Holiness Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck May 19, 2021

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Cleaning Your Home

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

What do you do when you know someone is coming over to your house?

In Yesterday’s devotion, we looked at John 14:23.

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” – John 14:23

Time To Get Cleaning!
In that devotion, I talked about how amazing it is that the God of the universe has made our hearts His home. However, if you’re like me, there may have also been a bit of panic from that thought. It’s the same bit of panic I might feel before you come to my house and I realize the condition I’ve allowed my house to get into since the last time someone came and visited.

When I know people are coming to visit my home, I pick up the clutter and clean the house. I want my house to be nice and welcoming.

But How Do I Clean My Heart?
In this analogy, you might think the next thing to say is that you should clean up the clutter of your life and scrub all the gross sinful parts away before Jesus comes (or at least once He’s there). However, that’s not the next thing to say because you can’t clean the house of your life up and Jesus isn’t just coming to visit.

If you’ve ever asked a really dirty 4-year-old to clean up, you know that it doesn’t really work. Sure, for the first minute or so they try. Unfortunately, because they are dirty all over and don’t really know what they are doing, the dirt just gets moved around. You may even end up with dirt in places where there was no dirt before. Then, of course, that minute is up and they get distracted. They stop even trying to clean up and just start playing in the dirt again.

We’re all sinners through and through. Even when we try to clean up our act, it doesn’t go well and we may even end up dirtier than we started…and that’s when we’re trying. Like the 4-year-old, we usually get distracted pretty quickly and end up right back in the sin.

Jesus Is Better Than Mr. Clean
Jesus doesn’t expect us to clean our lives up. He knows we can’t. Instead, He cleans it up for us. He washes us in our Baptism. He not only gets the obvious dirty spots, but every nook and cranny until every part of us is clean, holy, and righteous.

“though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;“

Yes, we should strive to not continue to dirty up the place, but the truth is we’re all sinful slobs. Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t tire of cleaning us up. After all, It’s His home, now, and Jesus wants to live in a clean home.

That’s why the life of a Christian is a life of repentance.

Repentance isn’t a one-time act that we do when we become a Christian, it’s our new way of life. We go to the cross to be saved and we don’t leave. Jesus continues to wash us clean day in and day out until that day when He returns at, at last, sin is no more.

Dear Jesus,

I confess that my heart is dirty with sin through and through. I can’t clean myself and, honestly, sometimes I don’t want to. Change my heart to desire what is good and hate what is evil. Please forgive me and wash me clean. Continue to lead me back to Your cross in repentance day in and day out, trusting that even though I still struggle with sin, You have cleansed me thoroughly.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck November 30, 2020

Blog Christs Return, Holiness, Holy Living, Judgement Day

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You Ought To Live Holy Lives

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” – 2 Peter 3:10-11

How good are you at living a holy life?

Passages like today’s can be tricky. This is from the NIV Bible and it makes it sound like, “You better live holy and godly lives because Jesus is coming again with fire and judgment!” In a way that is what it’s saying, but not necessarily in the way many people would hear it. So, what does it mean?

Let’s look at the context and another translation to help us understand.

Surrounding Context
Before we get to the meaning, let’s first take a look at the surrounding context. At the beginning of the chapter, God (through Peter) warns the readers (who are assumed to be Christians) that in the end days there will be scoffers who say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” In other words, “Do you REALLY believe Jesus is coming again? It’s been so long. Can’t you see it’s all myths and fairytales?”

Then God says not to be deceived by those scoffers. Jesus is definitely coming…and coming with fire. After which, God explains why Jesus hasn’t come, yet:

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:8-9

So, God is being patient so more people will be saved.

Does He mean so that more people will start living right?

No!

“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:22-23

and

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Romans 3:28

So, what then?

Keep reading. Though, I’m going to switch to the ESV because the phrasing is different and more in line with most translations.

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” – 2 Peter 3:10-13

We are waiting according to His promise, not only His promise of His return but His promise of holiness and righteousness according to faith, not by works of the Law.

So, Yes, live holy and godly lives, lives of faith which trust in the promises of Jesus for our righteousness and salvation.

Dear Jesus,

Many people around me don’t believe that You are returning. Some don’t believe You ever lived. Protect me from the scoffers. Keep me firmly in the faith, trusting Your promises. May my life be holy and godly by Your hand according to Your promise and may my works reflect the holy and godly person You have made me.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck August 17, 2020

Blog forgiveness, Holiness, salvation, sin

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Pure and Holy

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” – 2 Corinthians 7:1

Do you try to follow the Bible in order to be right with God?

