Jesus is our “cloak of righteousness”

“The Christian church is righteous and holy, even though it may not appear so. For the truth is that Christian righteousness is outside of us, alone in Christ and by our faith in Him. Accordingly, the church and every believer in it confesses, I know that I am sinful and unclean, bound in sin and shame, subject to death, knowing nothing but sin, and yet I am righteous and holy, not of myself, but in Christ Jesus who has become my cloak of righteousness before God, my sanctification and redemption. This Christian righteousness surpasses all human knowledge, reason and wisdom, being completely beyond reason’s competence and judgment. ” (sermons of Luther, v.7)

 

Martin Luther on the Kingdom of God

“Thy Kingdom Come”

“As we prayed in the first Petition concerning the honor and name of God that He would prevent the world from adorning its lies and wickedness with it, but cause it to be esteemed sublime and holy both in doctrine and life, so that He may be praised and magnified in us, so here we pray that His kingdom also may come. But just as the name of God is in itself holy, and we pray nevertheless that it be holy among us, so also His kingdom comes of itself, without our prayer, yet we pray nevertheless that it may come to us, that is, prevail among us and with us, so taht we may be a part of those among whom His name is hallowed and His kingdom prospers.

But what is the kingdom of God? Answer: Nothing else than what we learned in the Creed, that God sent His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, into the world to redeem and deliver us from the power of the devil, and to bring us to Himself, and to govern us as a King of righteousness, life and salvation against sin, death, and an evil conscience, for which end He has also bestowed His Holy Ghost, who is to bring these things home to us by His Holy Word, and to illumine and strengthen us in the faith by His power.

Therefore we pray here in the first place taht this may become effective with us, and that His name be so praised through the holy Word of God and a Christian life that both we who have accepted it may abide and daily grow therein, and that it may gain approbation and adherence among other people and proceed with power throughout the world, that many may find entrance into the Kingdom of Grace, be made partakers of redemption, being led thereto by the Holy Ghost, in order that thus we may all together remain forever in the one kingdom now begun.

For the coming of God’s kingdom to us occurs in two ways; first, here in time through the Word and faith; and secondly, in eternity forever through revelation. Now we pray for both these things, that it may come to those who are not yet in it, and, by daily increase , to us who have received the same, and thereafter in eternal life. All this is nothing else than saying: Dear Father, we pray, give us first Thy Word, that the Gospel be preached properly throughout the world, and secondly, that it be received in faith, and work and live in us, so that through the Word and the power of the Holy Ghost Thy kingdom may prevail among us, and the kingdom of the devil be put down, that he may have no right or power over us, until at last it shall be utterly destroyed, and sin, death, and hell shall be exterminated, that we may live forever in perfect righteousness and blessedness.”   (Large Catechism)

 

Accepted by God in Christ, BEFORE obeying

“When it comes to drawing near to God, and pleasing him, legalism insists that obedience precedes acceptance – that it’s all up to us. But the fresh breeze of gospel freedom announces that acceptance precedes obedience – that once we’re already approved and already accepted by God in Christ, we can freely follow GOd’s lead and grow in doing His will out of genuine gratitude for His amazing grace and without any fear of judgment or condemnations when we fail. C. S. Lewis observed taht what most distinguishes the gospel from legalism is that legalism says God will love us if we are good, while the gospel tells us God will make us good because He loves us.”   (fromJesus Plus Nothing, by Tullian Tjividjian, grandson of Billy Graham)

If Jesus Isn’t Your Mediator, He’s Not Your ANYTHING!

Comments on “Questions from Readers” 8/15/89 WT – “Is Jesus the Mediator only for spirit-annointed Christians or for all mankind, since 1 timothy 2:5,6 speaks of him as the “mediator” who “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all” ?

“The bible contains basic teachings and DEEP truths, which are solid food, for study. One such study involves Jesus Christ’s role as Mediator.” Here we see a very Russell-esque mind manipulation. Deep truth to follow! Are you just a novice, still wading around in the shallow waters of Biblical truth? Or are you ready for the “deep” truths? What follows is really deep, so if you don’t get it, you’re just not ready, you spiritual baby!

“To grasp what Paul is saying…” we must understand Watchtower theology! We must interpret all Scripture by their novel and bizarre construct of the Annointed/Great Crowd distinction. How strange that Paul did not clarify this himself, as he discusses Jesus as Mediator! (Keep in mind that according to Watchtower’s own reckoning, the book of Revelation was still decades from being written.)  They cite Luke 12 and Jesus’ use of the term “little flock” and connect it without basis to 2 Scriptures from Revelation. This is one of WT’s favorite methods of Scripture-twisting called “Collapsing Contexts” – when 2 or more unrelated texts are treated as if they belonged together.

