Sermon for 1/22/23: Third Sunday After Epiphany

 CLICK HERE for the audio file.

CLICK HERE for the video file.

Hope for the Battle

Romans 1:8-17

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

The Epistle to the Romans is the most complete presentation of the Christian faith in the Bible. In these introductory words of Paul, we are given a window into his heart and mind; we learn what he was about and what moved him. He wrote this letter to Christians who lived in Rome in the First Century. Those Christians faced great pressures and temptations to compromise their faith; so do we. They were influenced by their culture to live in ways contrary to their faith; so are we. At times they were required to sacrifice and even suffer for the sake of their faith; so are we. They lived at a time when society and culture were hostile to Christians; things are moving in that direction for us.

Paul had not yet been to Rome, but he had clearly heard much about the Church there. He said that their faith was known to all around! And what Paul referred to here was not just the faith of individuals, but also the corporate faith of those Christians in Rome: the confession they shared and the life they lived out together. They were grateful that Jesus Christ and His salvation had been made known to them, and that gratitude was expressed by their willingness to share that faith, with all its joys and blessings, with others. They trusted that the words and promises of God were made sure by our Lord’s cross and resurrection. And that confidence gave them the freedom to make the choices they made, to live the lifestyle they lived, and to take the actions they took, even when it meant ridicule or suffering or sacrifice. They, like Paul, were not ashamed of the Gospel.

And so, Paul was anxious to visit them. He said: “I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to strengthen you...” He wanted to come and build up their faith. He knew the pressures they often faced to compromise that faith. Later in this same Epistle, Paul spoke very personally, even intimately, about his own inner struggle between the old sinful nature and the new life of faith. He knew how much easier it was to just let that old sinful nature have its way. He knew how hard it was to fight the good fight of faith, a fight that does not end until life here ends.

But then Paul adds something that is very important. He says, “...that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” That is the way it should be, isn’t it? Mutual encouragement: your faithfulness encourages me to remain faithful, mine encourages you, and we encourage each other. What we learn here is that the life of faith is never meant to be lived alone. The Christian faith is never merely individual faith; it is always corporate faith, faith that is lived out together in the Church. God’s Word bids us to love one another, to forgive one another, to support one another, to admonish one another when necessary, and to pray for one another. And that might be something to consider the next time you are thinking about missing this weekly gathering of the saints. Just as our faithfulness encourages others, our faithlessness can discourage others. You are not the only one affected by the choices you make.

So, just what was this spiritual gift Paul desired to bring them? “I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul wrote to remind them that—despite the battle that goes on within us between good and evil, right and wrong, life and death—the battle has already been won: not by our strength or power or goodness, but by Jesus Christ. The battles that go on within us are only the aftershocks of the war He has already won. A new day has dawned. Forgiveness of sins, a life of faith now, eternal life and heavenly glory: these are the spoils of His victory which He gives to all who put their trust in Him.

This is the Gospel! This, Paul tells us, “...is the power of God for salvation...” God’s power to save resides in that good news that, by His cross, Jesus Christ has paid in blood for all the sins of all the world. By His resurrection from the dead, He has for all time destroyed the power of the grave to hold you. And by His glorious ascension, He has gone to prepare a place for you in the company of angels and archangels and all the saints who have gone on before. So fear nothing that is ahead! Do not fear even death itself, for your future will unfold under the promise of God, a promise sealed with the blood of Christ. This is God doing what He does best: bringing salvation to the lives of those whom He loves and wants with Him for all eternity.

These words of St. Paul, written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are just as powerful, just as important, for us. With many of these same things in mind, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote: “We have here no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” That was the eternal hope of those Christians in Rome. That is our hope, as well: a hope fed and nourished by the power of the Gospel. God grant the fulfillment of that hope to us, even as He most certainly did for them. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.