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Juhani Uljas | 2000 The Treasure Hidden In a Field -- God gave His Law to the people of Israel, in which He revealed His will to man (Exod. 20). Breaking the Law brought a curse and observing it brought a blessing. Neither was the will of God foreign to earlier people, for God had pressed it into man's innermost already in Creation (Rom. 2:14-16). But when man fell into sin, his will yielded to evil and he was no longer a doer of God's will. On the contrary, he wanted to silence the voice of God that he heard inside himself. Moses hewed the Law into two stone tablets so that the will of God would not be forgotten. Scripture uses the word, “Law,” in many senses. In addition to the Ten Commandment Law, the Law refers to the Books of Moses (the Torah) in the Old Testament. They also contain the ordinances of the Law, which are social in nature, as well as those that refer to the Old Testament's divine worship service. Sometimes in the Old Testament, the word, Law, also means the written Word of God. The New Testament and the Law In the New Testament, the Gospels relate that Jesus respected and followed the Law. He said that He has not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). On the other hand, Jesus often found himself on a collision course with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law regarding those guides to the Law's interpretation which were called the traditional commandments. The acts and epistles of the Apostles tell how the early congregation related to the Law. The Christian faith was born in the bosom of Judaism, but very soon it received supporters from among the Gentiles. The need arose to clarify the relationship of believers to the Law. At the meeting of the apostles (Acts 15), it was decided that the Gentile believers did not need to have themselves circumcised, neither did they otherwise need to fulfill the ordinances of the Law that the Jews followed. Paul's epistles clearly teach that Christians are not under the Law because Christ has fulfilled the Law. Paul shows that the function of the Law is not to help man to salvation, but to show him to be a sinner. The Law leads man to Christ to be pardoned. The Reformation and the Law Righteousness by faith and the related question of the function and use of the Law were pivotal questions at the time of the Reformation. It opened to Luther what Paul meant, when he wrote to the Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Rom.1:16,17). After this discovery, Luther wanted to cleanse from the teaching of the church all the works of man that had adhered to it. The core content of the Reformation crystallized into, “Alone by faith, alone by grace, and alone for the sake of Christ.” The Formula of Concord is the last of the confessional books. It was composed after the death of Luther. It differs from the other confessional books in the fact that it resolves doctrinal differences that had arisen among the Lutherans. This document also deals with the question of the function of the Law. According to it, the Law has three separate functions or uses: First, with the aid of God's Law, “unruly and undisciplined persons are kept within the realm of outward order and decency.” Second, the Law of God teaches all people to recognize their sins. Third, the Law also guides those people who have turned to God and have received the grace of new birth. They also must live “within the Law of God.” Now, we will proceed to examine these three functions more extensively. The First Function of the Law In the beginning, we noted that the Law of the Old Testament also contained the temporal law of the nation of Israel. Its basis was the Ten Commandment Law. It had been given not only to reveal God's will, but also to protect man. According to Scripture, the believing person understands that society and the government have been established by God. The Word of God instructs us, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.…Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Rom. 13:1-7). Luther's teachings of the two regiments or governments are connected with the first function of the Law. According to Luther, God has established two types of government among men. The spiritual government is founded on God's Word. With its help, people are intended to become righteous or justified, so that by this righteousness they would attain eternal life. He cares for this righteousness with His Word, which He has entrusted to the care of preachers. The earthly government is established upon the sword. In this manner, even those, who do not want to become righteous by the Word and justified for eternal life, are forced to be righteous before the world. God maintains this social righteousness with the assistance of the sword. Although He does not reward it with eternal life, He wants it to remain in force to preserve peace among the people. God rewards temporal righteousness with temporal benefits. The two governing authorities must not be confused or connected to each other. The first function of the Law guides a person to societal righteousness. In its sphere, Christians also are “under the Law.” We do not respect the Law out of fear of punishment, but, above all, for the sake of a good conscience. Societal righteousness must be carefully separated from righteousness by faith. Also, the most law-abiding and exemplary person is sinful and godless, unless he believes the merit of Christ as his own. The Second Function of the Law The Law promises that whoever fulfills it will be saved. The Fall into sin, however, so corrupted man that he could not fulfill the Law. Because of sin, it is impossible for us to reach eternal life by way of the Law. But sin did not invalidate the will of God; the Law continues to be in force. Its duty remained to show every person to be a sinner. Luther said, that the Law is like a “hound” that chases the sinful person to Christ. Paul describes the second use of the Law in this way, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). Scripture also teaches that God's Word is like a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). The Law's edge awakens the consciousness of sin in an unbelieving listener. The other, the Word's edge, the gospel, proclaims to the person awakened by the Law that Christ has fulfilled the Law on his behalf. For that reason, the sinful person can believe his sins forgiven because of Christ's merit. The Third Function of the Law It is mentioned in the Formula for Concord that there had been contention regarding the third function of the Law. The comment refers to the so-called Antinomians, against whom Luther had to struggle. They approved only the first function of the Law. According to their teachings, the grace of God was taken as a cover for the permissiveness of sin and the freedom of the flesh. The third function of the Law means that, in the believer's life, the Law should reveal sin and teach good deeds. Paul rejected this concept. He wrote to the Galatians, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24,25). According to the formal principle of the Reformation, the Holy Word of God rises in this manner above the confessional books. The Law and how it functions also has been discussed in Laestadianism's circles. This has taken place especially during times of schism. The disagreements have concerned the third use of the Law. This was a central subject of contention in the discussions at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, when the New Awakened and Firstborn separated from the original Laestadianism. Conservativism retained the original understanding of Laestadianism: the Law does not belong to a Christian. Also, during the schism of the 1930s, the third function of the Law was one of the reasons for disagreement, though more covertly. Grace as a Teacher Rejection of the third function of the Law has not led the children of God to permissiveness of sin. We have received another teacher in place of the Law, for God has given us His Spirit to be our home tutor (Rom. 6:14-18; Gal. 2:19-21; Gal. 5:13). The grace of God has come to guide us, instead of the Law, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Tit. 2:11,12). The wholesome grace of God that brings salvation does not teach one to commit sin but gives strength to fight against it. Grace does not teach differently than the Ten Commandment Law. However, the judgment and curse of the Law have been removed because Christ has fulfilled the Law. The apostles wrote to the people of their time many words of instruction, teaching, and rebuke. We, too, need the instructions of love contained in the gospel. They are not the Law. They are not given to us so that, by following them, we would become acceptable or righteousness before God. The instructions are necessary so that we would be able to preserve the righteousness of Christ, which we have received through faith without our own achievements and merits. The instructions strengthen and support the teaching of wholesome grace, which we hear as the voice of the conscience. Believers want to journey as children of the light. The wholesome grace of God leads us to the light. Paul uses beautiful descriptive language, when he emphasizes the value of the gospel, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). In the gospel's shining light, not even the best endeavorer will accrue merits. Our security is the forgiveness of sins because of Christ's merit.

Juhani Uljas | 2000 The Treasure Hidden In a Field -- When I was a young man, I had an interest in spiritual subjects. I considered myself to be a believer, but I wasn't sure about it. I had the understanding about Laestadian Christians that, in discussion, they would very quickly turn the topic to matters of faith and would encourage one to repent. And this they did to me, also. I thought then that they certainly are difficult people. However, those discussions forced me to consider what repentance is. Although they tried to explain the matter to me, I did not comprehend it. I rebuffed the offers, but God did not leave me at peace. When His time was come, I received the grace of repentance. Only then did I begin to understand that repentance was not my work, but that of God. It was His gift, which I accepted when it was offered to me. He also brought about a receptive mind. In my case, it required time and removal of my own ideas and strength. That event turned the direction of my life. It signified a deeper change than I then comprehended. Almost five decades have passed since then, during which the world has changed. Apparently, people have an even more obscure understanding than before of what repentance means. Many people think that repentance takes place when a person corrects his life so that it is more in accordance with God's Word, avoiding sin and doing good. Such a self-made repentance is the building of self-righteousness. It is not acceptable before God. Even many persons, who are correctly believing, mix repentance with the setting aside of sin and correction of matters, which takes place in confession. Repentance and confession are separate matters. Scripture and Confessional Books Teach About Repentance In the new [Finnish] Church Bible, the word “repentance” has been changed to conversion in some instances, but the content of the matter has not changed. God shows man that the direction of his way and life is wrong, and thus requires a change of direction. In repentance or conversion, there is not a question of checking the direction but of changing it. Neither is there a question of mere “surface remodeling,” nor even of a fundamental change for the better, but of construction on an entirely new foundation. Scripture also contains other expressions that mean the same as repentance. Of them, rebirth probably has the most significance. It describes in detail what is at issue in repentance. The Pharisee Nicodemus did not comprehend the necessity of new birth, even though Jesus taught him (John 3:1-21). Do we comprehend? When He started His public activity, Jesus proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In this condensed program announcement are found the crucial matters relative to repentance: God's kingdom, penitence, and believing the gospel. It also shows that the preaching of repentance has a central place in the work of God's kingdom. Christ's forerunner, John the Baptist, preached in the same manner (Matt. 3:2). Just before He ascended into heaven, Christ still reminded His disciples, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46,47). The speech of Paul at the Areopagus in Athens culminated in the admonition to repent, “But now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). The Scriptures give us many examples, how people have repented when approached by God. The Old Testament describes the repentances of the high priest Joshua (Zech. 3) and King David (2 Sam. 12:1-13). The New Testament again depicts how the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32); the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43); the Ethiopian Queen's eunuch (Acts 8:26-39); the Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-18); and the Roman centurion Cornelius (Acts 10) received the grace of repentance. Each of the people mentioned was different. Their spiritual backgrounds and the outward framework of their repentances differed. But on each occasion, penitence and the receiving of the forgiveness of sins were clearly in evidence. Also present was God's congregation, to whom the resurrected Christ left the office to preach the forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession states that the doctrine regarding repentance should be the brightest and clearest of all in the church. The doctrine of repentance and the doctrine of justification belong closely together, for the doctrine of penitence [repentance] ought to be as clear and plain as possible in the church (XXI:41 and XII:59) The Augsburg Confession, for its part, stipulates that repentance actually contains two parts. One is penitence, or the fear caused by consciousness of sin, which presses upon the conscience. The second is faith, which is born of the gospel, the remission of sins. Faith trusts in the fact that one's sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. This gives consolation for the conscience and frees it from fear. After this will follow good deeds, which are the fruits of repentance (XII:3-6). Repentance, from beginning to end, is the work of God, which includes penitence caused by consciousness of sin, believing the gospel, and a new life. God calls man to Him, awakens the conscience, and engenders sorrow over sin. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor. 7:10). The Call of God A person loses his childhood faith because of sin and disobedience. Many do not even know when such a loss took place. Faith, even the faith of a child, needs care. If God's Word is not allowed to care for a conscience, the faith-connection to God is severed. A person raised in a believing home and there rooted into God's kingdom may remember how sins that one couldn't put away piled up on the conscience. Little by little the conscience hardened and stopped admonishing him. The flame of faith was extinguished. God's Spirit departed because of disobedience, and it was replaced by the spirit of the world. The extinguishing of faith is not always a slow event. It is rapid, for example, when a believer falls into public sins and does not want to repent and give them up. In this way, he denies his faith by his manner of life. However, God does not forget a person who has turned his back to Him, but calls the person, who has lost his faith, back into fellowship with Him. The person hears the call of God in his conscience. God calls the person who has lost faith in many ways: through difficulties in life, suffering, and the example of others, but especially by His Word. The drift of the prodigal son's life into a dead end brought him to a stop. The father's home, which he had once wanted to leave, came to mind in a different light. Many have experienced a near one's death as a reminder from God. Unavoidably, the thought has come, “Someday, perhaps soon, it will be my turn to leave. What will be my condition or portion at that time?” A serious illness can stop a busy person. The things that filled life earlier now fall into the background, and the person's relationship to God begins to occupy the mind. The repentance of a friend or a relative touches a person even if he tries to relate to it with indifference or even scorn. God calls a person especially through the preaching of His Word. The gatherings of the believers are occasions in which the Holy Spirit teaches the way of salvation. Often the matters that were learned in childhood and the instructions of Scripture also remind and rebuke the sinner. When a person's interest in matters of faith has been kindled, his heart opens to God's Word, and he no longer wants to close it. But borrowing words from the handbook, Christian Doctrine: “Man can, however, reject God's calling. At that time, he presents many defenses in order to avoid standing in the light of God's face. In this way, he sinks still deeper into indifference and hardens his heart. This can lead to spiritual death” (CD 69). God's Word warns us not to harden our hearts if we hear His voice today (Heb. 3:15). Awakening God's call awakens the conscience of man. Christian Doctrine describes the awakening in this way: “When God stops a sinner before Him, he is compelled to see his true state. He sees that he has broken God's commandments. He begins to grasp that he not only has individual sins, but that the direction of his entire life is wrong. But in addition to distress over sin, in him awakens a drawing to the Savior and a hope that in spite of all the Savior will not reject him. This distress over sin and longing for grace before God is called awakening” (CD 70). The prodigal son awakened in a foreign land to see his sinfulness. He remembered how all was well in the Father's home and decided to return. Sometimes, repentance is viewed as having taken place at that point. If this interpretation were correct, then the redemption work of Christ would have been in vain. Repentance would be a person's own decision. The grace of God, which seeks and saves, would be unnecessary. “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5:14). Awakening is not yet repentance, even though repentance includes the awakening of the conscience. Consciousness of Sin An awakened person becomes aware of having committed sin against God. He remembers deeds and speech that his conscience condemns as wrong. They press upon his conscience. However, sin is not only known deeds and words, but it is much more. Those individual matters are only the tip of the iceberg. “Sin is the falling away of the heart from God” (CD 23). Having completed creation, God examined His resultant work; He saw all, including man, to be good. However, in the Fall, the nature of man was corrupted so that his desire turned to evil and he became an enemy of God (Col. 1:21). This poor heritage from the first people is common to all mankind. It is called inherited sin. From this internal corruption proceed evil thoughts, speech, and deeds, which are called actual sin (CD 21, CD 22). These deeds are fruits of original sin and unbelief. A scribe once came to Jesus and asked, “What is the greatest commandment of all in the Law?” Jesus answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:28). A sin-fallen, unbelieving person, cannot love God, because he is God's enemy. Therefore, even his best deeds do not take him closer to God. God does not presume that an awakened person would comprehend the entire depth of his corruption of sin. It is sufficient for God that man recognizes that he has transgressed against Him and that by his own deeds man cannot be reconciled with God but needs pardon. Penitence The awakened person begins to seek God's kingdom so that he can hear the gospel. The prodigal son thought, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18,19). Repentance is a change of heart. In it, a person regrets his sins and wants to turn away from them. The question is of the consciousness of sin and not the listing of sins. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” (Ps. 51:4). “Contrition is the genuine terror of a conscience that feels God's wrath against sin and is sorry that it has sinned. This contrition takes place when God's Word denounces sin” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession XII:29). Believing the Gospel According to Luther, true contrition is the work of the Holy Spirit. (The first debate with the Antinomians). It leads to believing the gospel. In his book, “The Last Testament of the Bloody King, Our Lord Jesus Christ-An Explanation of the Sacrament of the Holy Supper,” Luther counsels the contrite person, “It is the correct path that you come there, where My Word is, and hear it, and receive it in faith; then you will be freed from sin in My Word of grace.” He warns about contrition without faith, “If you had all of the contrition in the world, but no faith, then it would be the contrition of Judas, which angers rather than appeases God. Nothing will turn the affection of God toward us except that we give Him the honor that He is the God of truth and grace. It is done only by the person who believes His Word.” Christian Doctrine makes this teaching by Luther briefer, “Penitence without faith is despair” (CD 71). The most important part of repentance, therefore, is believing the gospel. True repentance is not possible without God's kingdom and its preaching of remission coming within hearing distance. The important duty of the congregation of God is to proclaim the gospel of the forgiveness of sins to the penitent person. According to the Augsburg Confession, “True repentance is nothing but contrition and fear because of sin and, at the same time, faith in the gospel and absolution.” The questions is of faith in this, that sin has been forgiven and grace has been received through Christ. Again, this faith consoles and satisfies the heart. It is followed also by improvement of one's life and leaving sin, for these must be the fruit of repentance. As John the Baptist says in the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matt. 3:8). New Life When a penitent person believes the gospel, new birth occurs: he becomes a child of God. Life in faith and the fellowship of God's kingdom begins at this point. God's grace brings about the improvement of life. It teaches him to reject godless ways and to live a godly life before God and men. Christ's Spirit awakens in the heart of one who has been helped to believe the desire for a new life and also gives him the strength for this. When sin attaches and makes the journey slow, he wants to put sin away and believe it forgiven (Heb. 12:1-2). A believer does not become perfect; he commits sin every day in thought, word, and deed. We are both sinful and righteous at the same time. However, the direction of life changes. The first sign of this is love. The relationship to God changes to one between a child and a loving Father. The children of God, brothers and sisters, become dear. The heart begins to be ruled by the wholesome grace of God, obedience of faith, and the correct fear of God. It is the fear of a child, in which one cries out to the Heavenly Father, “Abba, dear Father.” Thus begins the endeavor of a Christian.

