Pastor's Message
“How Should We Then Live?”
“‘And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.’”
– Matthew 15:9
Our Ladies Wednesday morning Bible Study has begun the 10-part DVD series by the late Francis Schaeffer, “How Should We Then Live.” Central to Dr. Schaeffer’s thesis: do we base our society and personal morality upon human authority or divine authority? After 1500 A.D., two competing world views arose: Martin Luther’s Reformation vs. the Humanist Renaissance. ‘Humanism’ believes “man is the measure of all things.” Human intellect, reason, ‘needs,’ and nature are considered good, and a reliable guide to give us all a happier, more prosperous future. So all human activity, morality, politics, culture, and art are based upon human authority. Whether by democratic voting, or a dictator’s decrees, humanism settles all matters based upon human ideas and political – social power.
Luther’s Reformation brought a return to basing all human activity upon the Word of God. During the Middle Ages, after the Fall of the Roman Empire, even the Church had based its actions and decisions upon human authorities: the bishops and either the Pope in the West of the Patriarch of Constantinople in the East. Luther solidly rejected that human councils or authorities could void or overrule God and His Word. As Luther correctly asserted, even a little child who has God’s Word on his / her side has more real authority than every church council or official, or any emperor or king. Luther wanted to return the Church to the Apostle’s standard: only the Word, spoken by God, revealing Jesus Christ, should settle every dispute, and especially set our moral behavior in public and private.
So the question “How Should We Then Live” actually confronts every human being daily. Our old, sinful nature within wants to live life according to his own sinful, human desires and ideas. He gets together with his fellow sinners to condone human ideas, struggle against others for selfish supremacy of power, and judges others based upon self-centered human ideas and actions. Christians have an alternative: the New Man, created through Baptism and the Gospel Message, wants God to have the final say in all things. Trusting His love for us in Christ, we want the LORD to show us what is right and wrong, what is good or evil, and so show us how we should live each day, and what joyous hopes we have for our future.
Ultimately, Christ sits above human strife, opinion, and struggles, seated at His Father’s Right Hand. He knows what He will do. He knows what His Word really means. He knows right from wrong. Most of all, God will do and act as He sees fit despite human protests to the contrary. For believers, this means God will keep His promises to love us, save us from this perverse and wicked generation, and welcome us into His eternal banquet feast for eternity.
How shall you live? Will
you submit to the savage whims of human authority? Or, will you defy
the world, deny your own sinful nature, and instead desire God’s Will to
be done in your life and our world?
May the Word of God guide your paths, and His Gospel of Peace protect
you safely each day, unto life everlasting in our Lord and Almighty
Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen! <><
Your Servant-in-Christ, Pastor Jeffrey Gross.