Tim and Sarah had just gotten engaged a week ago, when Tim announced to his buddy, Sean, that he was going on a diet and getting back to the gym. Sean chuckled a bit and said,

“Tim, man, she said, ‘yes.’ You don’t have to get in shape anymore. Let’s go to Taco Bell.”

Tim said, “It’s not that. I just want to be the best I can be for her.”

Earning Your Spot in Heaven
There are several passages in the Bible that tell us to live in certain ways. Don’t do X. Do do Y. Some have taken these passages and proclaimed that this is how we get right with God. This is how we get to heaven. They pile on a bunch of stress on people to live a godly life and then hit them with guilt when they fail.

The Bible, however, doesn’t tell us that following God’s Law is our way to heaven. In fact, it says you can’t get to heaven by the Law. Why? Because you can’t do it perfectly…no matter how good you think you are. You can’t earn your spot in heaven!

Worshiping and Giving Thanks
The Bible says over and over that we are saved by grace not by our works. It’s a gift. If God saved you when you were still a spiritually dead sinner, no amount of good work or avoidance of sin is going to make Him love you more. So, why, then should we follow God’s Law?

We do it as our way of worshiping God and giving thanks for the gift of salvation He has given us. Just like Tim, we aren’t worrying about whether God will change His mind, we just want to be the best we can for Him because we love Him and He loves us. It’s because of God’s promises that we act.

Three More Reasons
Worship and thanking God are great reasons to follow God’s ways, but there are two others as well.

It’s Who You Are – You are a child of God, holy and righteous and the Spirit of God lives in You. So, you get to live like who you are.
It’s A Better Life – God’s Law is good and true. Our lives and the lives of those around us are better off for following God’s ways.
We Are Showing Love to Our Neighbor – Much of the Law of God deals with how we treat our neighbor. By following it, we love our neighbor.

So, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit. Let’s do it out of love, not fear. Let’s do it because it’s good. Let’s do it because we know God loves us and wants the best for us.

Heavenly Father,

You have given us salvation despite our sin. We could never earn it. Now, since I’ve been saved and given new life, help me to live that new life according to your ways. Forgive me and restore me when I fall. Help me to always remember that the good works I strive to do are not to earn Your love, but because You already love me.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

The Sin Bearer and The Righteousness Giver

Kurt Steinbrueck March 31, 2020

Blog Holiness, jesus, righteousness, sin, sins forgiven

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The Sin Bearer and The Righteousness Giver

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Have you ever been in a place you wished you didn’t have to be, facing something you wished you didn’t have to face?

I have. I remember once when I was a kid I was invited to go to the beach for a few days with a friend. While there we bought a big tub of bubble gum. On the last night, my friend and I thought it would be interesting to see what it would look like if blown up bubble gum were dropped out of our 3rd story window.

First bubble gum, then ice, then who knows. After a several minutes of this there was a bang on the door. It was the police. We quick jumped into bed and pretended to be asleep. That didn’t work. Thankfully, we didn’t get arrested, but I was scared out of my wits. To make it worse, I knew I’d have to go home and tell my parents. I wished someone else could have taken my place.

Standing Before God In Sin
The police and my parents were bad enough. The idea of standing before the Almighty, perfect God of the universe to answer for my ALL my sins…well, that’s an unbearable thought!

Thankfully, we do have someone who’s willing to stand in our place and already has, Jesus. He took all our sins upon Himself and stood before the Father. He took the blame and punishment.

As if that weren’t enough, He did something more. He then put His righteousness on us. Imagine not only taking the rap for someone but then letting them receive the reward for something you did? That’s what Jesus has done for us. Through faith, He not only removes your sins but gives you His righteousness.

Standing Before God In Christ
The thought of standing before God in our sin is terrifying, but through faith we will not have to do that. Instead, we will stand before the Father not only sinless, but with t the glory of Christ’s righteousness. The thought of standing before God in Christ is unimaginably wonderful!!

Through faith in Jesus, that’s what you will get to do. It’s even how God sees you right now.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for bearing my sins and making me holy and righteous. Hold me firm in the faith You have given me that I may stand in sinless and righteous before the Father on the last day.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Holiness

Cleaning Your Home

Cleaning Your Home

You Ought To Live Holy Lives

You Ought To Live Holy Lives

Pure and Holy

Pure and Holy

The Sin Bearer and The Righteousness Giver

The Sin Bearer and The Righteousness Giver

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL