"My Sin - Christ's Salvation!" Rom.6:21-23 Christian Questions 1-6
Series: 2023 Midweek Lenten Sermons
March 01, 2023
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Part 4 of Luther's Small Catechism are titled: "Christian Questions with Their Answers" Prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament [The "Christian Questions with Their Answers," designating Luther as the author, first appeared in an edition of the Small Catechism in 1551, five years after Luther's death]. After confession and instruction in the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the pastor may ask, or Christians may ask themselves these questions: " During our midweek Lenten services we will ponder these questions as we prepare for the great Paschal feast of Easter. "Christian Questions #1-6" Sermon Text; Romans 6:21-23. Sermon Theme: "My Sin - Christ's Salvation!" Preached for 1-March-2023, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, LCMS, Tell City, IN by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Invocabit, Wednesday - Midweek Lenten Vespers 1 1-March-2023
Series: “Christian Questions and Their Answers”
Sermon Text: Romans 6:21-23
Sermon Theme: “My Sin - Christ’s Salvation!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Passover, the feast of deliverance, drew near. An innocent male lamb, without spot or blemish, would be sacrificed. In Moses’ day its blood would shield the enslaved children of Israel from death. It’s roasted flesh would strengthen them to journey from slavery to freedom. That night they’d go to sleep as slaves. The next morning they would rise free. It was God’s promise in the Passover lamb. A ceremony they were to repeat at the same time every year - until it found it’s final fulfillment in the Lamb of God. He would be sacrificed once for all. He takes away the sin of the world.
The time for the Lamb of God to be sacrificed, Passover, drew near. Jesus told His disciples that He would be handed over to be crucified. Judas Iscariot, sold the high priest, the spotless - sinless - Lamb for 30 pieces of silver. Before the sacrifice - Jesus prepares the final Passover for His disciples. Peter and John go ahead and prepare the feast. Jesus the Host, humbles Himself to wash their filthy feet. Like Moses at the burning bush they were about to step on Holy Ground. They needed to be clean by the washing Jesus alone can give.
He calls them to follow Him. Taking their eyes off of their ego and humbly serve others as He serves sinners. He invites them to eat and drink at His table in His Kingdom. His Supper in the Church.
Jesus prepares them to feast on His body and blood in bread and wine at His table. Jesus invites you to His ongoing feast of forgiveness, life, and salvation in His Church. God the Holy Spirit prepares you for the feast. LSB pg.329. Dr. Luther prepared these questions for those who intended to come to the Sacrament. Although they weren’t added to the Catechism until 1551, five years after his death. They teach us proper preparation. Tonight we begin looking at the first six of these questions seeing: “My Sin - Christ’s Salvation!”
God the Holy Spirit through the pen of St. Paul teaches, Rom 6:20-21 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” Slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness - there is no gray area between the two. Either you are captive by Satan serving sin, or you are freed by Christ living in righteousness. [LSB pg.329,Question #1] “Do you believe that you are a sinner?” Not, ‘do you feel,’ or ‘ do you think.’ Original sin injected by Satan’s lie into humanity through Adam has so corrupted our human nature that our feelings, our thinking, our reason, our feelings are all held captive under sin. We don’t trust in what we think or feel. We may feel ashamed of those sins which bring only death - or we may justify our sins as our birthright, or classify them as not as bad as others. We can only know our sin by the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Truth - revealing it in us through God’s unchanging Word.
[LSB pg.329,Question #2] We must look into the mirror of our Creator’s Holy Will for humanity. The Ten Commandments are the base operating system encoded into Adam from his creation. When Adam surrendered himself to Satan’s Lie - sin worked total corruption. Our foolish hearts were darkened. The Law remains written on our hearts, but it is deeply corrupted by original sin. We can only know our sin, not by looking inward - Jesus teaches us that our hearts are cesspools of all vice, perversion, and sin. We must look into the perfect mirror of God’s Holy Ten Commandments.
Listening to our children confess this first chief part of Christ’s doctrine - how many have you kept? Before you answer - let me ask it another way: “Have you always, without fail, feared, loved, and trusted in the One God - the Triune God above everything and everybody?” Didn’t we fear a virus more than God our Father in 2020? Didn’t we trust in stocking up on toilet paper more than Christ? Didn’t we love government checks to sustain us rather than to love the Holy Spirit sustaining us through every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God? If we stop our self-deception - we will confess - I know I am a sinner, for I haven’t kept God’s Ten Commandments.
