birth necessary for a sonship relationship.

The Book of Concord The Third Article: On Being Made Holy

[5] The Third Article: On Being Made Holy56

I believe in the Holy Spirit, one holy Christian church, the community of the saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the flesh, and eternal life. Amen.

[6] What is this? Answer:

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my LORD or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith. Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins—mine and those of all believers. On the Last Day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. … through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

John 3:13–17 ESV

13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Today’s Gospel text has a combination of things that are familiar and alien. On the one hand, we puzzle over what does it mean to “ascend into heaven?” How does the next moment after THE MOMENT look and feel? On the other hand, is so familiar that even many of us who don’t have the foggiest idea what to do in a church setting know the words of like it is our life verse - and for some of you, maybe it is.

In a world where “love” means everything and not much of anything, what does it mean to say that “God so loved the world?” I want to know what love is in a world where people can be lonely in a crowded setting. We live in a time when you can sit at a table with someone and be totally oblivious to their presence while simultaneously having an intense conversation with someone whom you have never met.

Willa Banks, on this earth, was a baptized and confirmed Christian who worshipped with her Christian brothers and sisters here at St. John’s. She raised her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She regularly assembled with her fellow believers to confess her sin and hear the gracious forgiveness of the Lord with her own ears. She knew that Christ died for her, and taught her daughters to know that truth as well. Now, she receives the eternal life that was promised to her by Christ in today’s Gospel text. Today, Willa Banks rests without fear or torment. Today, Willa Banks is safe in His arms.

Isaiah 41:8–10 ESV

8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; 10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

These words, spoken prophetically to the nation of Israel by Isaiah, were fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Word of God, the expression of God, took flesh, became man, the second Adam, and the true Israel. What the nation was by declaration but failed to fulfill, the Word of God became and fulfilled. The Son of God became the Servant of the Lord who did not fear death, anymore than He feared the rejection of the powerful, the elite, or even those whom He loved, in order that He could accomplish the task to which He had been assigned by the Father. God revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures that this same Jesus whom “the builders rejected,” by His suffering and death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, had become the head of the corner, the chief cornerstone. God revealed it to us so that we could receive it by faith, not only the fact of the act, but the reality of the promise.

In this world Willa Banks trusted in that promise, and now she rests in it. This also is revealed to us in God’s Holy Word.

1 Peter 3:18–22 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Willa’s sins were atoned for by Christ’s death, as were yours, for God declared in His word in ,

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

That Christ’s act of atonement takes precedence over our decision to receive it or rejected is clear, for as it is written in Romans 5:10,

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:10 ESV

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Neither God the Father nor God the Son asked your permission or sought your approval before He reconciled you to Himself. This is what Lutherans mean by the words, “Objective Atonement.” the act of atonement by God took place with you as its object, in the fullness of time, and was presented to you by the preaching of the Gospel.

Some people wish to say that this is not true, that it is not possible. Some of you here today might be in that group, which is much to be pitied. What is even worse, is the fact that the eternal life that Christ purchased for you by His death, that you could receive in Holy Baptism and know by faith, can also be lost by you, with no one but yourself to blame. God has not left you ignorant of His exceeding great and precious promise. You knew that Willa trusted in it, she told you of it, and she lived in the light of it before you. She wasn’t perfect in all of her ways, but she knew that she was forgiven, and she lived as a forgiven child of God. In so doing, she did nothing that you cannot do, for the same God who was rich in mercy to Willa is rich in mercy towards you.

If you were united to Christ by baptism into His death, but over time turned away form His gracious promise that was made to you on the day of your baptism, today, know that, if you will receive it, you are forgiven so that you can go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, thanks be to God.

If you do not know the peace that God gives to His children in Word and Sacrament, if God’s Word of promise was never joined to you in Holy Baptism, you have been shown mercy by God so that today, having heard this Word, you could also receive its promise. The waters of baptism are as powerful for you today as they were for Willa, and I am as ready to join you to God’s promise as did my predecessor who did it for Willa so long ago. But know this - if you turn away today, I cannot promise you that there will be grace available to you tomorrow, for while eternal life is promised to all who believe, tomorrow is not promised to anyone, for, as it is written,

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:27–28 ESV

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

There is no escape from the certainty of the pangs of death, except through the Cross of Jesus Christ. When you are united to Christ by His baptism, God gives to you what Christ gained for you:

Acts 2:24 ESV

24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Don’t spend another moment in the grip of condemnation, another moment living in fear, dwelling with doubt, trapped by the sin of unbelief into a future of separation from God for eternity, when God’s hand is open to you today. As Joshua said the Israel, I set before you today, life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, that you may live. Choose the promise of the Gospel, that you may, through baptism, be united to Christ’s death that God may raise you up to newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Repent of your unbelief, and embrace God’s gracious promise, as Willa has, and let the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.