God’s Gifts in the Life of His Church

Newsletter article for December 2002

© 2002 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) God has also said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) These words are a wonderful source of comfort and consolation from a God who loves us and cares for us, and watches over us, but in addition to these words God has given us something more substantial upon which we base our faith. God has given us the “Means of Grace” to give us His presence, and also to prove to us that He is here with us when we need Him. The Means of Grace are the ways that God delivers to us His good gifts of salvation. The Means of Grace are God’s Word, and the sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Although the Means of Grace are the ways that God makes Himself and His Gospel tangible and real to us, each of the Means works in a different way, and each one has a special place in the life of the Church (i.e. God’s people). It is important for us as a Church to understand how the Means of Grace work among us so that we can gain the full blessings which Christ wants for His church. For example, if we use the Lord’s Supper the same way we use the Holy Scriptures, then we may miss out on some of the extraordinary blessings of this sacrament.

In my personal studies recently I have been working my way through a book of essays by the 20^th century Lutheran theologian and historian, Hermann Sasse. Pastor Sasse spent much of his ministry dealing with the unionistic Lutheran Church in Germany (and elsewhere), and I have found that his essays from the 1930’s are surprisingly relevant now. The unfaithful desire for unity without full agreement in the Gospel and all of its articles, which has afflicted American Lutheranism for years, is now beginning to infect the Missouri Synod as well. American Lutherans have not done well to learn from history in this case, but as history repeats itself, our Synod (and we, as faithful Christians) can remain faithful to God and show the world the true blessings of God’s Church, and not some man-made unity based on lies.

Dr. Sasse recognized that in the Union church in Germany the use of the Means of Grace suffered. In his 1938 essay “Church and the Lord’s Supper” he noted how the Means of Grace work to build Christ’s church. He begins by telling how God’s Word works in the church. “Because the Word of God is given to the whole world, it resounds throughout the world, which is why the Christian service of the Word has been a public event open also to non-Christians, as a matter of principle, since time immemorial.”* This shows that God’s Word is a Means of Grace which is to be shared with everyone. The “whole world” is to know about Jesus through the Word, but the other Means of Grace don’t work the same way.

The next of the Means of Grace is Holy Baptism. Dr. Sasse says this about this Sacrament: “Baptism stands at the borderline of church and world, acting either by itself or in combination with the closely associated rite of confirmation to disclose to people the inner space of the church, which is forever hidden from the gaze and understanding of the world.” Since Baptism makes a person a child of God, and a member of Christ’s church it has a special place in the life of the church. Through Baptism we are given new citizenship, so to speak, as it says in Philippians 3:20, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Also, the grace of God is nowhere more clearly shown than in the practice of infant Baptism. Infant Baptism clearly recognizes the original sin which afflicts every person, and also shows God’s Grace in that an infant can do nothing to bring this blessing upon himself or herself, neither to ask God for forgiveness and salvation, nor to earn it through good works. But whether it is infant or adult Baptism, God brings us into His kingdom through this means.

Finally, the Lord’s Supper, has a still different role in building up the church of Christ on earth. Sasse notes: “As the sacrament proper to the church, the [Lord’s] Supper is, therefore, as a matter of principle, not a public event. Thus the most ancient church celebrated it behind closed doors (Rev. 3:20)…. Although it is celebrated in a particular place at a particular time with earthly elements, the Supper does not belong to this world but always remains an intrusive alien element within it. Even for this reason, the church needs the Supper.” We dare not treat the Lord’s Supper as we do God’s Word or vice versa, although they are both His means of delivering His grace to us. We ought to share the Word of God with all people, but Scripture itself (1 Corinthians 11:29) warns us not to give the Lord’s Supper to just anyone, only those faithful Christians who can recognize it for what it really is, the true body and blood of Jesus.

Since the Lord’s Supper brings the body and blood of Jesus to all those who partake the Sacrament it truly brings the metaphor to life that the church is the “body of Christ.” Since Jesus comes to His people in this real, physical way, the Lord’s Supper is very important for the life of the church. Dr. Sasse observes, “Whenever the Lord’s Supper has been permitted to decay, the boundary lines between the church and the world have universally disappeared and the church has been absorbed into the world. The Supper is thus the Sacrament in which the church’s ‘foreignness from the world,’ and hence her essence as the church of God, finds visible expression.” He is talking about both the doctrine and the practice of the Lord’s Supper. Where these decay the church decays and is no longer separate from the world. This is always a great tragedy, and when we see it happening we should work hard to prevent it by remaining faithful to Christ’s words and His sacraments.

