Second Sunday in Lent (A) 2020

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Romans 4:5
Theme: Gospel Magnificence



Dear followers of the Saviour,

The gospel is magnificent beyond comprehension and there is no single way to express it. The gospel, properly understood, speaks only to those who come to understand there is an irresolvable deficit between the human being, the sinner, and God. The hearts, minds, and ears of those who are satiated with self-righteousness remain closed. God’s word of indictment must do its work before the Good News can be received for what it is. Lent is as good a time as any to sharpen our focus on this core truth of Christianity.

The letter of saint Paul to the Christians in Rome is one of the most brilliant and resolute expressions of the gospel in the biblical witness. He says today in chapter four, “When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”1 The historical reference is to Abraham who is upheld as the primary example of a man of faith. In this regard, the Bible considers every true believer, including you and me, to be children of Abraham.

How do we come to acquire this righteousness of God- the righteousness credited to Abraham? Well, it’s not of human origin. Philanthropy is not the gospel. Altruism is not the gospel. Optimism is not the gospel. Being charitable to everyone in every circumstance is not the gospel. The gospel is not a philosophical perspective on human virtue. The collective accomplishments of humanity’s best efforts do not qualify as the good news that prevents the demise of the human race.

The gospel is the divine declaration that through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the condemnation due us for our sins has been abolished. Note that there is condemnation due us for our sins. At the beginning of every Divine Service it’s proper to reflect specifically on what some of those sins are for us: Lust, greed, dishonesty, disobedience, laziness, selfishness, over-indulgence? Generic repentance is not likely to lead to a conviction of guilt or the reception of grace. In other words, if our confession is nonspecific, we’re not likely to be led to true contrition or rejoice in forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works concretely.

The ways and means of the Spirit cannot be curbed by us, but His means are self-limited. In regard to divine truth, we can say no more than what God has said. To venture further is to engage in speculation. Writing to the believers in Corinth, St. Paul warned them “not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favour of one against another.”2 Ultimately, to explore spirituality beyond the limits of what Scripture records is to wander past seemingly harmless speculation into the dark domain of Satan. His is a labyrinth with illusory exits. He lures many not through the temptations of the flesh, but through the appeal of spiritual self-definition and of wanting to define our own terms of righteousness. Such risky indulgences are more commonplace than we may think.

So, we can say no more than God has said, but we are obligated to say no less than the Spirit has said either. To do so is to deprive others of the full counsel of God. There are many things God hasn’t told us, but the things He has revealed have been disclosed for a purpose. It’s only through His written word that we know the saving acts of God. Nature can reveal His omnipotence and providence, but not His intention to redeem sinners. The gospel is not imprinted in nature. The gospel is not intuitive to the human mind. We could never deduce the gospel with our ability to reason. It cannot be derived from a philosophical system.

Only the Holy Spirit can teach the gospel. Only through faith can we receive it. Without that Spirit-given faith, the historical events that constitute the gospel- from the incarnation of Jesus through to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension- remain only information. Luther calls this historical faith, not saving faith. Saving faith is the preeminent miracle of the Holy Spirit. It’s “second nature” to God, after all, everything He does is aimed at creating and sustaining life. His punishment of sin and crucifying of the Old Adam3 within us is to prepare us for resurrection to new spiritual life. Sin cannot be reformed or remodeled. It must be destroyed. This work goes on in baptism. It goes on whenever we receive Holy Communion.

Dear friends, whenever you’re tempted to doubt the genuineness or efficacy of forgiveness you can be assured the devil is agitating. The Holy Spirit always brings certainty. The presence of the Holy Spirit is never marked by doubt over the favour of God. The Scriptures call the Spirit a Comforter, a Counselor, an Advocate. And what kind of Comforter do you think He is? Does He coddle us like a doting mother does a spoiled child? Does He indulge us like an over-protective father does a bratty kid? Does He pander to our selfishness or stroke our egos? Would the Holy Spirit ever minimalize or marginalize the consequences of our sin? Would He foster self-righteousness within us? Not for a moment in any measure!

But, without exception, the Spirit embraces the repentant heart with the sweet, sweet assurance that gospel is not a generic message for imaginary sinners. It is a personal pledge of emancipation for the cherished child of God. You are His baptized. You have been reconciled to the Father through the blood of Christ. The Scripture says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”4



You are pardoned, you are forgiven, you are freed to start anew from the moment the words of absolution strike your ears. That divine forgiveness is not contingent upon any conditions that remain to be met. It is not invalidated by any of your sins of the past. The Spirit does not drag out an historical record of your transgressions (Satan does that of course). The Holy Spirit points you to the cross and reminds you why the Son of God hung there. In fact, He hangs your sins on the body that hung there for you. He drapes your transgressions over the sacrificial Lamb who leaves all of the eternal punishment you deserve for those sins in the grave.

The penalty- a penalty meriting eternal separation from God- has been remitted. Rescue from Satan’s jurisdiction is achieved through Christ’s triumph. So all wrangling about the worthiness of sinners to be received into the eternal presence of God is resolved. Every accusation of unworthiness is silenced. The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient. This good news has no parallel and cannot be duplicated or supplanted. It will never become obsolete. It is magnificent beyond compare.

And it is our privilege to own it and to promote it. The necessity of publishing the eternal gospel is a divine mandate. The mission of the church is not to attract clients who become convinced their lives can be improved by some spiritual self-help strategies. Neither is it the primary mission of the church to alleviate suffering and misery in people’s lives. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, the body of Christ on earth. Our God is not only living, He has already been through death. May we, through the Spirit, in this season of Lent come to a renewed appreciation of our Saviour, of Whom the prophet says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”5 Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Second Sunday in Lent
8 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Romans 4:4 2 1 Corinthians 4:6
3 See Luther’s Small Catechism 4 Romans 5:1
5 Isaiah 53:5