Lutherna View of Church and State

LESSON FOUR

2007-2008

SANCTIFICATION

I. Christ in action: the cross. (p. 126)

A. Jn 19:17,18.

B. 1Co 1:23,24

C. The greatest paradox in history: Christ on the cross.

1. There God hid in lowly weakness to show Himself to us.

2. There God humiliated Himself to give us glory.

3. There God died to give us life.

II. The Hidden God. (p. 127)

A. People ask, “Where in the world is God?”

B. Scripture tells us that He can’t be found by human senses or intellect.

1. Surely, His “eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen” - Ro 1:20.

2. But in the world, all we can detect in this way is His wrath.

C. 1Co 2:14.

D. Since we can’t comprehend Him with our minds, we are not surprised that God is actually hiding Himself from us - Is 45:15.

E. The real God of heaven and earth is a God who hides Himself.

III. The Seeking God. (p. 128)

A. Scripture also tells is that God is more interested in seeking than hiding.

1. Ge 3:9.

2. Lk 19:10.

B. We are not content with God’s bare promises, e.g. Ex 33:18.

C. But God loves us too much to honor our request that He show Himself.

1. Ex 33:20.

2. God hid from Moses to preserve Moses’ life.

IV. Letting God be God. (p. 128)

A. He has promised to reveal Himself only in certain places.

B. Human heart is not one of them - Mt. 15:19.

C. He hides in the Word.

1. Of the gospel proclaimed in human speech, and

2. Attached to the humble elements of water, bread and wine.

D. Seek Him where He has promised to be found!

E. God operates through the cross of His Son.

1. In direct opposition to every human expectation.

2. Mt. 16:1-4. (p. 129)

3. “Sign of Jonah” - a picture of the three day burial of Jesus.

4. To ask for more proof than His death is foolhardy and dangerous - Mt 16:5-12 (the “yeast”/teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.)

F. Church Growth (p. 130)

1 Cannot arrive at identity of Jesus by reason or intellectual deduction.

2. Mt 16:15-19 - God revealed it to Peter.

3. Whenever people come to faith, it is always on God’s initiative.

4. Mt 16:18,19 (above).

5. The satanic pitfall. (p. 130)

a. Jesus explanation of necessity of His torture, death and resurrection (Mt 16:21,22).

b. Mt 16:23: Clearly states that every effort to find God through human reason and speculation is condemned.

c. Things of men focus on glory and power.

d. Things of God center in weakness and the cross.

e. 1Co 1:27,28.

G. We have to let Him speak where He has promised to speak to us: from the cross of Jesus, His Son! (p. 131)

V. The Word from the cross.

A. If we listen to our hearts alone, we will not hear God - talking only to ourselves - deceptive, leads us astray.

B. 1Co 1:18.

C. Most people think: (p. 132)

1. The human dilemma is that our lives are out of adjustment.

2. We don’t meet God’s expectations.

3. Just need to rearrange our priorities and adjusting our lifestyle to correspond to His will.

D. This leads people to think they earn their own salvation.

E. Today’s “Evangelical” message: armed with forgiveness through Jesus, people urged to practice the techniques and principles Christ gave to bring their lifestyle back into line.

F. The Real Problem is death; sins are just the symptom.

1. Ge 2:17.

2. Ro 6:23.

3. Eph 2:1.

G. You can either die alone or you can die in Jesus.

H. On the cross He Himself bore our sins in His body, and it killed Him.

I. When we die with Jesus, we really live!

J. Ro 6:3-5. (p. 133)

K. We have a new life through faith in Him; the risen life of Jesus Christ!

L. Ro 6:6-8. (p. 134)

M. The only life worth living is a life which is given through death - the death of Jesus.

N. The Christian life is always a life under the cross.