As usual, “Christendom” takes a hit, and is treated as a monolithic and deluded entity. “Christendom teaches that all good people go to heaven.” In actuality, most of Christendom teaches that there are no good people; rather all are bad people who need a Saviour, and are lost without Christ.

The next five paragraphs feature a deluge of verbiage involving Greek words and the nuances of a Mediator’s role. Subsequent to this, we find the words “clearly, then the New Covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all mankind. It is a carefully arranged legal provision involving God and anointed Christians. “  Many Christians would agree with some of  this, but the definition of “anointed” is the dividing line.

Toward the end, the article uses the expression “heavenly kingdom of priests.” Supposedly they are the end goal of the New Covenant, and will work with Jesus from heaven.  There are 2 Scriptures cited concerning this “heavenly kingdom of priests.” One is Exodus 19:6, which refers to an earthly kingdom of priests, in this case meaning all of Israel. And I Peter 2:9 refers to New Testament believers as a holy priesthood in that they offer spiritual sacrifices to God. Neither verse uses the phrase “heavenly kingdom of priests,” or remotely alludes to  a future role they will have with Jesus, running things from heaven!

In attempting to throw a spiritual bone to the great crowd, John 14:6 is quoted, that no one can come to the Father but through Jesus.   Excuse me, but doesn’t that describe a Mediator? The Great Crowd must also direct their prayers to Jehovah through Jesus in John 14:13, 23 and 24. But let’s hope the other sheep don’t read these verses in context, starting with John 14:1 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also.”  Does this sound like heaven to you?

Can Jesus be your High Priest, but not your Mediator?  In another stretch, the authors seem to suggest that He can be. The claim is made that as  High Priest, Jesus applies the benefits of his sacrifice to the non-Annointed, “allowing them to gain forgiveness and eventual salvation.” They reference Acts 4:12, which states that there is salvation in no one else (but Jesus) for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Let us note that throughout the book of Acts, seekers are exhorted to repent and be baptized on the spot – to be saved right then and there. There is no teaching about some possible eternal salvation.

Hebrews 4:15 is then cited  to fabricate some supposed benefit to the Great Crowd by extension, when the whole theme of Hebrews is the New Covenant!  In point of fact, the two offices are intrinsically connected to each other and to the New Covenant. A priest is one who serves as a mediator between God and man.

Don’t let the Watchtower leave you as a spiritual orphan. ALL who receive Him (John 1:12) have the Lord Jesus Christ as not only their Mediator, but as  their great High Priest, Advocate, Savior, Sabbath, peace, propitiation, Lord, Elder Brother, Redeemer, creator, hope, shepherd, and friend!  Hallelujah, Amen!

John Calvin on the Problem With Works righteousness

 

“What righteousness can men obtain by their works? First, i say, that the best thing which can be produced by them is always tainted and corrupted by the impurity of the flesh, and has, as it were, some mixture of dross it in it . Let the holy servant of God, I say, select from the whole course of his life the action which he deems most excellent, and let him ponder it in all its parts; he will doubtless find in it something that savors of the rottenness of the flesh, since our alacrity in well-doing is never what it ought to be, but our course is always retarded by much weakness. ALthough we see that the stains by which the works of the righteous are blemished, are by no means unapparent, still, granting that they are the minutest possible, will they give no offense to the eyes of God, before which even the stars are not clean? We thus see, that even saints cannot perform one work which, if judged on its own merits, is not deserving of condemnation.” (It is interesting how Luther sets forthexactly the same idea in his Heidelberg Disputation)

John Calvin speaks of shaking off every kind of confidence in ourselves, “in order that we may haste to Christ unencumbered, and while hungry and empty be filled with his blessings. Never shall we have sufficient confidence in him unless utterly distrustful of ourselves; never shall we take courage in him until we first despond of ourselves; never shall we have full consolation in him until we cease to have any in ourselves. When we have entirely discarded all self-confidence, and trust solely in the certainty of his goodness, we are fit to apprehend and obtain the grace of God. ‘When,’ as Augustine says, ‘forgetting our own merits, we embrace the gifts of Christ, because if he should seek for merits in us, we should not obtain his gifts.’ “