How did God create the heavens and the earth? Again, the Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light…” (Genesis 1:1-3; Read all of Genesis 1 and 2).

The Hebrew word for “created” in verse one is “bara” and indicates that God created all out of nothing. He called it into existence by saying, “Let there be,” and “There was.”

The Scriptures echo this truth throughout.

Psalm 33:6 says: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

Hebrews 11:3 says: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

These words teach us the truth that God created all things and sustains them by the power of His word.

The Bible says of the Son of God, in Hebrews 1:2-3: “Whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power….”

So, what has God done? He created all things out of nothing. He created and called all into being by His all-powerful word. And, it is by that same creating word that all continues to exist.

It is as Nehemiah wrote: “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee” (Nehemiah 9:6).

11 And it came to pass as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 And when He saw them, He said unto them, “Go, show yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” 19 And He said unto him, “Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.” Luke 17:11-19

Luther’s explanation to the Second Commandment reads: “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.”

But do we give to God thanks? Do we recognize God and honor him with thanksgiving and praise for all He does for us?

And the Bible calls upon us to “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).

And what does God do for us, Luther explains in connection with the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them; also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger, and guards and protects me from all evil; and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which it is my duty to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”

The question is: Are we thankful? Do we give God the honor and praise due unto His name?

Consider the action of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11ff. They all had the dreaded disease of leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and, as a result, they were counted as unclean and were separated from God’s people and from the services of the temple. And, as the disease progressed, they would become more and more disfigured and might suffer paralysis, blindness, and other complications.

And then they saw Jesus! “And it came to pass as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” (Luke 17:11-13).

Jesus’ answer called for faith in Him and His words because He didn’t instantly heal them; He commanded that they go show themselves to the priest, as commanded in Leviticus 13. In faith, they went and “as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14).

But what happened next? “And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15-16).

And, what didn’t happen? The other nine (apparently Jews) didn’t come back and thank Jesus. They went on their way but failed to give to Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, the glory and praise due unto His name for this mighty and amazing act of mercy!

Jesus said (Luke 17:17-19): “‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.’ And He said unto him, ‘Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.’”

Aren’t we a lot like the nine lepers? God created us and gave us life, and we take it all for granted and fail to honor and praise Him!

We are infected with sin and are unclean and separated from God and His kingdom, doomed to hell, and He sent His only-begotten Son to atone for our transgressions and to cleanse us from our sins, and we ignore Him.

Jesus, through the preaching of the Gospel, calls upon us to repent and look to Him in faith and promises us forgiveness and cleansing through faith in His name, but do we heed His call and believe His words? And, when we do look to Christ in faith and are justified and cleansed, do we thank Him and praise Him for graciously granting to us life and salvation? If so, why aren’t our churches filled with cleansed and pardoned sinners who have come to give God thanks?

When we examine ourselves, we must all admit to being ungrateful — for neglecting to give God the glory due unto His name for all He has done and still does for us, and especially for loving us and sending His Son to die for us and atone for our sins that we might be cleansed from our wickedness and be holy and clean in God’s sight through faith in Christ Jesus!

We, therefore, call upon Jesus to cleanse us from our sins. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). And why? Because we have “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2).

And, again and again, Jesus forgives and cleanses us from our sins. Though we cannot see this forgiveness with our eyes, we take Jesus at His word and go in peace, confident that when we stand before God and the books are opened, we will not be found unclean and condemned but receive everlasting life.

It is as Jesus said in John 5:24: “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth in Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” Or, as St. Paul wrote to the Colossians in Colossians 1:21-23: “And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, even now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight, if ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature under heaven.”

God grant to you mercy and cleansing through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, Your Savior, and the promises of His Word. Amen.

Cleanse my heart, O God, from my ungratefulness, and grant to me faith in Your mercy in Christ Jesus and a thankful heart for all Your benefits toward me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21). Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” Psalm 119:9-10

God’s Word reveals to us our utter sinfulness and failings. We agree with what God says in His Word and acknowledge with David: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:4).

We confess our sins and look to God with faith in Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross for the sins of the world, and God is merciful toward us and forgives all our sins and iniquities for the sake of Christ Jesus (cf. 1 John 1:7 – 2:2; Psalm 51:1ff.; Psalm 32:5).

But how do we now cleanse our way? How do we, as a fruit of our faith in God’s mercy and forgiveness toward us for Jesus’ sake, now live for our God and Savior and walk in a way which is pleasing to Him?

While some would direct us to look inside ourselves, to our hearts and feelings, we do not lean on our own thoughts or understanding; rather, we look to God’s Word to guide and change the thinking of our hearts.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9).

We look to the Scriptures, for there God has revealed His good and perfect will for us. He has told us what He desires of us.

We pray to God: “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11); and “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way” (Psalm 119:36-37). With the psalmist we pray: “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments” (Psalm 119:10).

As the Spirit of God regenerates us and creates in us a new heart and right spirit (Psalm 51:10), we seek Him and His ways and join in praying that God would keep us from wandering outside the path of His commandments.

We pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

And, of course, if we are going to walk in the way God commands, we need God’s Word in our hearts.

Consider Psalm 119:11-16: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”

And so, we trust in Christ alone for pardon, forgiveness, and life eternal. As a fruit of our faith in Christ, we pray that God’s Spirit would unite our hearts to fear His name. And we look to God’s Word for guidance — studying, meditating, treasuring it in our hearts — that we might continue in the faith, walk in God’s ways, and not sin against Him.