Juhani Uljas | 2000 The Treasure Hidden In a Field -- As a young man, I attended a spiritual gathering. The speaker at the occasion was a traveling pastor, who also sold religious literature. I purchased some volumes of Luther's Selected Works. I got them cheap as they were the last of an old printing. I do not remember whether I purchased them to actually read them, or merely to support a good cause. However, I glanced through them at home and became interested in the book, entitled “Regarding the Keys.” On various occasions, I had discussed with my Conservative Laestadian friends about matters concerning faith. They often spoke about the keys and the authority of the keys. Of what opinion might Luther be regarding the matter in question? I thought that Luther surely would deal with the matter on the basis of the Catholic church's practices. I had read church history in school and had been interested in it even. But it certainly was possible that I would find in Luther's views some enlightenment on the question that had started to occupy my mind. I read and underlined the portions that, in my mind, were most essential and worth remembering. One portion stopped me. Luther wrote that the keys are an office or power given to Christendom by God to forgive people their sins. He based his understanding on the place in the New Testament (Matt. 9:6), in which it is described how Jesus forgave the sins of the paralyzed man and only after that healed him and how the crowds of people praised God, Who had given such authority to man. Luther further said, that God does not forgive sins in any other way. So Luther was of the same opinion as my Laestadian friends on this, that God has left the office to His congregation to forgive sins and that an unbelieving person cannot receive peace for his conscience unless he hears and believes the preaching of the forgiveness of sins. I did not immediately go to tell my friends that they were correct and that I was in error. I did not admit that my argument, that God can forgive sins in many ways, was a Pharisaic fantasy although Luther so labeled it. It was not easy to give up my own opinions and humble myself to be a beggar of grace. My structures began to crumble and my foundations give way. I had to ponder over and over again how God gives faith and peace of conscience to a person who is seeking and yearning for Him. God Has Instituted the Office of Preaching Probably, I am not the only person who has found it difficult to accept the fact that God has given to people the duty of preaching remission. This was the way it was in the time of Jesus. When He preached the forgiveness of sins to the man with the palsy, the scribes became angry and thought, “He is blaspheming God” (Mark 2:5-7; Matt. 9:2,3; Luke 5:20,21). I did not comprehend the matter either until I received the grace of repentance. Only after that, have I understood that the office of the preaching of reconciliation is a deeply scriptural matter that belongs to God's salvation plan. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). God was in Christ, He suffered, died and atoned for the sins of men in this manner. When the spear of the Roman soldier pierced the side of Christ, the holy atoning blood that flowed from it extinguished God's anger and fulfilled the demands of His righteousness. Christ's blood did not flow to dry on the rock of Golgatha and merely be a historic fact within our reach. God preserved its sermon of atonement, so that the purity and forgiveness that it provides would be therein offered to the penitent sinner. Having arisen, Christ appeared in the midst of His disciples behind closed doors. He brought the greetings of the peace made upon the cross. He showed His pierced hands and side as signs of victory. He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:19-23). In this manner, the disciples received the office and the authority to preach the forgiveness of sins. The resurrected Lord bound himself to the sermon of His disciples. This office was not received only by those disciples of Jesus to whom He gave it himself; it has been received by all who have themselves believed the sermon of the forgiveness of sins. Man is truly unfit for this duty, but God has made His child fit for it. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament” (2 Cor. 3:5,6). The Office of Preaching Is the Function of the Holy Spirit The office of preaching is not bound to anything visible, such as the sacraments. An examination or demonstration of skill is not required of this office holder, as is demanded of one in the official outward office of the priesthood. The duty, nevertheless, has its own qualifications. This is clarified by the cited portion of the Gospel of John, in which Christ gave His disciples the authority to forgive sins. The office of preaching atonement is the office of the Holy Spirit. Paul reveals the same matter in this manner, “We have this ministry, as we have received mercy” (2 Cor. 4:1). The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the pardoned sinner and authorizes him as a holder of the office of the Spirit without taking into consideration education or gender. The Office of Preaching Builds One Congregation of Christ In the Acts of the Apostles, it tells how the disciples set out to fulfill their missionary duty. Jesus had given it to them on Easter evening and renewed it before He ascended into heaven. When the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had been fulfilled, the apostles preached the gospel of the resurrected Christ to the people gathered. God blessed their sermon and a large group believed. Luke concludes his description of the first Pentecost services, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). The office of preaching gathers the gospel's believers into the fellowship of the congregation. The Holy Spirit builds Christ's church through it. When man receives the grace of new birth, the Holy Spirit does not leave him an orphan and separate, but joins him to the body of Christ as a living member. No one can take the office of preaching out of the congregation. The words and the outward form of the proclamation can be borrowed but its power cannot. Luther reveals the unity of the office of preaching and the congregation that is ruled by the Holy Spirit in this way, "There is no Word of God without the congregation, nor is there a congregation without the Word of God." By saying this, he does not mean the written, but, specifically, the preached Word of God.

Juhani Uljas | 2000 Treasure Hidden in a Field -- Man Seeks God People have sought God at all times and in all cultures. Massive temples built long ago in different parts of the world relate of mankind's seeking and yearning for God. When one looks at these constructions, the thoughts of the Preacher of the Old Testament [in Ecclesiastes] have come to my mind. He states that God made everything beautiful in His time and also placed eternity in the hearts of the people. The Preacher adds that no man is able to find out the works of God, neither their beginning nor their end (Eccl. 3:11). Atheists claim that there is no God. Apparently, they base their belief on the premise that no one has seen God and, therefore, His existence cannot be proven. Atheists are seekers. Even they seek God. They have merely strayed because they have sought Him in the wrong way and in the wrong place. Our time is full of distress. Fears encircle man, who feels insecure in the midst of continuing change. The insecurity is increased by the news of world events conveyed to us by modern media. Materialism appears to be the ideal that rules the world. If some system, that has been built upon it, falls, another one steps into its place. Its name and apparel change, but the materialistic world of values is retained, although history shows undeniably, that material prosperity alone cannot give man security or success. Distress drives him to seek the meaning of his life, to seek God. Where, then, is God? Has He died, as some theologians proclaimed in their slogan in the 1960s? Many seekers have strayed. The seeker rushes hither and yon and doesn't even know what he is really seeking. The person who is estranged from God makes for himself a god of his own liking. It differs as much from the living God as the ancient gods of stone, clay, wood, or gold. Is man's quest condemned to be a failure? It is, if the question were only of man's quest. Jesus says, “No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). The Word of God tells us clearly that God seeks man. He wants man to find Him and to receive peace for his soul. For that reason, the Word of God is true, “Seek and ye shall find!” God Seeks Man In the Fall into sin, man lost his connection with God. He had gone astray, although he probably didn't notice it right away. God, however, noticed it and went out to seek His children who had strayed. This shows the deepest essence of God, love. He could have turned His back forever on the disobedient ones and left them under the power of death. They, themselves, had chosen their portion. But God did not act in this fashion, but went to seek them. He walked in Paradise, which He had given to man, and called them. When they heard God drawing closer, they were afraid and hid themselves. It is difficult for a fallen person to meet God, even though he may yearn for Him. For that reason, man cannot be a seeker of God on his own initiative, but God must take the initiative. Man may still hear God's seeking voice in his conscience. Through the conscience, God awakens a desire in man to go to seek Him. God also has given us His Word, the Holy Scriptures, as a guide when we seek Him. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, there are three parables which describe God, who loves and seeks sinful man. The first one is the description of the shepherd, who leaves his flock for a moment and goes out to seek one sheep that strayed and was lost. Having found the sheep, the shepherd put it upon his shoulder and brought it back into the flock. The lost sheep had known how to leave the flock of its own strength, but could not return when it was wounded and tired. The shepherd did everything and carried the lost sheep back into the flock. The second parable tells about a woman who had lost a coin, looked for it, and found it. We will return to this, but first we will examine the third and surely most familiar parable, the prodigal son. The young man had departed from his father's home. Apparently, he wanted to forget his father and home, and they did not return to his mind too much as long as he had enough money and friends. He forgot his father's home because he had such a good time in the world. But then came the trials and difficulties, hunger and distress. His friends rejected him and the world showed its true, hard face. Then he remembered the father and the father's home. The prodigal son wanted to return home. It was not easy after everything that had taken place, but his distress drove him and the desire grew more urgent. Life's difficulties can make a person think of the direction of his life and are expressions of God's love by which He brings about the desire to seek Him. Our Christian Doctrine states, “The Holy Spirit awakens the sorrowless sinner with the destinies of life, suffering, and the examples of others, but especially with the Word of God” (Christian Doctrine 67). The Congregation of God Seeks Man God uses His congregation to assist Him in seeking man. The parable of the woman, who lost and found her coin tells of this (Luke 15:8-10). God's congregation is depicted in this parable by a woman, as it is in many other Bible portions. The coin that fell upon the floor or the ground is a person who has become separated from God and His congregation. Even here, God is a working, active participant; man, himself is helpless and passive. This is depicted in the parable that Matthew preserved for us-Jesus describing a net, that was thrown into the sea and that gathered all kinds of fish (Matt. 13:47). Jesus sent His disciples to do this work. He made them fishers of men. The seeking work of God's kingdom continues in the world to the end of time. Only then will the net be drawn to shore. The Time of Visitation Christian Doctrine teaches: “There are periods in man's life during which God especially draws man to Him. Such a period is called a time of visitation. Most often, God calls us already in our youth” (CD 68). In