35. Observe, as Christ did, so should we conduct ourselves in our
sufferings; not approving or assenting to whatever may be heaped upon
us, but yet not seeking revenge. We are to commit the matter to God,
who will judge aright. We cannot maintain our rights before the world;
therefore we must commit our cause to God, who judges righteously and
who will not allow calumniation of his Word and persecution of
believers to pass unpunished. We must, however, pray for our
persecutors, that they may be converted and escape future wrath and
punishment; and so we do. If it is possible for some of the bishops
and other Gospel-persecuting tyrants to be converted, we will heartily
pray and desire that their conversion may come to pass. But if it be
impossible, as now, alas, is to be feared, since, after having been
much admonished and often prayed for and having enjoyed the best
advantages, they wittingly rage against the known truth--if so, then
we must commit them to God's judgment. What more can we do?
I am persuaded that the intolerable persecution and calumniating of
the Gospel prevalent today cannot be permitted to pass with impunity.
It must ultimately meet the coming judgment upon the Papacy and
Germany. Of this there can be no doubt. But it is ours to continue
preaching, praying, admonishing and beseeching, in the hope of
effecting repentance. Then, if our enemies still refuse to turn from
their evil ways, if they perish in their impenitence, what can we do
but say: "Dear God, we commit the matter to thee. Thou wilt punish
them; thou canst, indeed, most terribly."
36. Such, mark you, is the example of Christ, presented to the entire
Christian Church--set up as a pattern for her. Hence it is the duty of
the Church, as Peter elsewhere tells us, to arm herself with the same
mind which was Christ's, to suffer as Christ did and to think: If
Christ, my Lord and Leader, has suffered for me with so great meekness
and patience, how much more reason have I to submit to suffering! And
what can it harm me to suffer when I know it is God's will? Not
because the suffering in itself is so perfecting and precious, but for
the sake of the dear Saviour who suffered for me. I know, too, that my
persecutors thus commit most abominable sins against God and incur his
wrath and punishment. Why, then, should I be impatient or desire
revenge? I am already too highly honored of God in the fact that my
sufferings meet his approbation and that he will perfectly avenge me
of mine enemies. What can it advantage me for them to burn eternally
in hell? I will rather pray and use my utmost efforts for their
conversion. If I fail and they are determined to persist in their
course, I must bring the matter home to God--must commit it to him.
"Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we,
having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness."
37. Peter's is the true preaching concerning the passion of Christ. He
teaches not only the merit in Christ's sufferings, but introduces both
themes--its efficacy and example. Such is Paul's custom, also. In this
verse Peter presents Christ's sufferings in the light of a sacrifice
for sin. They constitute a work acceptable to God as satisfaction for
the sins of the whole world and effective to reconcile him to men. So
great is God's wrath toward sin that none but that eternal one, the
Son of God, could avert it. He had himself to be the sacrifice, to
allow his body to be nailed to the cross. The cross was the altar
whereupon the sacrifice was consumed--wholly burned--in the fire of
his unfathomable love. He had to be his own high priest in this
sacrifice: for no earthly mortal, all being sinners and unclean, could
offer to God the sacrifice of his beloved and wholly sinless Son; the
boasting of the priests of Antichrist in regard to their masses, to
the contrary notwithstanding. Now, by the single sacrifice of God's
Son, our sins are remitted and we obtain grace and forgiveness; and
this fact can be grasped in no other way than through faith.
38. Peter mentions the ultimate object of the divine sacrifice made
for us, what it accomplished in us, the fruit Christ's passion shall
yield; for he would not have the Christian Church overlook that point,
or neglect to preach it. Christ, he tells us, took upon himself our
sins, suffering the penalty. Therefore, Christ alone is entitled to be
called a sacrifice for all our sins. It was not designed, however,
that after the sacrifice we should remain as before; on the contrary,
the purpose was ultimately to work in us freedom from sins, to have us
live no longer unto sin but unto righteousness. Now, if in Christ our
sins are sacrificed, they are put to death, blotted out; for to
sacrifice means to slay, to kill. Under the Old Testament
dispensation, all sacrifices had to be presented to God slain. Now, if
our sins are put to death, it is not meant that we are to live in
them.
39. Therefore, the saving doctrine of remission of sins and of
Christ's grace cannot be so construed as to admit of our continuing in
the old life and following our own desires. According to Paul (Rom 6,
1-8), enjoying grace and remission of sins does not give license to
live in sin. How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?