O gracious and merciful God, we have sinned and gone astray. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake and cleanse our hearts, and teach us Your Word that we might walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Who is the Creator? The Bible, which is God’s inspired account, tells us that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

And, who is this God? The Hebrew word Elohim, which is the plural form of God, is the name used to describe the Creator in Genesis 1. He is also called by the name Jehovah (some pronounce it Yahweh or Yehuvah), often translated LORD.

“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4).

The Bible further defines God and who He is, when it says: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Corinthians 8:6). Thus we see that all things were created by God the Father through Jesus Christ, who is God the Son.

God’s creation account also tells us that, in the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth, “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). And so we see that God the Holy Spirit, too, was active in the creation of all things.

The opening verses of John’s Gospel tell us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). We learn that the Word, Jesus Christ, identified in verse 14 as God Himself in the flesh and the only-begotten Son of the Father, created all things and is the giver of life, both physical and spiritual.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the inspired Scriptures say of Christ Jesus, that He is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17).

So, who is the Creator? It is God, the God the Scriptures identify for us as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Though God is one – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4) – God is also three – thus, the command to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). This is why the God of the Bible is often called the Triune (three/one) God, because He is one God and yet three distinct Persons. The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Yet, there are not three Gods, but one God.

The Bible tells us “there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).

Though beyond our ability to comprehend, this is how God has revealed Himself to us – it is His account and His word. And it is this God who has created all things and given us life.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Galatians 3

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Luke 10

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

St. Paul teaches us that “if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. … The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:21-22,24).

So then, the Law, which is good and right serves to prepare us to hear the Gospel promises which offer God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. If we could be righteous in God’s eyes by our keeping of His Law, the Law would be used to justify us in God’s eyes. But the Scriptures teach us that not a single one of us has kept God’s Law as He requires. We have sinned against God, our Maker, in our thoughts, desires, words and deeds.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 says: “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”

Romans 3:19-20 tells us: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

And, again, Galatians 3:22 says: “But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

And so, the Law is indeed our school teacher, showing us our shortcomings, sins and wickedness in God’s eyes and preparing us to hear and take hold of the Gospel promises of forgiveness and life eternal through faith in Christ Jesus and His perfect righteousness under the Law and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross for the remission of all our sins.

When do we speak God’s Law and when do we speak God’s Gospel? As the 1943 “A Short Explanation of Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism,” in question 17, points out, “the Law must be preached to all men, but especially to impenitent sinners; the Gospel must be preached to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of their sins.”

So, when the lawyer stood up and tested Jesus with the question: “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” should Jesus respond with the Law or the Gospel? What did Jesus say? “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” (Luke 10:26).

The lawyer answered Jesus: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (v. 27).

Jesus’ response may surprise you: “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (v. 28).

In fact, on another occasion, Jesus answered in the same way. It says in Matthew 22:34-40: “But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

But could this expert in Jewish law who wanted to know what works were required of him to enter into eternal life actually do what the law requires? Could he love the LORD God with all his heart, soul and strength as Deuteronomy 6:5 commands? Did he love his neighbor as himself, as required in Leviticus 19:18?

And notice the words of verse 29: “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” He hoped to narrow the scope of the commandment a bit so that he could be justified by his obedience to the commandments.

But, how did Jesus answer his question? He told the parable of the Samaritan who loved his enemy, showed mercy on him and cared for his wounds when others who certainly should have exemplified love for God and neighbor passed by and did nothing to help. And, when this lawyer recognized who was a good neighbor to the man who fell among thieves, Jesus told this lawyer to “go, and do thou likewise” (v. 37).

Again, Jesus preached the Law. Why? Because, until this man recognized that he did not measure up to the demands of the Law but was condemned by the Law as a sinner, he wasn’t prepared to hear the Gospel. Until he recognized that he had failed to keep the Law and that the Law actually condemned him, he was not ready to hear God’s offer and promise of pardon and forgiveness through faith in Christ’s perfect obedience and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.

Does this still happen today? Certainly! There are plenty of people who count themselves righteous under the Law and think that God will receive them into heaven because of their good works and deeds. And, if they consider themselves to be righteous on the basis of their own works and life, we need to remind them of the full demands of God’s Law — not just some outward obedience but true and perfect obedience from the heart.

Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. … Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:20, 48).

But, when the Law has done its work and the Spirit of God convicts a sinner’s heart and reveals to him God’s wrath against sin, then it is time to preach the Gospel and point the condemned sinner to Christ Jesus, who kept God’s Law perfectly in thoughts, desires, words and deeds, and who took the burden and guilt of our sins upon Himself and bore our just punishment when He died on the cross and then rose again.

In Galatians 3, St. Paul wrote: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (v. 10). But then he also wrote: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (v. 13).

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (v. 24).

We continue to make this distinction between Law and Gospel yet today in applying God’s Word to our own lives and to the lives of others.

We use the Law of God to reveal God’s perfect will and what He requires of all to be counted righteous in His sight on the basis of our life and works. We use the Law to expose the sin and evil in our lives — to see our shortcomings and our guilt before God. And, we use the Law to see the just punishment we deserve on account of our sins — eternal death and damnation. As it says in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

But when we see our own sinfulness and guilt before God, when we come to know that we stand condemned under God’s Law, we look in faith to the promises of the Gospel, that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2); that “He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:6-7).

And, though we are not justified by the Law of God, all who believe God’s Gospel promises are justified through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross.

As Jesus said, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

God grant that we see our utter sinfulness under God’s Law and take hold of the Gospel promises by faith that we might be justified through faith in Christ Jesus, our Savior, and receive everlasting life! Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]