[LSB pg.329,Question #3] (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? . God the Holy Spirit shows you your sin that you might see your shame. All sin is against God who created you. It is a rejection of His Life to choose death. Sin clothes you with shame. Burdens you with guilt. Robs you of real life. Our sorrow is that we have sinned against our Creator, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
What wages have you earned by your good life?[LSB pg.329,Question #4] For the end of those things is death.”Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,....
Do you really want from God what you really deserve? His just wrath and displeasure - here and now. The question is not, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” If we are honest before God’s Law - we should ask “Why do go things happen to evil people?” They are us! Our imagination is evil from our youth. From the moment of conception we are sinful - actively rebelling against the Lord of Life. We don’t deserve a crumb of “daily bread.” All of our greatest good works are nothing but blood stained, filthy, rotting rags before our Holy God flowing from sin. We deserve death. Sin’s wages are death. Death here and now - temporal death - the tearing of our soul from our body. We deserve eternal damnation - the reunion of our soul and body on the Last Day to suffer alone, separated from God, and from all other creatures, to burn in the eternal torment of hell.
Only when we are honest with what we justly deserve, will we be hungry for the feast of deliverance. [LSB pg.329,Question #5] Hope isn’t something we wish for, it flows from God the Holy Spirit through the Promise God the Father speaks through His only begotten Son. Hope flows from God’s promise to rescue us from Satan’s tyranny, to break the bonds of sin that enslave us, to free us from the fear of death and the grave. Rom 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
Our hope is found only in one Person! Not inside of self, but outside, in actually history. [LSB pg.329,Question #6] Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We don’t trust in ourselves - we trust only in the Lamb of God, the Final Passover, He has taken away all your sins, my sins, the sins of the world. He is your dear Lord - He is Love. He is the Lord - Yahweh - The Son of God begotten from the Father from eternity. He is Jesus - the Son of Man conceived fully human - without sin - the Second Adam - by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary. He is the Christ - the Messiah -He is your Salvation! He has claimed you to be His own. Rom 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. He knits you into His living Body - the Church. Washes you forgiven by His Spirit through His blood in absolution. Teaches you in the large upper room of His Church, then invites you to feast on His living body and blood - given and shed for you, forgiving you all your sins, filling you with His indestructible life, and the salvation He has earned for you. Amen.
Series: “Christian Questions and Their Answers”
Sermon Text: Romans 6:21-23
Sermon Theme: “My Sin - Christ’s Salvation!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Passover, the feast of deliverance, drew near. An innocent male lamb, without spot or blemish, would be sacrificed. In Moses’ day its blood would shield the enslaved children of Israel from death. It’s roasted flesh would strengthen them to journey from slavery to freedom. That night they’d go to sleep as slaves. The next morning they would rise free. It was God’s promise in the Passover lamb. A ceremony they were to repeat at the same time every year - until it found it’s final fulfillment in the Lamb of God. He would be sacrificed once for all. He takes away the sin of the world.
The time for the Lamb of God to be sacrificed, Passover, drew near. Jesus told His disciples that He would be handed over to be crucified. Judas Iscariot, sold the high priest, the spotless - sinless - Lamb for 30 pieces of silver. Before the sacrifice - Jesus prepares the final Passover for His disciples. Peter and John go ahead and prepare the feast. Jesus the Host, humbles Himself to wash their filthy feet. Like Moses at the burning bush they were about to step on Holy Ground. They needed to be clean by the washing Jesus alone can give.
He calls them to follow Him. Taking their eyes off of their ego and humbly serve others as He serves sinners. He invites them to eat and drink at His table in His Kingdom. His Supper in the Church.
Jesus prepares them to feast on His body and blood in bread and wine at His table. Jesus invites you to His ongoing feast of forgiveness, life, and salvation in His Church. God the Holy Spirit prepares you for the feast. LSB pg.329. Dr. Luther prepared these questions for those who intended to come to the Sacrament. Although they weren’t added to the Catechism until 1551, five years after his death. They teach us proper preparation. Tonight we begin looking at the first six of these questions seeing: “My Sin - Christ’s Salvation!”