The very fact that we may be reckoned dead unto sins means they may no
longer live and reign in us. In Christ's holy body were they throttled
and slain expressly that they might also be slain in us.
40. Be careful, then, what you believe and how you live, that the
efficacy of Christ's sufferings may be manifestly fulfilled in you.
If, through faith, you have rightly apprehended his sacrifice, its
virtue will be indicated in the subduing and mortifying of your sins,
even as they are already slain and dead through his death on the
cross. But if you continue to live in sins, you cannot say they are
dead in you. You but deceive yourself, and your own evidence is false
when you boast of Christ in whom all sins are put to death, if sin
remains vigorous in you. We naturally conclude it is inconsistent for
sin to be dead in us and yet alive; for us to be free from sin and yet
captive or fast therein. This fact has already been sufficiently
pointed out.
41. It is ours, Peter says, not only to believe that Christ has,
through the sacrifice of his own body, put to death sin and liberated
us therefrom--a thing the combined sacrifices of all mortal bodies
could never have effected--but, sin being put to death by him, to
endeavor to become ever more and more free from sin's sway in our
bodies, and to live henceforth unto righteousness, until we shall be
completely and finally released from sin through death. Therefore, if
before you believed on Christ you were an adulterer, a miser, a
coveter, a maligner, you ought now to regard all these sins as dead,
throttled through Christ; the benefit is yours through faith in his
sacrifice, and your sins should henceforth cease to reign in you. If
you have not so received the sacrifice, you cannot boast of Christ and
faith. Though Christ has died for you, though your sins have been put
upon him and reckoned dead, still you are not rid of those sins if you
do not desire to be, if you do not, through faith, apprehend Christ
and his blessing, nor in your life and conduct follow his example.
42. Now you will say: "But you teach that we are all sinners, that
there is not even a saint on earth without sin. And surely we must
confess the article, 'I believe in the remission of sins,' and must
pray, 'Forgive us our debts.'" I reply, most assuredly you never will
attain sinless perfection here on earth; if such were the case you
would have no further need for faith and Christ. At the same time, it
is not designed that you should continue as you were before obtaining
remission of sins through faith. I speak of known sins wittingly
persisted in, in spite of the rebuke and condemnation of conscience.
These should be dead in you; in other words, they are not to rule you,
but you are to rule them, to resist them, to undertake their
mortification. And if occasionally you fail, if you stumble, you
should immediately rise again, embrace forgiveness and renew your
endeavor to mortify your sins.
"By whose stripes ye were healed."
43. It seems as if Peter could not sufficiently exalt and make
impressive Christ's sufferings. He brings in nearly the entire
Fifty-third chapter of Isaiah in the attempt. Note how, in regard to
the efficacy of works, he always significantly introduces the two
themes at the same time--how he carefully distinguishes between
performing human works in obedience to Christ's example, and receiving
by faith the merit of Christ's work. First, we have, "Who his own self
bare our sins in his body upon the tree ... by whose stripes ye were
healed." This is the vital part in our salvation. Christ alone could
fully accomplish the work. This doctrine must be taught in its purity
and simplicity, and must so be believed, in opposition to the devil
and his factions. Only so can we maintain the honor and the office of
Christ wherein is anchored our salvation. But the second part of the
doctrine must not be overlooked. There are false Christians who accept
only the first part and make no effort to reform themselves; but,
being liberated from our sins and in a state of salvation, we may not
again defile ourselves therewith. Where these two principals of the
Christian doctrine are not maintained in their proper relation, injury
must result to the truth in two respects: they who are occupied solely
with their own works corrupt the true doctrine of faith; they who
neglect to follow the example of Christ retard the efficacy and fruit
of that faith.
"For ye were going astray like sheep."
44. Here Peter bluntly and clearly points out the fact I have stated,
that liberation from sin and death was effected not by our works and
merits, but by Christ's wounds and death alone. Forgiveness cost you
nothing, Peter teaches; no blood, no wounds. You were powerless in
this direction. You were but miserable, erring, lost sheep, separated
from God, condemned to hell and unable to council or help yourselves.