Ecclesiastes, are the words, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1). The time of youth is a time of visitation. The young person's mind is open, without conditions, and has ideals. He creates his own image of the world and chooses the direction for his life. God seeks him, and he seeks God. Fortunate is he who has found the way to God in his youth and has become His child. Oh, how much sorrow and suffering he is spared! I remember how I, myself, experienced a time of visitation in my youth. Matters concerning faith started to be of interest. I already believed that God exists, but now my relationship to God became the subject of contemplation. What does God require of me? What will be my portion when life ends? I thought of these things when I went to confirmation school. I do not remember that confirmation school in itself had much significance for me. It was more significant to me that I received a leather-bound New Testament from my aunt as a confirmation gift. I read it and underlined the portions which, in my mind, were important and parts of which I thought I understood something. I did not feel that I had anyone from whom I could seek advice, and so my interest weakened, although it wasn't extinguished completely. Later, God took hold of my life again. In my discussions with people, I have heard many of them describe how God has spoken to them in the years of their youth. The narrators have included those, who are believing, as well as those whose time of visitation has passed without their finding what they sought. God can speak to man even later, all the way into old age. A person's temporal life is called the time of grace, as he can find a merciful God and His grace kingdom during that time. One's entire life, however, is not a time of visitation. For that reason, it is worthwhile to heed God's invitation. We have no guarantee that we will hear His inviting voice later. The Word of God admonishes, “I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). The time of visitation is not a matter that affects only one person, but an entire nation or community. Scriptures recount how the elect people of God had a time of visitation during the Old Covenant and even at the beginning of the New Covenant. The living congregation of God was in their midst. The prophets admonished them to take heed of the time of visitation. Isaiah preached, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55:6). At the beginning of the New Covenant, Jesus, himself, preached, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). He sent His disciples to preach the same sermon. However, not everyone accepted the call of God's kingdom, rather their time of visitation passed them by. Jesus lamented the fate of those cities, around which He had mainly preached for the major part of His public activity (Luke 10:12-15). He wept for Jerusalem, because its residents did not know their time of visitation (Luke 19:41-44). History indicates that God has given different nations a time of visitation at different times. It has ended for many of them, as it happened to Israel. Our own nation [Finland] also has received a time of visitation, which has been longer than for many other nations. We do not know how long it will last. It could end when the people close their ears to God's call. The Joy of the Finder Jesus' parables about seeking God's kingdom also tell of finding it and of the joy that brings. When the seeker finds, he experiences joy. The shepherd rejoiced when he found his sheep and invited all of his friends to rejoice with him. Jesus explains how heaven rejoices over every sinner who repents. The woman who found the lost coin was overjoyed and invited her friends to rejoice with her. According to Jesus, God's angels rejoice over every sinner who repents. Festivities began at the prodigal son's home when he returned. He had imagined for himself a servant's position but found that he was the central person at the feast. Surely the prodigal son felt joy, when his sins were forgiven and he was once more the father's dear son. Jesus tells about the joy of the finder in His parable about the man, who found a treasure hidden in a field. Because of his joy, the man exchanged everything that he already owned for that field where he found the treasure (Matt. 13:44).

Juhani Uljas | 2000 Treasure Hidden in a Field -- General and Specific Revelation God is a hidden God. The Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, does not fit into our comprehension, but remains hidden. However, He has revealed himself to us, so that we would come to know Him. Our Christian Doctrine teaches us how God reveals himself. First, it describes God's general revelation: “God meets us in nature, in the fates of our lives and the phases of nations. He speaks to us in our conscience.” Then Christian Doctrine speaks of specific revelation, “God especially reveals himself to us in the Holy Scripture and our Savior Jesus Christ” (CD 4). God has given us His Word to help us know Him. If we do not allow the Scriptures to guide us, we will not find answers to our most basic and important questions. Above all, we will not come to know our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, God reveals himself to us, His righteousness as well as His love. Discussion on the Authority of the Bible Is the Bible the Word of God? Does one have to believe it literally? Does the Bible now have the authority that it had in past times? These are some of the questions that we have heard in recent times. They tell us that the Bible and its authority are being discussed. This discussion is not only a phenomenon of the current decade. It has continued throughout the entire period of Christendom, actually, since the serpent asked in Paradise, “Did God truly say…?” An objective of the biblical discussion of the last decades has been to break down the authority of the Scriptures as the Word of God by depending on so-called critical Bible research. In their studies, young people become familiar with a world view, that differs from the Bible's teachings. In this way, they come to ponder the trustworthiness of the Bible. The critique of the Scriptures has attained more favorable response than before, since the modern person is averse to any authority. He would want to determine for himself what God is like, and decide, himself, what is right and what is wrong. It has been shown previously that a person does not go far with his own ability. We need God's Word, the Scriptures. The Bible's Origin The Bible contains all that God has seen necessary to reveal to people. It describes God to us, His will and what we sinful people are like. God, himself, has not written the Bible, rather people have written it as a God-given task. God, however, has been present at the origin of the Bible through the Holy Spirit: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21,22). The Bible came into being over a long period of time. At first, its content was in oral form. The Bible was written and collected into a book over a period of more than a millennium. The Old Testament was written almost entirely in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. The original texts have not been preserved till our time. If some text got worn in use, it was carefully copied and the old text was destroyed. Most of the books of the Old Testament had been in use for centuries already before the canon or holy book was compiled of them. The same applies to the New Testament, whose canon was finally established as recently as 390 AD. There were two bases for selection. First of all, the writing needed to be of apostolic origin, and secondly, it had to have been used in the teachings and divine worship of the congregation from the beginning. The history of the origin of the Bible has raised a question, “How unchanging has the revelation of God remained when it has been continually copied?” We could only achieve an answer to the question if we could find manuscripts that are noticeably older than those known at the present time. The interest in Scripture's original texts arose only as a consequence of the Reformation in the 1500s. The best possible source text was needed to make reliable translations. The original texts were collected and compared to each other. However, the destroyers of the texts had done a thorough job. The oldest manuscripts of the Old Testament were from 900-1000 AD. Only at the end of the 1800s, were parchment scrolls found in Cairo; the oldest of them were from 600 AD. In 1947, shepherds found manuscripts in a cave in Qumran, near the Dead Sea, which included portions of almost all of the Old Testament books. The most important of them was the entire Book of Isaiah. These texts were almost a thousand years older than the oldest books known thus far. Comparison of the texts has shown that the copiers have done conscientious work. The differences have been minor and they have not affected the factual content. Also an abundance of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have been found. There are two texts dating back to about 200 AD, which contain almost the entire New Testament. The oldest portion of New Testament text is from 120 AD. It contains portions of the 18th chapter of the Gospel of John. For centuries, scholars have worked to trace a biblical text as close as possible to the original. They have worked toward their goal also through linguistic methods. A jigsaw puzzle of thousands of pieces has been put together to form a reliable basic text, which has been published. It is not the original, but the differences are apparently quite minor. No one can read the original Bible in his native tongue, for the languages in which the Bible was originally written are no longer in use. Exclusive of experts in the original tongues, we need to depend on translations when we read the Word of God. Already in 200 BC, the Old Testament was translated into Greek (Septuagint) and in 400 AD, the entire Bible was translated into Latin (Vulgate). We also have had our own Finnish [and English] Bible for centuries already. We understand through faith that God has protected and preserved His message all the way from oral tradition through the various phases of translation efforts. He has taken care that His message has been passed on to people throughout the millennia. Understanding this reveals the Bible's value to us: it is a unique book. Due to the manner of its birth, the Bible also has a human side. The saints of God, who spoke and wrote the Word of God, were bound to the image of the world and the culture of their time. This is seen also in the writings of the Scriptures. However, the divine and the human aspects are so intertwined in the Scriptures, that there is no reason to ponder what is divine and what is human in them. The Bible is the Word of God in human words. Therein He has revealed himself, His love, and His will to us. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) [Finnish Bible translation also says, “ettäs kätket Jumalan sanan,” meaning “that you would heed the Word of God”]. The Bible tells about historical events at length. It also contains descriptions of nature, animals, and stars, but, above all, the Bible is a textbook for salvation. The most central question of the New Testament is: What must I do that I would be saved? Some people say that the Bible does not need to be interpreted so literally, nor do its teachings hold any longer, for it has originated within the sphere of the old Semitic and Hellenistic cultures. We cannot agree with these statements, if we consider the Bible to be God's Word. Jesus and the Scripture During the time of Jesus, the Old Testament was already in written form. The authors of the New Testament tell us that He honored the Word of God. The 12-year-old Jesus tarried in the temple discussing the Holy Scriptures with the scribes. He both listened and asked questions. The teachers marveled at His knowledge of God's Word (Luke 2:46). Jesus' response to His parents is His earliest speech preserved for us. It contains something prophetical, which, for all its brevity, reveals the house of God to us and the authority of God's Word. It is worth our while, too, to be interested in God's Word and to study it. Jesus responded with God's Word to all the temptations and enticements of the enemy of the soul (Matt. 4:1-11). The Word was so respected by Him, that He did not need to justify it or prove it to be right. Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus. In the narrative, Father Abraham responded to the rich man, who was in torment, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). Unless a person believes the teaching of God's Word, he will not believe, even if someone rose from the dead and counseled him. The Bible guides us in our temporal life to the way of salvation. Jesus was critical of the scribes and the traditions, that they had drawn up to interpret the Law of Moses. But His criticism was never directed toward the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. Somewhat to their surprise, he admonished people to listen to the scribes, who sat on the seat of Moses. According to Jesus, they cared for the teaching office of Moses and the prophets (Matt. 23:2). After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. He rebuked them, as they had not believed the prophets, who had prophesied precisely of Him. Then Jesus explained Moses and all of the prophets to them (Luke 24:13-35). The examples show that the Bible was the authority for Jesus, although He, himself, was the center and fulfillment of the revelation of God. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). The Reformation and the Bible During the Reformation in the 1500s, the authority of the Scriptures became a crucial question. Luther and his friends could not accept that in the church of that time the decisions of the church councils, the thoughts of individual teachers, and church tradition had sidelined the Bible from its original position. Their position crystallized to become the formal principle of the Reformation, which is revealed in the confessional books of the Lutheran Church, “We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged ” (Book of Concord, p. 464). Luther wrote in his preface to the German Bible, “We must always allow the prophets and the apostles to sit in the teacher's place and listen at their feet to what they say, and we will not dictate what they should hear.” When this formula was followed in the Reformation, it led to a second principle: “Alone by faith, alone by grace, and alone by the merit of Christ.” Luther explained graphically the general and specific revelation, “According to merits, one cannot be called a theologian, who strives to know the invisible characteristics of God in creatures, but he [can], who knows the visible and hidden characteristics of God in suffering and the cross” (Heidelberg Disputation 1518, Theses 19 and 20). He did not belittle the general revelation, but stated that one does not come to know God by it. He added that God does not reveal himself even in one's reading of the Scriptures; for this, one needs Christ, His cross, and suffering. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins” (Heb.1:3). Christ Is the Lord of the Bible The Bible is a rich book. It provides answers to many problems and questions. Above all, it is the message of Christ. Our Christian Doctrine teaches, “The principle content of the Holy Scripture is the message of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He has prepared” (CD 7). The Bible calls this message the gospel of Christ. Luther writes in the preface to the Old Testament, “What is the New Testament but the public sermon and revelation of Christ, given in the Old Testament and fulfilled through Christ?” Peter writes, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Pet.1:19). Reading the Bible According to the example of Jesus, it is worth our while, also, to be interested in the Bible and to study it. Apostle Paul writes to young Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:14-17). Reading the Bible is important to us starting already from childhood. In this way many narratives become familiar to us. We learn from them how God helped the former saints. Many narratives and teachings come close to our own lives, and it is easy for us to identify with the people of whom they tell. We receive encouragement and strength to trust in God's help and to fight against sin. The reading of God's Word is a good thing. However, the Bible teaches that faith comes by hearing and accepting the gospel. Study and knowledge of the written Word of God is necessary for us, because it leads us to seek Christ and His grace kingdom. It also teaches a child of God to grow in the knowledge of God and the Savior, Jesus Christ. When Jesus fought against the tempter, He drove off the enemy with God's Word, and then the angels came and served Him. God's Word is a place of refuge. It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths.

Juhani Uljas | 2000 Treasure Hidden in a Field -- Man, the Image of God In the righteousness of faith, there is the question of the relationship between God and man. It is the most important issue in our lives. God is just and trustworthy. He is righteous. There is nothing wrongful in Him, nor does He change His mind, but He remains true to His promises. God is so upright that He can never accept anything wrongful. He cannot turn a blind eye to our sins, thinking as people do, “Oh, it's not such a big deal.” God created man in His own image. He made man to be an eternal being and responsible for his deeds. The man created by God was righteous, so that in that aspect, too, he was the image of God. These characteristics separate man from the rest of creation. Only man can be righteous or lack righteousness, the remainder of creation does not have this gift. When God looked at His creation, He saw that it was very good (Gen. 1:31). Thus, man also was good. But man fell into sin when he was not obedient to, but rather transgressed the will of his Creator. As a result of the Fall, man was separated from God and lost his righteousness. The trusting relationship of the child to the Father disappeared, and in its place, came fear and a need to flee from God. We all bear this poor heritage of the Fall of the first people, which is called inherited sin. Man became incapable of doing that which is right before God. The Promise of God Is Sure God is not only righteous but He is also love. He had received a promise from His Son before the creation of the world, that He would redeem man who would fall under the power of sin and death. God created earth depending upon that promise. When the Fall had taken place, the Father came seeking those who had been deceived by the serpent, His fallen children. He called out to them, because they had hidden themselves when they heard His calling voice. When He found them, He gave them the promise of Christ, Who would crush the head of the serpent. When Adam and Eve believed the promise of God, they became partakers in Christ's perfection and received righteousness of faith. When the promise given by God is under consideration, the matter is as certain as if it had already taken place (Rev. 13:8). The promise of God was fulfilled when the Word became flesh. As man, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the will of God. His life and works were acceptable before God. Love toward sin-fallen man led Him to suffering and death on the cross. He was the sacrifice chosen by God to atone for our sins. This sacrifice was sufficient. The anger of the righteous God was extinguished in the innocent blood of Jesus. Peace was made upon the cross. Death could not hold the sinless Christ in its power. As Easter morning dawned, the bars of the grave opened and the Victor rose. He had crushed the head of the serpent against the threshold of hell, as some old preachers have described the matter. “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). When Christ had risen as the Victor, He appeared in the midst of His own through locked doors. He had tidings of peace with Him. He breathed upon His disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted unto them.” In this sermon, God preserved the entire blessing of His Son's redemption work, so that a penitent person, yearning for atonement, could find and hear the forgiveness of God from it. Faith is born by hearing this sermon and accepting it. The disciples of the Lord Jesus preached the forgiveness of sins with the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. It is the great love and patience of God that this sermon still can be heard. Man can receive it when God's kingdom approaches him. Justifying Faith Faith is not a deed of man, but it is a gift of God. Therefore, faith is not a merit, on the basis of which we are declared righteous, but man owns the perfect righteousness of Christ through faith. The righteousness of faith is righteousness that has come from outside of us. It is also called “gift-righteousness.” Righteousness of faith became a central question of the Reformation. According to the confessional books, the justification of a sinner before God means that he is proclaimed free of all his sins and his merited condemnation to perdition, and that he becomes a child of God and an heir of eternal life. We do not merit this in the least, nor are we worthy of it. Justification is not based on our past, current, or future deeds. It is based on grace and on the merit of our Lord Christ, alone. His obedience, suffering, and death are counted as righteousness for us. The Holy Spirit promises and gives these gifts to us in the holy gospel. By faith we take hold of the promise, receive it, and comprehend that it applies to us. Faith is the gift of God by which we come to know Christ, our Redeemer, through the word of the gospel and to trust in Him. We know by faith that we have the forgiveness of sins, by grace alone, only because of His obedience. We also know that God considers us righteous and that we will receive eternal salvation (Formula of Concord, Righteousness by Faith before God). Righteousness of Works The opposite of righteousness of faith is righteousness of works, that can also be called righteousness of the Law, or man's self-righteousness. During Jesus' time, the Pharisees thought that they were justified by upholding the Law and the traditional statutes of their fathers with conscientious exactness. They erred because they did not recognize the depth of the fault caused by the Fall. In the light of God's Word, their righteousness diminished to hypocrisy. Jesus said to His disciples, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). Self-righteousness appears during our time in a more covert form. It does not deny Christ, but it does not want to be justified from the godless place (Rom. 4:5). The self-righteous person considers salvation the mutual work of God and man. Man must first do something to merit grace, and when the person has done his best, God fills in what is lacking from the person's righteousness with the merit of His Son. However, God will not join man in joint justifying work, but wants to present the merit of His Son as a gift to completely godless man. Grace we even receive of grace. John says, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16). In a song of Zion, we sing, “But may it not be ever touched by merits of my own; and may the Lord help us to live e'er by His grace alone” (SHZ 32:6). The danger of self-righteousness also lurks near the believer, for on our part, we are Pharisees through and through. The warning of Jesus, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,” applies to disciples. Righteousness of Life What significance do a Christian's endeavor and the fruits of faith have? The Formula of Concord answers that those who intend to remain in their sins and continue committing them do not have true saving faith. Sincere contrition always precedes faith. True faith always belongs to and is connected to true repentance. Love, on the other hand, is a fruit that follows true faith. The lack of it is a sure indication that the person does not live as one who is justified. He is either still in the power of death or he has lost the righteousness of faith that he once received, as John says (1 John 3). But Paul says, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). In this manner, he indicates that the justification which happens by faith does not include contrition any more than the deeds following justification. Good deeds are not a prerequisite of justification, but are a result of it. A person must be righteous in order to be able to do good deeds. The leading thought, when speaking about justification by faith to a believer is the core principle of the Reformation: “Alone by faith, alone by grace, and alone for the sake of the merit of Jesus Christ.”

