Holy Living Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck April 22, 2021

Blog Holy Living, holy spirit, righteousness, sin

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Walking By the Spirit

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

Pentecost Sunday is coming up in a few weeks, when we celebrate God sending His Spirit to dwell among us and in us.

It is the Holy Spirit who opens our hearts and minds to hear and understand God’s Word.
It is the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts of people to create faith.
It is the Holy Spirit who then lives in us as redeemed followers of Jesus Christ.

As such, we are no longer slaves to our sinful flesh, rather we are alive in the Spirit.

In Galatians 5 the Scriptures warn us against the works of the flesh and tells us about the fruit of the Spirit. When we think about the sinful desires of our sinful flesh and how God warns us not to indulge in them, it can quickly turn our lives into a massive, unending effort to avoid those sins and produce the fruit of the Spirit. It creates a tiring life that often leads to despair as we continue to give in to our sinful desires.

Works vs Fruit
However, it’s telling that the sinful desires are called “works” and the good things of the Spirit are called “fruit”. We don’t produce the fruit, the Spirit does. This changes how we understand these passages from Galatians. No longer are they about our efforts, but rather, the work of God.

Martin Luther wrote about this:

“When someone becomes aware of this battle of the flesh, he should not lose heart on this account; but by the Spirit he should fight back and say: ‘I am a sinner, and I am aware of my sin; for I have not yet put off my flesh, to which sin will cling as long as it lives. But I will obey the Spirit rather than the flesh. That is, by faith and hope I will take hold of Christ. I will fortify myself with His Word, and thus fortified I will refuse to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

In verse 16 the Scriptures put it this way,

“walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

It is not by our efforts to avoid sin that we won’t gratify the desires of the flesh, it by turning to God by the power of the Holy Spirit and clinging to the wonderful promise we have in Jesus. Instead of a life of unending effort and despair, this is a life of peace and rest and hope.

Heavenly Father,

May Your Holy Spirit dwell in me richly that I might bear the fruit as one filled with the Spirit. Help me to walk in Your Spirit rather than the desires of my sinful flesh not by my own effort, but the work of Your Spirit living in me.

Amen

Kurt Steinbrueck March 16, 2021

Blog Christs Return, Holy Living, righteousness

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Waiting…

Waiting...

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” – Titus 2:11-14

Jesus came and died for us.

Yeah!

He’s coming again.

Yeah!

So, what do we do in the meantime?

According to Titus 2:11-14, we renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope. We could also add the Great Commission to make disciples of all people. These two things aren’t separate, though. It’s impossible to make disciples, baptizing and teaching all that God has commanded while living a godless life. Living a self-controlled, upright, and godly life is part of our witness.

“But it’s so hard, pastor!”

Thankfully, God doesn’t leave it just to us to do. Christ’s appearance and salvation “train[s] us to do it. Moreover, Jesus sends us His Spirit who wills and works this within us.

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” – Philippians 2:13

“Yet, I still struggle with sin, pastor!”

Yes, so do I. Paul addresses that in Romans 7.

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” – Romans 7:21-23

Paul wants to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life, but he keeps finding himself doing the opposite because his sinful nature still lives within Him.

So, where does that leave us?

It leaves us back where we started, Christ’s appearing and bringing salvation. We try to follow God’s will and commands and pray for Him to work in our lives. When we do, we praise the Lord for what He is doing in our lives. When we fall, we are reminded that our sinful nature is still at work in our bodies and we, once again, fall before the cross in repentance. However, we do not despair. Though it, at times, seems hopeless, it never is because our hope is always in Christ, alone…or as Paul sums up Romans 7…

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!“

Heavenly Father,

As I await Jesus’ return, work in my life to will and to do good works for Your purposes. When I fail, lead me back to the cross and remind me that whether I do good works or give in to sin, my hope is always in Jesus Christ, alone.

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 March 10, 2020

Blog holy, Holy Living, salvation, Salvation is a gift

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Are You Holy Enough?

are you holy enough

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” – 2 Timothy 1:9

Are you holy enough for God to let you into heaven?

This is a question many people wonder and struggle with. 2 Timothy gives us some important insight into this question.

God saved you and He didn’t do it because you were good enough. He did it for His own purposes and because He is gracious. In fact, He planned your salvation from the beginning of time.

This passage also says that we are called to a holy life, but notice the order. We are saved first, by God’s will, then we are called to a holy life as one who is already saved. In fact, Hebrews 10:10 says we are holy because God makes us holy.

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” – Hebrews 10:10

So, the holy life we are called to is a matter of God telling us to live like the holy people we are through Christ. So, yes, if you believe in Jesus, you are holy enough to get into heaven. You are holy enough because God has made you holy apart from anything you have done or avoided doing.

You can also live in that holiness as well!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for saving me and making me holy. Help me to trust in Your work making me holy rather than my works which do nothing for my salvation. Thank you also for the blessing of being able to live as one who is holy. Help me to live as Your called and chosen child to Your glory.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck January 10, 2020

Blog Be Holy, holy, Holy Living

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Set Apart

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” – 1 Peter 1:14-16

To be holy is to be set apart for a special, Godly purpose. For example, the temple was holy. It was set apart for worship and God dwelled there. The Ark of the Covenant was holy. Even priestly clothes and objects used in worship, such as utensils at the altar, were considered holy. So, a priest wouldn’t take the tongs used for placing burnt offerings on the altar and use them at home for a bar-b-cue.

We are called by God to act as His holy people, but why?

He doesn’t say, “Be holy and I’ll love you.” He says to do it because He is holy and He has made us holy. God has set you apart for Him.

Jesus has adopted us with His blood as His children. He has made us holy and righteous and then says, “Now, act like who I have made you.” We don’t make ourselves holy by our actions, rather our holy actions come from God having made us holy by His grace.

Cleansing a Holy Object:
If a temple object used by a priest were to be soiled in some way that made it ceremonially unclean, that object had to be cleansed in order to be used again. I don’t just mean the tongs fell on the ground and the priest needs to rinse off the dirt. The object had to be ceremonially cleaned. Similarly, if the priest became ceremonially unclean by touching a dead animal. He had to go through a ritual of cleansing, which included him going into water set apart for this cleansing.

We are made holy by the grace of God and then called to act as that holy person we have been made. Sin would make us unclean, but God cleanses us through the waters of baptism, through confession and forgiveness. The God who made you holy continues to cleanse you and make you holy and then says to act like the holy person you are.

How do you usually think of holiness?

Most people think of holiness as something they do. They make themselves holy by doing godly things or they make themselves less holy by sinning. This is backwards, though. God makes us holy, those godly things we do are a result of God making us holy, not what makes us holy.

Does this change holy you think about holiness?

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for calling me and making me holy. Thank You for cleansing me of my sin. Help me to live like the holy person You have made me.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

The Other Six

How To Use These Posts
The Other Six is a short, daily devotional blog post. You can use these posts for personal devotions, however, I’m also going to write them in such a way that you could use them for family devotions. I’ll include a Bible verse, questions and/or discussion points, and a closing prayer. I highly encourage you to do these devotions with your family or friends if possible.
Enjoy!

Holy Living

Walking By the Spirit

Walking By the Spirit

Waiting…

Waiting...

You Ought To Live Holy Lives

You Ought To Live Holy Lives

Are You Holy Enough?

are you holy enough

Set Apart

Set Apart

The Other Six

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