tAugust, I966

I .

Wisdom Is

The Principal Thing;

Therefore Get Wisdom:

And With AH Thy Getting

Get Understanding!

Proverbs 4:7.

vol. XI. August, 1966 No. 8.

Official Organ of the Concord ia Luthera.n Conference

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Officers of the Concordia Lutheran Conference

President: Rev. M. L. Natterer 483 Tangent St., Lebanon, Oregon

Vice ~President: Rev. E. L. Mehlberg 1331 W. Ruby, Mflwa.ukee, Wis. 53218

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Statement of Purpose:

To set forth in simple and plain lan- .guage the pure doctrine of God’s Word as taught by the true Lutheran Church in full accordance with the Book of Con- cord of 1580, and the Brief Statement of 1932.

TO show, on the basis of Scripture, what true Christians are to believe and how, out of love for their Savior Jesus Christ, they are to lead godly lives,

To furnish aids for Bible study and ar- ticles for Scriptural devotion and medi- tation.

To demonstrate, by our Scriptural stand; that our Concordia Lutheran Ctrn- fereuce is not a sect or a false church body but that the congregations which form it confess, teach, and practice the Word of God in its full truth and purity and use the Sacraments according to Christ’s institution. All who do this are the true visible church on earth.

To seek out all who truly share our Scriptural position in doctrine and prac- tice, and to urge the mutual public ac- knowledgment of such God-given unity. Thus we shall be able thereafter to prac- tice a God-pleasing church fellowship with them.

To show that we do not have among us a mixture of divergent teachings but that we are, by God’s grace, “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

To set forth pertinent historical infor- mation which has a bearing upon the Church and to expose modern philoso- phical thought and the so-called scienti- fic theories which contradict the Word of God.

To expose particularly the false tea- ching and practice of the various so- cahed “Lutheran” church bodies by comparing their teaching and practice with what is plainly recorded, in the Word of God, in the Lutheran Conks- sions, and in the old orthodox Lutheran writings.

To expose false teaching and practice wherever it makes its appearance and to keep abreast of the current happenings in the church and among the nations as signs of the times.

To be truthful a.nd factual in our re- porting and freely to correct any mis- information of which we are not aware and which has been called to our atten- tion. Also to clarify any information or statement of doctrine or practice which may be unclear to our readers or which may create a wrong impression.

Essay delivered at the Sixteenth Annual Convention of the Coneordia Lutheran Conference by Pastor E. L. Mehlberg and printed in the Concordia Luthera.n by Convention Resolution.

Since our Conference has chosen PRAISE as its Convention Motto this

year, it certainly is most fitting that the Essay to be delivered here should

make that topic the basis of its presentation and discussion. This accounts

for the fact that the topic assigned to me is:

THE CHRISTIAN’S ENTIRE LIFE, A LIFE OF PRAISE TO GOD

This gives us opportunity to follow a very natural and practical di-

vision of the subject into three parts:

I. The Early and Preparatory Years of a Christian’s Life, a Life of Praise to God;

II. The Middle and Active Years of a Christian’s Life, a Life of praise to God; and

III. The Late and Declining Years of a Christian’s Life, a Life of Praise to God.

By way of introduction, we note: I) The meaning and use of the word

praise in the Holy Scriptures; 2) The Lord’s will concerning a Christian’s

life of praise to Him; and 3) The Christian’s motive in desiring, and his

ability to live, a life of praise to God during his entire life.

INTROD-LJCTION

1.

The word praise, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means: “1. To express approbation (of) ; extol; commend. 2. To glorify, esp. God, by homage; to magnify, esp. in song.” This is also the sense in which the word is used in the Holy Scriptures. In fact everything that a Christi:an does which flows from faith in Christ Jesus, is some form of praise to God because he thereby gives honor and glory to God according to His Word

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2.

It is, indeed, the will of God that during his entire life a Christian should live a life of praise to God.

In PSALM 150: 6, the last verse in the Book of Psalms, we read: “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” In PSALM 148, for example, all created things are called upon to praise the Lord: “All His angels; sun and moon . . . and stars of light; heavens of heavens; dragons, fire, and h,ail; snow, and vupours; stormy wind; mountain, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all c,attle; creeping things, and flying fowl: kings of the earth, and all people; printices, and all judges of the earth: both young men, and maidens; old men and children: let them praise the name of the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, exhorts all true Christians to praise God in this manner: “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him,” COL. 3~1’7. And in another refer- ence, the same Apostle exhorts : “Whether therefore ye ea,t, or drink, or wh.atsoever ye do, do a,11 to the glory of God,” I COR. IO :31.

aesus, our Lord and Savior, taught that all His true followers should live a life of praise to God when He spoke these words in His SERMON ON THE MOUNT: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” MATT. 6:33. And He taught the same in these words : “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny him- self, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever shall lose his life for My sa.ke and th.e Gospel’s, the same sh,ull save it.” MARK 8:34-35. This same thought is expressed in these words of our Lord’s Apostle : “They which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him. which died for them and rose a- gain,” 11 COR. 5:15.

