“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

What is Apostle Paul’s prayer for his readers in Ephesus? What is his prayer, and mine, for you – for each of us? “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Paul prays that the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God (Romans 10:17), would strengthen and keep us in the true faith in Christ Jesus, that we would trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice for the remission of all our sins and that He, Himself, would take up residence in our hearts and dwell in us, as He does in His members, His Church (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Paul prays that our faith would be rooted and grounded in God’s love for us sinners in Christ Jesus and that we – together with all other believers in Christ – would be able to comprehend “what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

But do you – do we – even begin to grasp and understand the love of Christ for us? The Bible tells us of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, the only-begotten Son:

• John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

• 1 John 4:9-10 – “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

• Romans 5:5-8 – “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

But do we understand and grasp this love of God for us sinners – that God, in love unmerited by us, sent His Son into the world to redeem us from our sin and the eternal death and damnation we deserve. Do we understand and grasp the fact that God, in love for us sinners, sent His Son to be the propitiation and atoning sacrifice for our sins? Do we understand that Christ Jesus gave Himself to die on the cross in our stead, for our sins, that we might not have to die and suffer the eternal punishment we justly deserve and which God’s law demands on account of our sins? That is the apostle’s prayer for us.

Do we still fear death and God’s judgment? The Bible tells us (1 John 4:16-18): “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

If we truly know God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, it will remove our fear of judgment. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:31-39. Who will condemn us on the last day? Christ will be our judge and He is the one who died for our sins and rose again and now intercedes for us before the Father (v. 34).

Can anything or anyone separate us from the love of Christ? No, no matter what happens in our lives, even if we are persecuted and suffer death, we still have God’s love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul writes: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Paul’s prayer for the believers at Ephesus – and mine for you – is that the Holy Spirit, working through God’s Word, enables you to know and grasp in faith the love of God for you which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (and in Him alone); that you see His great love for you in sending His only-begotten Son into this world as a true man to die for you; that you see that Christ Jesus so loved you, even when you were yet dead in your trespasses and sins, that He suffered your punishment and provided salvation for you in His cross; that God so loved you that He brought you to see your sinfulness and the punishment you justly deserve but also brought you to trust and believe in Christ Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world for your pardon and your salvation; and that, knowing God’s great love for you in Christ Jesus, you continue to trust in Him unto the end, knowing that you have forgiveness and will not be condemned in God’s judgment, and knowing that no matter what you face in this life, nothing will able to separate you from the love of God in Christ. God grant this to you for Jesus’ sake.

Dear Father in heaven, by the Holy Spirit, graciously open our hearts and minds and grant to us to know and grasp Your great love for us in Christ Jesus that we might trust in Him and Him alone for pardon, peace and life everlasting. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

Is the Word of God no longer efficacious? Is it ineffective when it comes to bringing people into Christ’s church made up of all who repent of their sins and trust solely in Jesus Christ and His blood shed upon the cross for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting? Looking at how churches operate, one would certainly think so.

What do I mean? Just consider all the programs and activities promoted by churches to bring people through the doors and make them members of local congregations. Churches offer everything from bingo to psychotherapy and counseling to draw people in. Instead of using sound, Scriptural music and song, churches sing the latest and most entertaining songs and seek to have the best-known “contemporary” performers so that people will come. Some build their churches around activities such as sports, horsemanship, motorcycle riding and more. Some churches meet in cathedrals and others in barns. Most, it seems, try to find programs and offerings to draw in the multitudes.

In some cases, churches practice “bait and switch” tactics by trying to draw folks in with offers of free food, fun activities, exciting music, interesting programs and projects, all the while having a hidden agenda of trying to convert them and make them church members by throwing in a little preaching and sharing of personal testimonies on the side.

Yet, all this is not what Jesus commanded His disciples to do. They were to disciple the people of this world by going out, baptizing in the name of the Triune God, and teaching all that Jesus taught and commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). They were to preach repentance and remission of sins in Jesus’ name (Luke 24:47). And that’s what they did.

If you look at the New Testament churches in the Book of Acts and in the New Testament Epistles, you won’t find a thousand different programs and activities to draw people into the church. Instead, the apostles and the believers went out into the world and proclaimed the Word of God to the people. Those who heard that Word and were moved to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus were brought into the churches where they were baptized and taught the Word of God.

And according to the Bible, the Word remains powerful and efficacious yet today. Just listen to what the Bible says of itself:

• Isaiah 55:10-11 — “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

• Psalm 119:130 — “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

• Romans 1:16-17 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

• Romans 10:17 — “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

• Ephesians 1:13 — “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”

• Hebrews 4:12 — “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

And, should we be surprised at the power of God’s Word? Not at all when we remember that He created all things by His almighty Word! He said, “Let there be….” and it came into existence. So also faith in Christ is the result of God’s working through His Word. By God’s word of law, the Holy Spirit shows us our sin and guilt before God; and by His word of the gospel, He shows us the salvation God provided for us all through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Indeed, there is no other way given whereby we can be brought to faith in Jesus and be made a part of God’s everlasting kingdom. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

So why do churches neglect the preaching and teaching of God’s Word? Why do they try to bring people into the church in other ways and count the Word of God as ineffective? Perhaps they don’t believe God’s promises to work through His Word. They don’t believe it is efficacious!

