Law & Gospel/Saint & Sinner
Saint/Sinner
Last week, we talked about the importance of God’s Law. The Law helps guide us to live our lives in safety and respect for one another. The Law also shows us just how much we fail at doing that.
Read Romans 7:14-25. Here, Paul talks about how hard it is to live in line with God’s Law. Even when we want to live righteous lives, we find ourselves on the wrong side of that coin. No matter how hard we try, we still sin.
Watch:
Have you ever experienced this in your own life? What was that like? (You’re welcome to share details or keep your answer vague. This doesn’t go any further than Pastor Tobi.)
Martin Luther used the phrase ‘simul iustus et peccator.’ This means that we are 100% sinner and 100% saint. Always and completely both.
What does ‘saint’ mean to you?
Watch:
Read Romans 5:6-8 Paul says that even before we can try to ‘clean ourselves us,’ Jesus died for us. Jesus cleaned us up. Jesus made us perfect in God’s eyes. This is called the GOSPEL. This is the Good News! That even though we can’t fix ourselves, God loves us and makes us whole.
Martin Luther said, “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.”
Does it mean we should do our worst and not worry about it?
Or does it mean that we should stop worrying about what constitutes a ‘sin’ and start focusing on glorifying God and helping others?
*Hint: it’s the second one.
We believe that God forgives our sin, even when we don’t confess, even when we don’t remember, even when we don’t know we have done something wrong. God forgives us even BEFORE we sin. So, what might be the point of confession or repentance (both the same basic thing)?
Watch/Listen:
Repentance isn’t about convincing God that you are sorry. It’s about doing the work to change your behavior. God already loves and forgives you. But our job is to share that love and forgiveness and grace and mercy with others. It’s hard to do if we keep getting in our own way and in the way of the trust of others.
Use the following as often as you need/want. It will likely be useful until the day you die.
Individual Confession & Forgiveness:
Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone. I repent of all my sins, known and unknown. I am truly sorry, and I pray for forgiveness. I firmly intend to amend my lif, and to seek help in mending what is broken. I ask for strength to turn from sin and to serve you in newness of life.
Dear student, by water and the Holy Spirit, God gives you a new birth, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God forgives you all your sins. Almighty God strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life. Amen.