From these Scriptures it is evident that it is God’s will that during his entire life, a Christian should live a life of praise to God.

3.

Now let us note why every true Christian earnestly desires to live a life of praise to God, and why he is able also to do so.

The Christian, indeed, earnestly desires to live a life of praise to God. This is true beca.use he is a child of God through faith in Christ. There was a time in his life, before he was con-

verted to God by the Holy Ghost, wlhen he was a child of the devil: he came into the world as such. For he was just like all others ‘born in this world, whom the Apostle Paul describes as being “dead in. trespasses cmd sins . . . children of disobedience,” therefore, by mature the children of wra t 12,” EPH. 2 :lff ., and doomed to “damnation,” JOHN 5 :29, as our Savior solemnly de- clares. That was the Christi.an’s awful predicament when he was born, before he became a Christian!

Uut God, who is rich in mercy and in His great love, who “wiE2 have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,” I TIM. 2 :4, determined to save the Christian al- ready before his creation ( EPH. 1:4) and therefore sent him His saving Word and baptismal grace. By means of these, he, a lost and condemned sinner, was quickened, reborn, and made spiri- tually alive, so that he repented of his sins, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘and was enabled to live a new life by the power of the Spirit of God (I JOHN 4 :9-13). .’ :

Having by the grace of God experi- enced this spiritual regeneration from a child of the devil into a child of God, the Christian through faith in Jesus now lives a new life in God. He finds that sin (I~oM. ‘7:21), corrupting him; for out of his heart, even as a Christian, as our Savior teaches, “proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, f ornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies,” MATT. 1.5: 19 ; as the Prophet Isaiah a’lso testifies: “We are uZZ as cm un- clean thing, and all our righteousnesses are us fi2thy rugs,” IS. 64: 6. ‘But the Christian discovers that by faith in Jesus he can re- sist these wicked thoughts, so that they do not rule him. He finds that he is a.ble to overcome the evil temptations of the world ‘round aibout him, and that Satan no more can rule him. None of these any longer have dominion over him (ROM. 6: 14). And al- -though in this life he never is able to reach perfection, neverthe- less, he earnestly and repentantly strives after greater holiness of life (I THESS. 4:33, as the Apostle Paul did, who confesses: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but ir follow after,” PHIL. 3: 12.

And when, on account of his sinful flesh, the Christian in weakness transgresses against the Lord’s Commandments, the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, who has given him a repentant heart, causes him to be grieved for having sinned against God and

85

prompts him to confess his sins and trust in Jesus’ cleansing blood

JL for forgiveness (I JOHN 1:7). There in Jesus’ blood the Christian constantly finds peace of heart and mind (IS. 26 :3), knowing that through Jesus’

ir blood and righteousness he has been declared righ- teous by God, so that he now, by faith, possesses the righteousness which God demands in order to be saved (ROM. 5: 1).

Since the Christian, in this way, has found peace with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, he loves God because God first so loved him (I JOHN 4: 19) and continues to love him as Hi’s redeemed child. Although he has learned from the Holy Scriptures that as God’s child he “must through, much* tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,” ACTS 14:22, neverthe- less he has by God’s sanctifying Spirit also lea~rned that all such tribulations are sent by the heavenly Father as a necessary part of his Christian training in godliness (HEB. 12 :6-U). He now has the blessed assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” ROM. 8:28. This causes him to be able even to “,gZory in tribulations,” ROM. 5:3, because the love of God is thereby %hed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Gh.ost which is given unto us,” ROM. 5: 5. He learns, more and more, to “count it ctll joy," JAMES 1:2, when God sends him trials because they serve to improve him in his efforts to lead aa ever more godly life (I PET. 1:3-g; II PET. I: 5-11) to the praise of God.

When doubts assail the Christian concerning his salvation, on account of his si.nful flesh and daily failings, he repentantly looks away from his own sinful imperfection to Jesus’ Gospel promises that “the g&es of hell shall not prevail against” His Church, MAW. 16: 18. The Christian then becomes ever more certain that God will preserve him in the true fa.ith to a blessed end because, according to God’s own purpose and grace, which was in Christ Jesus, given him and all the elect (11 TIM. I: 9)) he has been predestinated to sal- vation, a.nd therefore he need never fear that God will forsake him ( EPH. 1: 3-6 ; ROM. 8: 28-30 ; Acts 1.3:48). He confidently trusts the Savior’s assur- ance: : “Neither shall any man pluck my sheep out of My h.und,” JOHN 10: 28.

Having thus learned to know God by a living faith in Jesus, by means of the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost through the Word and the Holy Sacraments, the Christian,

86

though he also in his sinful weakness experiences times when great gloom and sadness threaten to destroy his faith entirely, still with God’s help he is able to an ever greater degree to rejoice be- cause he knows that His Lord is always at hand (PHIL. 4:4-7). Into His care he therefore entrusts his entire earthly life, being assured that the Lord will direct his paths (PROV. 3: 5-6) in such a way that they have a blessed end when he falls asleep in Je- sus’ wounds, in whose perfect righteousness he will be able to stand before his God when he reaches the heavenly land! His heart rejoices in the sure hope of the resurrection, as he trusts the words of his Sa,vior: “I am the Resurrection, and the Life: he th.at belielveth in Me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die,” JOHN 11:25 -26 Death therefore more and more loses its terror for him be- cause the Holy Spirit assures him that it now has become a gate- way to the eternal bliss of heaven where he shall be with his Lord forever (I THESS. 4: 13-18). He therefore has ‘?x desire to depart, a;nd to be with Christ; which is fur better,” PHIL, k23.

All these blessed considerations concerning his salvation unite in prompting the Christian throughout his life to resist the wicked incli- nations of his evil flesh and to put forth his best efforts to love and please God, who first loved him (Ps. 84%12; 119:165). His quic- kened and renewed heart by a living faith in Jesus desires with gla.dness and thanksgiving to serve Him all the days of his life. He therefore henceforth endea- vors no longer to please himself (ROM. 15: l-7) but to please his Lord as the supreme joy and ambition of his heart, that he may praise God’s glorious name all his days. With undying gratitude to -the Lord, h.e earnestly seeks to keep in mind the words of the Lord’s Apostle : “What, know ye not that your body is the tern&e of the Holy Ghost which is in. you, which ye have of God, and !je fa.re not your own ? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, an,d in your spirit, which are GodTs,” I COR. 6: 19-20. And from the green pastures of God’s Word and the Holy Sacraments he draws the spiritual life he needs in his earnest endeavors to live his entire life to praise God. He seeks after that blessedness enjoyed by the man “that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in His Lalw doth he meditate deny and

87

night. And he shall. bt! iike a tree planted b,y the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his lea,f ulso shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper,” Ps. I: l-3.

- continued -

IN SPIRITUAL AND DIVINE THINGS the intellect, heart, and will of the unregenerate man cannot, in any way, by their own na- tural power, understand, believe, accept, think, will, begin, effect, do, work, or concur in working anything, but they are entirely dead to good, and corrupt; so that in man’s nature, since the fall, there is, before regeneration, not the least spark of spiritual pow- er remaining still present, by which, of himself, he can prepare himself for God’s grace, or accept the offered grace, or, for and of himself, be capable of it, or apply or accommodate himself thereto, or, by his own powers, be able of himself, as of himself, to aid, do, work, or concur in working anything for his conver- sion, either entirely, or in half, or in even the lea.st or most in- considerable part, but he is the servant and slave of sin (JOHN 8: 34; EPH. 2: 2 ; II TIM. 2: 26). Hence the natural free will, ac- cording to its perverted disposition and nature, is strong and ac- tive only with respect to what is displeasing and contrary to God.

-Formula of Concord, Art. II:7.

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“Recompence to no man evil for evil. . . If it be possible, as

much as Iieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I wiI,l repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.“ Romans 12: 17-2 I.

THERE ARE MANY, sad to say, who think that if they them- selves have not been the original cause of discord but that it was instigated by the other party, and then if their offender who is the guilty one does not make the first move in seeking reconcilia- tion, in that case it is not their fault if they are not on peaceful terms with others. If such who think that way are open unbe- lievers, they rejoice when their offender erperiences misfortune, and they watch for a favorable opportunity when they can again repay him for the evil done them. But sometimes even Christians who do not keep a strict watch over themselves, especially when they are offended by another Christian, permit a root of bit- terness (WEE. 12: 15) to spring up in their heart against him, from which then also a great, deal of bitter fruits come forth and show themselves. Only too often it then happens with such careless Christians that they can no longer, sincerely pray for their offender and for his entire

bodily and spiritual w e 1 f a r e. They no longer are able heartily to rejoice when things go well with their offender. They no longer are ]able to talk to him in a truly friendly fashion, and are no longer able to do all good to him from a truly loving heart. L4nd least of all are they so in- clined especially if the offender is a Christian or desires to be one. At the same time such Christitans nevertheless think that the offender only is at fault.