Although Jesus ascended into heaven some 1,970 years ago to rule with the Father over all creation, He hasn’t left us. Jesus is still with us, and working among us through these three gifts, His Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. These are precious gifts, and we should treasure them, and we should faithfully make use of them whenever we can so that God’s people are strengthened, and His will is done here on earth.

* The quotes from Hermann Sasse come from “Church and Lord’s Supper”, quoted in The Lonely Way, p. 378-380, CPH 2001.

Spirituality

Newsletter article for June 1998
© 1998 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Spirituality is becoming all the rage these days. Earlier in this century many people believed that we were entering into a new age where technology would answer all the mysteries of the universe which were previously unknown, believed by faith, or explained by religion. The trouble with this is that technology has its limits, not the least of which is that it has no soul. As a guiding path for one’s life, technology and science are cold, heartless, and empty. Technology brought us the devastation of World Wars I & II, nuclear bombs, the cold war, and countless other atrocities. Yes, technology also took man to the moon, but despite great romantic visions of life away from the earth, space is no place to be. To live in space you have to carry around all the food, water, and air that you will need for as long as you plan on remaining alive.

Technology has brought us many benefits and prosperity, but its limits are well documented. As we grow increasingly frustrated by the “modern” influence of technology, we are moving toward another age (currently identified as “post-modern”). One of the marks of this age is an increased interest in the spiritual aspects of life.

This would at first glance seem to be a good thing. Anything which leads people to God is a good thing. But, sinful human nature, being what it is (i.e. sinful) doesn’t look for God. It does everything it can to avoid God. It looks for spiritual answers everywhere except where the Holy Spirit really is.
In order for us Christians to avoid godless spirituality, we need to know what godly spirituality is all about. Christians have an advantage over non-Christians when it comes to understanding spirituality. Since God is the one who created us body, soul, and spirit, He is the one who can help us understand the mysteries of our spiritual lives. The Holy Scriptures do not define what spirituality is (after all, the Bible is not a dictionary.) However, whenever it speaks of spiritual things it is always in relation to the Holy Spirit. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul explains why it is impossible for people to understand spirituality without the Holy Spirit, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the (Holy) Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

In reference to John 3:6, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” Martin Luther wrote: “But what is spiritual birth? It means that I am born again as a new being by Baptism and the Holy Spirit and that I believe in Christ…. Thus the spiritual birth is brought about by the Word of God, Baptism, and faith. Even now, while we sojourn on this earth, we are already in this birth if we believe…. This birth is invisible and intangible; it is only believed.” Luther emphasizes that the physical life is temporary and will die, but our spiritual life, since it is from God, is eternal and will never die. Therefore our spiritual life is our life of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit through Baptism.

Luther summarizes our need for this spiritual life by explaining, “Physical birth entails physical things … it concerns physical life and no more. But if you want salvation, you need different parents, who will bring you to heaven. This Christ does. By means of Baptism and the Word of God He places you and your Christianity into the lap of our dear mother, the Christian Church. This He accomplished through His suffering and death that by virtue of His death and blood we might live eternally.”

In a magazine article, sociologist William Martin explained “One of the most attractive flaws of the New Age is its extraordinary emphasis on self absorption. Devotees often refer to unconditional love for all humanity, but rarely do they mention an obligation to demonstrate it to actual neighbors.” Contrast this with John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” and 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

The latest issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly quotes author Charles Colson who writes, “Recently a neighbor told me how excited she was about her church. When I tried to point out diplomatically that the group was a cult, believing in neither the resurrection nor the deity of Christ, she seemed unconcerned. ‘Oh, but the services are so wonderful,’ she said. ‘I always feel so good after I’ve been there!’ Such misguided euphoria has always been rampant among those seeking spiritual strokes rather than a source of truth. But what about the church itself, that body of people ‘called out’ to embody God’s truth? Most of the participants in Robert Bellah’s study saw the church as a means to achieve personal goals. Bellah notes a similar tendency in many evangelical circles to thin the biblical language of sin and redemption to an idea of Jesus as the friend who helps us find happiness and self-fulfillment. These ‘feel gooders’ of modern faith are reflecting the same radical individualism we discussed in earlier chapters.... The new barbarians have invaded not only the parlor and politics but the pews of America as well.”