In just such condition are all they who are out of Christ. As Isaiah
the prophet says more plainly in the chapter from which these words
are taken (verse 6): "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way." That is, whatever our lives,
whatever our intent, we but turned farther away from God. As it is
written (Ps 14, 3): "They are all gone aside; they are together become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
45. That men are prone to go astray like sheep is clearly exhibited in
their conduct; history proves it. It has ever been the case that when
mankind was divided into various idolatries or false services of God,
into superstitions numerous and varied, even when God's people thought
to have attained the perfection of holiness--then one ran here and
another there, ever seeking and seeking to come upon the road to
heaven but getting farther and farther from it. It was exactly the
case of the sheep straying from the flock and lost to the shepherd:
the farther it runs and the more it follows the voice of strangers,
the farther astray it goes. It continues to wander and to flee until
it finally perishes, unless it hears again the voice of the shepherd.
Let no one, then, dare boast of having himself found the right way to
heaven, of having merited God's grace and the remission of sins by his
own manner of life. All men must confess the truth of Scripture
testimony that we were but erring sheep, fleeing ever farther from our
Shepherd and Saviour, until he turned us back to himself.
"But are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
46. You have now heard the voice of your Shepherd, who has brought you
back to himself, from your erring and idolatrous ways. It was not your
own effort that effected your return; it was accomplished at the cost
of your Shepherd's wounds and shed blood. Be careful, then, Peter
would say, to live not like erring and lost sheep; but, being
converted--turned back--follow your beloved Saviour. In him you have a
godly Shepherd who faithfully pastures and cares for you; and also a
loyal Bishop who ever watches over and guards you, not permitting you
to stray.
47. Immeasurably gracious and comforting are these words. But the
meaning of the word "bishop" has been miserably obscured and perverted
by our idolatrous priests and episcopal frauds. Likewise have they
perverted and corrupted the terms "ecclesiasts," "Church," "divine
service," "priest," etc., by their antichristian rule. Only those have
right to the name "ecclesiast" who have been redeemed from their sins
through Christ's wounds, and who live holy lives. But the Papists have
taken the name away from true Christians and applied it to the Pope's
besmeared, and shaven-headed ones. Again, when we hear the word
"bishop" we think only of great, pointed caps and of silver staves. As
if it were sufficient to place in the Church such masks, such carved
and hewn idols! For they are nothing better; in fact, they do more
harm.
According to the Scriptures, a true bishop is an overseer, a guardian,
a watchman. He is like unto the householder, the warder of the city,
or any judicial officer or regent who exercises constant oversight of
state or municipal affairs. Formerly there were bishops in each
parish, deriving their name from the fact that their office required
oversight of the Church and the guarding against the devil, against
false doctrines and all manner of offenses. Paul, too (Acts 20, 28),
reminds the bishops of their office, saying: "Take heed unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made
you bishops [overseers]." And overseers should bishops still be, as in
fact all godly preachers and carers for souls are. But in all Popedom
the office now is but a mere name, to the sin and shame of the entire
Christian Church.
48. Now, Christ our Lord is that faithful Guardian, that true Bishop,
who above all others is entitled to the name (with him office and name
are identical), and who bears it with due honor, to our eternal
happiness. For, standing at the right hand of God and showing his
wounds, he unceasingly intercedes for us before the Father; and
moreover, on earth he rules, sustains, nourishes and protects, through
his Word, his sacraments and the efficacy of the Holy Spirit, the
little flock that believe in him. Were he not present with and
watching over us here, the devil would long ago have overthrown and
destroyed us, and also the Word of God and the name of Christ. And
such is the case when God in wrath turns away his eyes from the world
to punish its ingratitude. Then immediately everything falls into the
devil's power. Therefore, pure doctrine, faith, confession and the use
of the sacraments are dependent for their perpetuity solely upon the
vigilant guardianship of our beloved Shepherd and Bishop.
49. Comforting, indeed, is it to have in Christ a priest so faithful
and righteous; though, alas, the worthy name of "priest" also has been
subjected to shame and contempt because of the Pope's disgraceful,
shaven, shallow-headed occupants of the office. Comforting, indeed, it
is to be the happy lambs who have a welcome refuge in the Shepherd and
find in him joy and comfort in every time of need, assured that his
perfect faithfulness cares for and protects us from the devil and the
gates of hell. Relative to this subject, the entire Twenty-third Psalm
is a beautiful and joyous song, of which the refrain is, "The Lord is
my Shepherd."
_Third Sunday After Easter_
Text: First Peter 2, 11-20.
11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your behavior
seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as
evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation.
13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether
to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for
vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15 For so
is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a
cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only
to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is
acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs,
suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and
are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do
well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God.