And what is the result? Yes, congregational membership may increase; but, if the Word of God is not faithfully taught and Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not administered according to Christ’s own words and institution, those brought into congregations will not be brought into and preserved in Christ’s eternal kingdom, and there will be weeping and sadness at Christ’s return!

Randy Moll is the pastor of Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rogers. He may be contacted by email at pastor@goodshepherdrogers.org. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Since we will gather for worship on Sunday and partake of Christ’s body and blood given and shed for the remission of our sins, it is indeed good and right that we examine ourselves in accord with 1 Cor. 11:28-29: “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

We do so this week on the basis of God’s commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains this commandment: “We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.”

So, we ask ourselves and consider how we have used God’s name in our lives. Have we cursed with God’s name or made foolish and unnecessary oaths? Have we used God’s name to practice witchcraft or in another superstitious manner? Have we lied or deceived by God’s name by swearing falsely or by misrepresenting and misusing God’s Word? Have we spoken God’s name and words of praise when our hearts really weren’t into it?

And, have we used God’s name rightly to bring God praise and glory? Or, are our words empty and mere lip service? Have we truly brought glory to God’s name by all we say and do? Or do our lives bring Him shame and disservice? Do we faithfully proclaim His Word, or do we abuse and twist God’s Word to our own liking?

Do we remember to call upon God in prayer, trusting that He will hear and answer us in accord with His perfect will? Do we give Him praise and thanksgiving for His goodness and mercy toward us? Or, do we neglect to pray, to praise and to give thanks unto Him?

God’s commandment reveals not only God’s will for us but our sinfulness and failure to do as God desires and demands. We have failed both by misusing God’s name and by not using God’s name rightly to bring Him praise and glory. And the commandment says: “the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Again, God’s good commandment condemns us because of our sin. We stand guilty before God and under His wrath.

But God, in His love, sent His only-begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary a true man, that He might fulfill this commandment for us and then bear the guilt and punishment for our sins. Christ Jesus brought glory to God’s name by His prayers, by his faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word and by His obedience to God’s will — even to the point of bearing our sins and suffering and dying on the cross in our stead that we might be pardoned and forgiven through faith in Jesus’ name.

And so, I ask you before God: Have you sinned against God by using His name in vain, by dishonoring God’s name in your thoughts, desires, words and actions? Have you sinned by neglecting to pray, by using vain repetitions, by failing to give God the thanks and praise due unto His holy name? And do you desire, with the help and aid of God the Holy Spirit, to amend your life and use God’s name rightly and to bring Him glory and praise?

If this is your sincere confession, I announce unto you the grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and I, in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:7-8

Many deceive themselves, thinking that they can sow to the flesh — living to gratify their own sinful desires — and still reap life everlasting. They feel that they can use their time, energy and money to gratify their own selfish ambitions and yet still grow and mature spiritually and be ready for the Day of Christ’s return and Judgment. How foolish!

God’s Word warns us of the fallacy of such thinking when it says: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7-8).

God would not have us be deceived. And, God will not be mocked. If one sows weeds, he cannot expect to harvest wheat! So it is with our spiritual lives. If we sow to the flesh, we cannot expect to reap life, but corruption.

Again, the Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

Thus, if we live to enjoy the pleasures of sin, we shall die. But if we sow to the Spirit of God, who has regenerated us and brought us to faith in our Savior, He will continue His gracious working in our lives through Word and Sacrament and keep us in the true faith and graciously give to us the eternal life won for us by Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross in our stead.

How do people sow to the flesh? when they live in such a way that they gratify the will and desires of their sinful nature, when they provide opportunities for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Thus people sow to the flesh when they flirt with sin and temptation and when they give in to their own evil desires. They sow to the flesh when they go places and do things which will arouse the desires of their hearts.

How do people sow to the Spirit? when they make regular use of God’s Word and His Sacraments and support the preaching of His Word (cf. v. 6) that the Spirit of God might use these means to strengthen faith in Christ Jesus and teach men to live godly lives, when they provide opportunities to do that which is God-pleasing and to follow the leading of His Spirit. Thus, people sow to the Spirit when they regularly attend church services and Bible Study, when they read the Scriptures daily and spend time in prayer, and when they seek to live according to the counsel and guidance of the Holy Ghost given to us in the Scriptures.

God will not be mocked. If we spend our time courting the pleasures of sin, if we live to carry out the sinful desires of our old evil nature, we will reap what we have sown: spiritual corruption and death! On the other hand, if we devote ourselves to Christ and His Word and read and study the Scriptures and partake of the Sacraments that the Holy Ghost might strengthen and preserve us in the true faith, we will reap of the Spirit life eternal in Jesus Christ our Lord!

O Spirit of God, grant that we sow, not to our flesh and its evil desires, but unto Thee, that Thou might graciously grant unto us the everlasting joys of heaven for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]