July 9, 2024
Dear Friends,
Just a reminder that I’ll be out of the office until next Monday, July 15. That means there will be no Wednesday morning Bible Study or evening service tomorrow (July 10). If something comes up, and you need to get a hold of a pastor, reach out to Pastor Bruce Timm at Redeemer in St. Cloud (320-252-8171).
This Sunday’s Epistle lesson is from Romans 6, a chapter worth returning to again and again. Consider this key verse: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
This verse sums up so much of what we must learn as Christians:
What we deserve is death. If we insist on justice and fairness and getting our due, then we will go to hell. If we are proud and arrogant and think more highly of ourselves than we ought, then we will be surprised when the charade ends and we stand exposed before God’s judgment seat. There’s no way to get out of it. There’s no way around it. There’s no time off for good behavior. If you are a sinner at all (and you are, through and through), then you are guilty of rebellion against God, and the law is unyielding.
Although we deserve death, Christ has gifted us life. And not just any life, but his own life. It’s redundant, in a way, to say “free gift”, since a gift is free by definition, but Paul wants to make the point abundantly clear. You did nothing to earn this gift, and consequently you can do nothing that will make you less deserving of it. You can reject it, to be sure. You can turn it away and insist on getting what you deserve. But once you have seen the splendor of this gift, how could you do that? How could you reject the blessing and favor of God Almighty who loved you even when you hated him? He spent everything he had to purchase this gift, the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake. He knew that you couldn’t buy it for yourself, so he bought it for you. He gave it to you because of his surpassing love for you. And he urges you to hold it dear, never to let it go, to treasure it with all your heart. What else is there that could be so precious?
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, July 10
No Chapel, Bible Study, or Vespers
Sunday, July 14
9:00 am – Divine Service
Wednesday, July 17
9:30 am – Chapel
10:00 am – Bible Study
7:00 pm – Vespers
Sunday, July 21
9:00 am – Divine Service
10:30 am – Bible Study