BUT WHAT does the Apostle say in our tert : “AS MUCH AS LIETH IN YOU, live peaceably witla all men. Recompense [there fore] to no man evil for evil!” From this it is evident: If a per- son indeed ha.s not given the first occasion for discord, but allows the offense which was committed against him by his neighbor to ca.use him no longer in words and deeds to love him as before, no longer shows himself to be friendly as before, yes, would like to do to him again as he has done to him, in that case a per- son is NOT doing “as much as

lieth in him,” in order to have peace with everyone.

ACCORDING TO THE cl OS ing words of our text, there are two things which need to be empha- sized. For, first of all, the Apo- stle says: TlIearly beloved, a- venge not yourselves, but rathefr give place unto wrath: for it is writtevz, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” If a Christian wants to remain a peacemaker in the eyes of God, he dare not repay his offender for his offence, not even in the slightest degree, regardless of how great and serious it is. For the offence is either not worthy of punishment, yes, not even worthy of mention, or it de- serves God’s wrath and punish- ment. In case, however, the evil deed of the neighbor deserves God’s wrath and punishment, a person must then give place to God’s wrath, that is, aS person must not in the least avenge himself and thereby interfere with God’s office and thus also hinder Him from carrying out His office of punishing and aven- ging evil Himself. A Christian must prize peace and unity so highly that he gladly suffers con- siderable harm if thereby he is able to preserve peace and unity.

BUTEVENTHAT is not enough, the Apostle demands still more. He says, furthermore: “There- fore if thine enemy huuzger, feed him; if he thirst, give him d&nk; for in so doing thou shalt heap

coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good?

IF A CHRISTIAN, accordingly, wants to ,be a peacemaker in the eyes of God, he then must not only not return evil for evil ; he must also return good for evil. TIhe more fierce and quarrelsome the offender acts toward him, the more friendly must he show him- self toward the offender. And he dare not become tired of heaping flery coals upon the head of the oflender in every way possible; that is, he must heap upon him so much love a.nd good that he finally is overcome by the love of him whom he offended, is prompted to give up his anger, and permits his heart, in turn, to become melted and kindled with love for him.

OH, IF ALL PEOPLE would only do that, yes, if only all Chris- tians would do everything in their power to have peace with all people, how peace would then bloom in hearts, in families, in cities, in congregations, and in general here on earth! Peace in church and school, 0

Lord plea.se provide us, Peace like?,uise in the govern-

ment supply us, Pea,ce be in all hearts, Peace, Lord, for the conscience

Grant in abundance. Amen.

Taegliche Hausandacht C. F. W. Walther (Crull) -Translated by E. L. M.

90

J.F WE WANT' TO BE WISE, we must become fools a,nd let God’s Word be the eternal Truth.

SOLOMON CALLS FOLLY everything that goes on without God’s Word and works. He calls that man wise who guides himself by God’s Word and works, and he calls that man a fool who presumptuously guides himself by his own ideas and n,otions.

WE CAN FIND THE WISDOM OF GOD nowhere but in His Word. Who- ever loves and values it and constantly studies it is not only a doctor enlightened by God and an approved man superior to all worldly wise-and learned people but a judge of all the wisdom and teachings of devils and men.

REAL WISDOM IS TRULY TO KNOW oneself aad God, that is,thatwe ,a.re miserable and lost sinners and that God is merciful, not de- sirous of casting us away [but eager to save us by grace for Christ’s sake.

TH-OSE WHO HAVE THE GOSPEL have the Wisdom, of God and are wise in ,and from God. Where you do not find the Word, there God is not present, nor wisdom, but mere folly. . . . Wisdom is in Holy Scripture; it is the Gospel, and it teaches you to know God and the counsel of God in the Son of God, made flesh for you. This wisdom is hidden from the world; faith alone perceives it.

ALL THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD justly retires before the know-

ledge of Christ. For what is more wonderful than to have a thor- ough knowledge of Christ? Wonderful and unspeakable is the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature and so lowered Himself as to be “found in ,fashioti as a man” (PHIL. 2~7).

-Selected from: What Luther Says by E!. Plass

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