God the Holy Spirit through the pen of St. Paul teaches, Rom 6:20-21 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” Slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness - there is no gray area between the two. Either you are captive by Satan serving sin, or you are freed by Christ living in righteousness. [LSB pg.329,Question #1] “Do you believe that you are a sinner?” Not, ‘do you feel,’ or ‘ do you think.’ Original sin injected by Satan’s lie into humanity through Adam has so corrupted our human nature that our feelings, our thinking, our reason, our feelings are all held captive under sin. We don’t trust in what we think or feel. We may feel ashamed of those sins which bring only death - or we may justify our sins as our birthright, or classify them as not as bad as others. We can only know our sin by the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Truth - revealing it in us through God’s unchanging Word.
[LSB pg.329,Question #2] We must look into the mirror of our Creator’s Holy Will for humanity. The Ten Commandments are the base operating system encoded into Adam from his creation. When Adam surrendered himself to Satan’s Lie - sin worked total corruption. Our foolish hearts were darkened. The Law remains written on our hearts, but it is deeply corrupted by original sin. We can only know our sin, not by looking inward - Jesus teaches us that our hearts are cesspools of all vice, perversion, and sin. We must look into the perfect mirror of God’s Holy Ten Commandments.
Listening to our children confess this first chief part of Christ’s doctrine - how many have you kept? Before you answer - let me ask it another way: “Have you always, without fail, feared, loved, and trusted in the One God - the Triune God above everything and everybody?” Didn’t we fear a virus more than God our Father in 2020? Didn’t we trust in stocking up on toilet paper more than Christ? Didn’t we love government checks to sustain us rather than to love the Holy Spirit sustaining us through every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God? If we stop our self-deception - we will confess - I know I am a sinner, for I haven’t kept God’s Ten Commandments.
[LSB pg.329,Question #3] (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? . God the Holy Spirit shows you your sin that you might see your shame. All sin is against God who created you. It is a rejection of His Life to choose death. Sin clothes you with shame. Burdens you with guilt. Robs you of real life. Our sorrow is that we have sinned against our Creator, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
What wages have you earned by your good life?[LSB pg.329,Question #4] For the end of those things is death.”Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,....
Do you really want from God what you really deserve? His just wrath and displeasure - here and now. The question is not, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” If we are honest before God’s Law - we should ask “Why do go things happen to evil people?” They are us! Our imagination is evil from our youth. From the moment of conception we are sinful - actively rebelling against the Lord of Life. We don’t deserve a crumb of “daily bread.” All of our greatest good works are nothing but blood stained, filthy, rotting rags before our Holy God flowing from sin. We deserve death. Sin’s wages are death. Death here and now - temporal death - the tearing of our soul from our body. We deserve eternal damnation - the reunion of our soul and body on the Last Day to suffer alone, separated from God, and from all other creatures, to burn in the eternal torment of hell.
Only when we are honest with what we justly deserve, will we be hungry for the feast of deliverance. [LSB pg.329,Question #5] Hope isn’t something we wish for, it flows from God the Holy Spirit through the Promise God the Father speaks through His only begotten Son. Hope flows from God’s promise to rescue us from Satan’s tyranny, to break the bonds of sin that enslave us, to free us from the fear of death and the grave. Rom 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
Our hope is found only in one Person! Not inside of self, but outside, in actually history. [LSB pg.329,Question #6] Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We don’t trust in ourselves - we trust only in the Lamb of God, the Final Passover, He has taken away all your sins, my sins, the sins of the world. He is your dear Lord - He is Love. He is the Lord - Yahweh - The Son of God begotten from the Father from eternity. He is Jesus - the Son of Man conceived fully human - without sin - the Second Adam - by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary. He is the Christ - the Messiah -He is your Salvation! He has claimed you to be His own. Rom 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. He knits you into His living Body - the Church. Washes you forgiven by His Spirit through His blood in absolution. Teaches you in the large upper room of His Church, then invites you to feast on His living body and blood - given and shed for you, forgiving you all your sins, filling you with His indestructible life, and the salvation He has earned for you. Amen.
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