Juhani Uljas | 2000 Treasure Hidden in a Field -- God's Congregation Finland is said to be the promised land of associations, for nowhere else do so many exist. It is no wonder if many people think that a congregation, too, is some kind of society formed by people, members who have common values and who think in the same manner, at least in matters concerning faith. However, this congregation is not such. It has been founded by God as part of His plan of salvation. Paul calls the congregation of God the house of God, the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22,23). In the Large Catechism Luther explains, in connection with the Third Article of the Creed, the nature of the congregation. He would change the phrase, “communion of saints,” to the “community” of saints, for the original Greek word meaning, the congregation, “ecclesia,” means an assembly of people. The word, community, would depict more deeply the nature of the congregation. The congregation is the community of those people whom the Holy Spirit has sanctified. Holy means separated for someone. The members of the congregation of God are not holy of themselves or saints. On their own part, they are participants in original sin and feel the influence of its corruption in themselves. But God has called them and has forgiven their sins through the gospel preached of the Holy Spirit. Thus, He has separated them from the world and put them in unity with Christ, where they can own His holiness. They have the holiness and righteousness of Christ in the fellowship of the congregation. If this fellowship breaks, they are like a vine's dry and dead branches, which do not bear fruit. The work of the Holy Spirit must continue in us for our corrupt nature wants to separate us from Christ and His congregation. The congregation of God cannot be seen with the eyes. The Pharisees once came to Jesus and asked, “When is the kingdom of God coming?” Jesus answered them, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Look here, or look there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20,21) [Translation corresponds with the Finnish Bible]. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). New birth means receiving faith and becoming a child of God. Only faith opens one's understanding to see the congregation of God in the midst of people here in time. Luther explains the nature of the congregation in his preface to the book of Revelation, “The mind does not comprehend the one holy Christian congregation on earth.” Man cannot see it with the aid of reason, even if he put on “all of the [world's] spectacles,” for the enemy of souls has covered it with faults and heresies. The congregation of God can be seen only through faith, when the Holy Spirit opens the eyes. Through faith we see as John did, “And I, John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:2,3). [Translation corresponds with the Finnish Bible.] The Work of the Holy Spirit Luther teaches in the Large Catechism that the work of God must continue without interruption. Creation has concluded, and the redemption work of Jesus has taken place, but the work of the Holy Spirit will continue until the last day. The Holy Spirit acts through the congregation. Christendom is not yet numerically full, for that reason the Holy Spirit must still dispense forgiveness. According to Luther, we believe on the Holy Ghost, which draws us daily into fellowship with the congregation by God's Word. The Holy Spirit does His sanctifying work in His congregation and through the mediation of His congregation. As the Creator, God is near all people, just as Paul preached at the Areopagus in Athens, “He is not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:27,28). God calls and awakens a person in many ways, but He justifies a person in only one way. The justifying God can be found only in His congregation, in which the Holy Spirit does His justifying and sanctifying work. Before His suffering and death, Christ prepared His disciples for the change ahead of them. He said, “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.…Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:7,13). The resurrected Christ sent a message to the congregations of Asia Minor, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!” (Rev. 2:7). We also ask that God would keep our ears open to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in His congregation. The Communion of Saints According to Scripture, the communion of saints is realized in the congregation. Paul writes, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:27). The members live and act only together with the body. They do not have life separate from the body. “Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). Jesus' parable about the vine and its branches is familiar and meaningful. The branches can bear fruit only if they remain attached to the trunk (John 15:1-8). A song of Zion depicts the fellowship of the children of God: The mark of recognition, grant we this love preserve! For known by this distinction, the kingdom dwells on earth. The Spirit's power holds us the love of Christ within - unbroken cord that binds us together, brings us home (SHZ 464:5). Luther would have gladly changed “communion” to “community,” but he did not dispute that the congregation also is a communion of saints. In the Large Catechism, he describes the congregation and the unity of spirit that rules there in this manner, “I believe that there is on earth a little flock or community of pure saints under one head, Christ. It is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, mind, and understanding. It possesses a variety of gifts, yet it is united in love without sect or schism. Of this community I also am a part and member, a participant and co-partner in all the blessings it possesses. I was brought to it by the Holy Spirit and incorporated into it through the fact that I have heard and still hear God's Word.” The communion of saints is communion of spirit and of love, but above all, it is communion with Christ. We live and experience this to be true already here in time in the midst of the battling congregation. This communion does not recognize the boundaries of time, but passes over them. When we read about the people in Scripture, it is easy to identify with them. Their experiences and endeavors and ours have been the same. This becomes especially evident in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which depicts the congregation as God's people on a journey. A portion has already arrived at the destination, but a portion is still on the way. The travelers who have reached glory support us with their examples, so that we would not tire. “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us set aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race which is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

Erik and Kyra Wuollet | 2020 December Voice of Zion | The Christmas season is a time of advent when we await the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift, who redeemed us of all sin. We remember and celebrate this time of year by attending services, spending time with family, and giving and receiving gifts. Apostle Paul’s words in Acts 20:35 tell us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus also instructs, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). We visited with elders Roy and Mary Skoog and Eva Wuollet from our home congregation of Cokato, Minnesota. They reflected on gifts they have received in their lives. They grew up in the time of the Great Depression. Their parents were not able to provide substantial gifts. Yet they remember feeling blessed. Eva Wuollet remembers receiving an orange, peanuts, or an apple for Christmas. “We never expected much. People were satisfied and never felt like they missed out,” she says. Even when the family had little themselves, they would notice others in need, and it was nice to be able to help however they could. Often help was given in the form of a meal. After Eva married Donald and they had a large family of their own, Eva was able to enjoy giving gifts to their kids, although she felt there was not much to give. Eva says, “It was always nice to be able to bring the kids to church services.” Roy and Mary Skoog also remember receiving few material gifts at Christmas when they were children. Mary reflects that they never had a Christmas tree, and she rarely received gifts from her parents but was overjoyed to receive a package from her aunts and uncles. Although Mary’s parents were unable to give presents, Mary said, “I am thankful my parents thought about my undying soul.” They brought her to services and preached the gospel in their home. The message then and now is that Jesus’ birth is the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Through believing sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood we will be able to make it to heaven one day. When we think of a gift, often the first image that comes to mind is a package nicely wrapped in festive paper with an object inside. It is important to remember that the gifts Jesus spoke of are not of this kind. We possess the most precious gift, the gift of faith. As believers, we can also freely offer this gift to anyone who is searching for peace for their undying soul. We pray that we would be given strength to speak of the joy that is in us, and thus be able to offer this gift to our unbelieving neighbors in our Christmas giving. The gifts we receive are blessings from God. Likewise, the gifts we give are also His blessings. Erik and Kyra Wuollet Discussion questions: 1. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). What does this mean to you? 2. When have you realized it was a greater blessing to give rather than receive? What were the circumstances? 3. What does instruction in Acts 20:35 teach us especially about helping the less fortunate? How might we do this today? 4. How can we teach children about the blessing of giving, rather than receiving? How can parents model this? 5. When you think back to Christmases past, which is easier to remember: gifts you’ve given or gifts you’ve received? Why is this so?

Ben and Jen Waaraniemi | 2020 November Voice of Zion | “Think and speak well of him and put the best construction on all he does.” – Martin Luther, Small Catechism With the simple instruction above, Martin Luther summarizes the eighth commandment in his Small Catechism. It is a message that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus that are recorded for us in the Bible. From a young age, children can grasp the truth and simplicity of Jesus’ teaching of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is a lesson that we need to teach and learn again and again throughout our lives. Kind behavior is described in the Bible: Apostle Paul teaches that as we have opportunity, we are to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Thus, believers have a special responsibility to help and support brothers and sisters in faith. God’s kingdom is made up of many individuals who have differing perspectives and personalities. The enemy of God’s kingdom works to use these differences to create contention and strife between believers. John especially instructs about the importance of preserving love between believers: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7). We need to fight against the instinct of our flesh to see those with a different perspective or opinion as opponents but rather as those for whom Christ died. When differing opinions in matters of faith or doctrine arise, we can trust that when we approach each other with love and humility God reveals the way forward in His time. Bear One Another’s Burdens God has also created all His children with varying abilities and disabilities. This does not change the fact that each of His created children has an undying soul of equal worth. Christian love teaches us to help and serve those with particular needs or conditions: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Paul also instructs every person “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” and “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate” (Rom. 12). This passage instructs us to strive to be helpful, rather than superior to others, offering our individual abilities to serve Him and all humankind. The eighth commandment speaks of our neighbor: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” In addition to not lying about others, we should also extend love to all people. Jesus teaches in the parable of the Good Samaritan that ‘neighbor’ applies to all of humankind who are created in God’s image. It may seem easy to not spread lies and to think well of those we love or respect. It is much more difficult to apply the commandment and this message of love to those with whom we disagree or who live and speak contrary to God’s Word. Yet the teaching of Jesus is clear: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matt. 5:43,44). Apostle Paul also instructs that “as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” A Christian has the responsibility to work for temporal peace. Disparaging or harming others with our words or actions is sin. We pray for the mind of Christ in confessing our faith and preaching sin as sin. The Golden Rule In his Large Catechism, Martin Luther expands on his explanation of the eighth commandment: “Now we have the summary and substance of this commandment: No one shall use the tongue to harm a neighbor, whether friend or foe. No one shall say anything evil of a neighbor, whether true or false, unless it is done with proper authority or for that person’s improvement. Rather, we should use our tongue to speak only the best about all people, to cover the sins and infirmities of our neighbors, to justify their actions, and to cloak and veil them with our own honor. Our chief reason for doing this is the one Christ has given in the gospel, and in which he means to encompass all the commandments concerning our neighbor, ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.’” Luther’s words here highlight the Golden Rule. This rule is so simple, yet it is necessary for us to think deeply about how to apply it in everyday life. Ben and Jen Waaraniemi A Forest of Kindness Our new home is nestled in a birch grove. When we arrive, the summer is at its finest. Gentle, slender birch trees shine day and night, green and silver branches rustle as if to whisper their welcome. As summer wanes and autumn approaches, the lush green deepens, and suddenly we see that this is not just a birch grove we live in. We notice that in a corner of the yard grow bushes of black and red currants. Their berries will soon be ripe for the picking. Beside the shed, a tall old pine stands high. Birds flock to the yard to feast on the ruddy orange berries of the winter ash. And later, when the greens turn to brown and yellow, I see it. A little maple, right outside the window. Unlike the sociable birches, the maple stands bravely alone. It dazzles with its large golden leaves. If God’s congregation on earth were a forest, would we all be birch trees? Clustered together, safe and secure? Whispering when the maple shows its splendor, that “he is not one of us?” And what about the poor winter ash that is picked clean in September? Would we wave our branch arms in protection? God’s congregation is a group of individuals. We are human and all so different. Some of us – it might be a majority of us – have grown up in an area where we are surrounded by believers and relatives. Yet, there are some believers who might feel that they do not fit in because of personal life situations, such as having repented from the world, having lost family to the world, having moved from a different country or continent, or just having a different perspective on life because of life’s circumstances and experiences. How can we show kindness to such individuals? How can we show them that their uniqueness is valued, and that they and their different perspectives are welcome? Kindness does not stem from obligation, but from the true desire to care. The Bible says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). What sort of deed is kind? It is a genuine gesture, unassuming. It is showing the love God has for us to our neighbor. It is trying to accept others and their differences even though we can’t completely understand them. If God’s congregation on earth were a forest, we would stand, some like the birches, in clusters, safe and secure. Some of us would be like the tall pines, strong and confident and a little aloof. Some like the brave, lonely maple. Some smaller, unassuming. All exposed to the storms and winds of life but experiencing them differently depending on where we stand. And all thirsting for and thriving on the water that gives life. Like the trees of the forest, we are indeed, all different. We have different needs, experiences, and feelings but are united by the gospel message. Jesus died for all our sins, and in God’s kingdom the refreshing gospel flows freely. May we have the strength to always support each other by showing kindness. Katriina Edoh When Teasing is Bullying Is it bullying or just bad behavior? Should we be concerned about kids’ taunting chants of “fatty-fatty two-by-four?” It’s just kids being kids, right? What’s a little teasing? But are the kids who are teased and bullied able to rise above being continually or even occasionally hurt by others? A group of boys constantly muttered humiliating comments to a teenaged girl when she walked by. Day after day they tormented her. One boy sat with a group of boys at the lunch table – they walked away. He wasn’t called to play hockey at the neighborhood rink and was ridiculed for his inability to pronounce the letter “s.” Another boy was jeered for his weight. Showering at camp was deeply humiliating. His underwear was strewn on the lawn, and his bunk was filled with grass and suitcase littered with garbage. Did he want to go to camp next year? It happens more than we want to admit. It happens at church services and at camps. How would you feel if these things happened to you or to your child? These young people battled feelings of shame and worthlessness. Some cut their bodies to dull the pain of rejection. Some had thoughts of ending a life that felt not worth living. They may carry scars into adulthood – low self-esteem, anxiety or depression. Some denied faith, overcome by temptations and doubts. “The devil whispers loudest to the victim,” says Brett Nikula, Minnesota licensed Associate Marriage and Family therapist, “planting lies and seeds of bitterness, saying, ‘God has forgotten you. They can’t be believers when they act like that. This can’t be God’s kingdom.’” The heart aches for victims and may feel animosity towards the bully. But what about the bully? Don’t bullies want to get to heaven too? The enemy of souls also tempts the bully. He may be struggling after being mistreated himself. This may be his misguided way to try fit into a group. Or he may be unaware of his bullying, thinking that he is just teasing and people should just “lighten up.” The bully needs to be stopped, even by removal if necessary. And the victims need to understand that nothing they did caused the bullying – no matter what they may have done. It may take time before the victim is able to encounter the bully, and any encounters should only be arranged when the victim is ready. Ultimately, both bullies and victims need loving encouragement to come to the grace altar to put away bitterness, doubts, pride and sinful actions. When a penitent heart believes sins forgiven, then miracles happen. Parents whose son was bullying other boys called the boys and parents together. This matter was discussed in love, and all wished to believe sins forgiven. The boys played together from then on. The enemy of souls wants to break love between believers and cause turmoil in homes and congregations. The most powerful tool against this is the forgiving gospel which can heal a bitter heart and broken relationships. Even after the blessing, victims may need professional help to repair PTSD, low self-worth and depression. It’s important to make clear that bullying is never okay. If we make excuses for it, then the misunderstandings about bullying continue. Bullying isn’t simply a harmless part of growing up. Wouldn’t we wish to do our part to stop it? Kindness is a learned behavior. Let’s teach our children to include everyone and to invite a newcomer into the group. Let’s take a seat next to anyone sitting alone and get to know them. Let’s celebrate that we both love soccer instead of ridiculing the other’s shoes. Everyone has faults and sins. And perhaps most of us can remember a time when we left someone out or went overboard with teasing. Maybe we even bullied. As ugly as the sins may be, the beauty of God’s kingdom is that no one needs to be condemned for these transgressions. Both bully and bullied can freely believe all sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Elaine Nikula Show Kindness Be nice! We often tell children this, but how can we encourage them to show goodness to others? We can start teaching kindness by asking: what is kindness? Why do we want to be kind? Kindness is showing goodness to others, being friendly, helpful, patient, gentle and considering the feelings of others. Showing kindness through our actions makes others feel comforted and happy, may solve conflicts and problems and moves others to be kind in return. There are many Bible passages that remind us how important kindness is. The Bible reminds us that the most important thing is charity, the love that is deep care for others (1 Cor. 13:4–7,13). The Bible instructs us, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). We are reminded to show love to all people, even complete strangers (Lev. 19:34). Kindness is a fruit of faith; our love for God and thankfulness that our sins are forgiven moves our heart to show kindness to all people (Gal. 5:22). We can teach children to show kindness in simple ways, such as by saying hello, smiling at others and using nice words. We can also instruct them to help someone who has fallen down or to notice peers who are alone and to go have a friendly chat with that person. Children notice when adults show kindness toward others and can see how these actions make others happy. As an example, we can tell Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan who helped a wounded stranger. Jesus, the perfect teacher, was an example when He met the scorned Samaritan woman at the well. He shared with her the kindest thing of all: the forgiveness of all sins in the name and blood of Jesus. It is good to learn the Golden Rule, which says to treat others the same way you wish to be treated. This refers to what Jesus taught in Luke 6:31: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” When we think about our feelings when we are treated a certain way, it helps us to understand how our own actions make others feel. We can ponder whether we are always kind to everyone, and whether this is an easy task. Sometimes it isn’t easy and sometimes we aren’t as nice as we should be. Jesus reminds us we should try when he admonishes, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). He teaches us that this pleases God and that He will stay close to us. If we are unkind, we want to apologize. If the person we hurt is a believer, we can ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name and blood. This uplifts us, and we can make a promise to again show love one to another. I am a preschool teacher at Sunday school, and it is always uplifting to see what forgiving and open hearts four-year-olds have. This was evident the day of our Sunday School Christmas Program. One little boy was in tears of nervousness waiting for our class’ turn to sing. I asked if he would feel happier if he had a friend to hold his hand. He nodded through his tears. Every student in the class raised their hand when I asked for a volunteer to hold the boy’s hand. He dried his tears and went to sing happily, surrounded by kindness and holding the warm hand of a friend! May God help us to keep an open heart like a young child, feeling love for others and showing kindness to all people in truth and deed. Sonja Ojala Kindness in the Home and among Siblings “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). I reflect on my childhood and the people with whom I spent my young years, those tender years of growing up, learning about life and faith and preparing for the future. How has it come to be that those with whom I often clashed are now my best friends, angels that God has given me as escorts on the narrow pathway to heaven? They are my mother, my father, my sisters and brothers – not only parents but also friends in living faith. We often say, “To have friends, one must be a friend.” We find this teaching in the Bible (Prov. 18:24). I recall being sad once when I was left out of my circle of friends. My parents lovingly reminded and encouraged me to be patient. They told me that this will pass, that my friends will still be there. Dad often instructed, kill with kindness: the meaner someone is to you, the nicer you be to them. I recall becoming upset with a brother as we struggled for the same toy. Now these memories are happy! The recollections of some fights and battles are lighthearted and funny. How happy I am for these people in my life! How can we have remained close into adulthood after those experiences of growing up together? We were taught to care for offenses. As each day ended, we sang a song and said a prayer and preached the gospel of forgiveness in Jesus’ name and blood. The instruction was simple and clear. It was the same for all of us living under the same roof. And this instruction is still the same in my adulthood: take care of offenses as they arise. Use the gospel of forgiveness of sins freely. It is a gift! Put away by name those sins of which you are aware and which trouble your conscience. Kindness and the bond of living faith have kept my parents and siblings close in adult years. As a fruit of faith, siblings and parents have desired to counsel and support each other in life’s questions and challenges. Now I am the mother of a large family of my own. God has blessed me richly. I hope the instructions from my childhood carry over into my life as a mother – that my children can grow with the same home teachings I have been given. I hope that my children too will experience kindness in the home and be loving, believing escorts to each other as they travel through life toward their heavenly home. Laura Laho Bullying – a Threat to Young Believers? Is bullying a reality in God's kingdom? What about cyberbullying? Some may believe that it isn’t an issue, or that one who falls victim to it needs to “buck up,” “develop a thick skin,” “stand up for yourself” or some other platitude. Many, myself included, have been victims of bullying at some time or other and have been told things like this. In Phoenix’s Youth Presentation "Friendships, Bullies, and Social Media," however, we heard that you don’t know the mindset of those to whom you are telling to buck up, or of those you yourself are bullying. What you say or write can be incredibly hurtful, and you must think before you post, said presenter Andy Kesti. Then and Now Kesti started his presentation with a description of his experience with the quintessential bully at his school as a kid. He went through how it happened and was handled. Then, he discussed how this might have been if they all had been handed smartphones and social media accounts. What Experts Say Kesti showed a video about how social media influences teenagers and affects the rise of depression and anxiety in teens and the resultant suicide rate. An issue emphasized in the video was the impact of phones on teens’ and pre-teens’ psyche. We heard how “Giving a phone with access to social media without education or training to an 11-year-old is equivalent to giving them a car with no driver’s ed.” Some teens are so dependent on their phones that a simple phone confiscation can result in self-harm. What the Bible Says Kesti referenced a few verses on friendship from the Bible regarding how we should treat one another, as shown in this example from Galatians 6:1,2: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself. Lest thou be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Simply put, we need to care for our friends and treat them with kindness, as Jesus teaches. Bullies as Friends How do we make friends? A friendship can be formed by greeting someone, showing them kindness, and finding common ground. However, a friendship could also be formed between a person being drawn to someone who bullies others. This type of magnet is someone who is mean to others and puts others down. So why are people friends with them? Well, because many of us, somewhere in that human part of us, like that the person is mean, and we want to be mean too. Maybe we’re not the one actually being mean, but secretly, or not so secretly, we like to watch the person be mean to others. Another component of friendship is sharing. We share fun, beliefs and values. Beliefs and values are only shared between true friends. If these are not discussed between friends, the friendship doesn’t last. A true friend would never leave you for rebuking them because you share values. Cyberbullying Has Impact The clincher of this presentation was a true story (with fictional names) of cyberbullying that happened among the youth in Phoenix. After reading the narrative, Kesti referenced this verse from Paul’s guidance to the Colossians 3:8: “But now ye put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth,” and asked the listeners: “What part of Paul’s guidance in Colossians are the people in this story not following?” Kesti concluded his presentation with the gospel, then reviewed the gravity of cyberbullying and the harm it can cause. Although we can believe sins forgiven, we have to be accountable for our actions – what we say, do and post. If we have posted something that bullies another, we must take it down and speak to that person and take care of matters. Like many other aspects of being a believer in today's times, social media is a place of watching. It may feel like a safe place to vent one's anger or to say something mean or nasty because you are not face-to-face with the other person. However, an online environment is no different in terms of sin: offense, wrath, anger, and a host of other negative experiences are found there as anywhere else. Bullying – and cyberbullying – do occur in God’s kingdom. Awareness can help prevention efforts. Ask for Help If you are being bullied, reach out to an adult. Sometimes the first person you reach out to may not be able to help but keep trying to tell someone.If you are a parent or adult, listen to and believe the victim. Remind them that although we all have faults, they did not cause the bullying and they are not being too sensitive. Ask how you can help, or what would be helpful right now. If you are the bully, you too can reach out for both forgiveness and help. You too can learn to find kindness and empathy in yourself and show these qualities to others. Find a comprehensive list of ways to ask for help at PacerTeensAgainstBullying.org. Rachelle Kurtti Discussion Points 1. Read and discuss the 12th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. How can you apply this to your relationships with other believers? 2. How can you apply this instruction to your relationships with those who do not have this faith-gift? 3. Who comes to mind when you think of kindness? Why? Who deserves your kindness? 4. How can we spread kindness and teach kindness to young ones in our lives? 5. How often do you do something for others without expecting something in return?

Darren Hendrickson | 2020 October/November Shepherd's Voice | I remember a time when I was a boy in elementary school. An argument had happened on the playground and bad words slipped from my mouth. This bothered me for the rest of the school day. I came home with a heavy heart. Slowly I walked into the room where my mom was sewing. She looked up and asked what was wrong. The tears came and I told her what had happened. I can still see her sitting by her sewing machine in the afternoon sunlight, preaching the words of the gospel, “Believe all sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and precious blood.” I felt so happy and all my troubles were gone! Jesus spoke to the people of His time and to us about the power to forgive sins. The Bible talks how Jesus once held services in a house. In that place was a man who could not walk. Because of this, his friends opened a hole in the roof of the house and lowered the man down next to Jesus! What was the first thing Jesus did? He immediately did the greatest thing He could do: he forgave the man’s sins. The people that were watching began to question this in their minds. They wondered how someone could have the power to forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking and answered in this way: He asked whether it is harder to forgive sins or to make a person walk who could not walk before. Jesus then answered the question by performing a miracle! He healed the man who could not walk, and the man stood up and walked! What did the man do then? He praised God (Luke 5:23–25). You have also had your sins forgiven, this has happened many times in your life. You have felt happy and free to know that your sins are forgiven. That is how that sick man felt when Jesus healed him. You children can also preach forgiveness to your mother, father, sisters and brothers. You have the power to preach forgiveness to anyone in this world who wants to have their sins forgiven. The forgiveness of sins is the greatest gift anyone can receive. Daren Hendrickson Things to visit about: Why do we say that the gospel of the forgiveness of sins are the most powerful words? In the article we read how Jesus healed a lame man. How does the gospel message heal us? How do we feel after hearing the message that our sins are forgiven? Think about the words of the gospel message. Why do we say that sins are forgiven in Jesus’ blood? How did the lame man feel when he could walk again?