For Sunday, July 29, 2007, the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, the three assigned readings are Genesis 18:17-33 (Sodom and Gomorrah); Colossians 2:6-19 (philosophy and empty deceit) and Luke 11:1-13 (Lord’s Prayer). Chosen to elaborate upon is Colossians 2:14 which reads, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.”

What were these requirements that needed to be wiped out? From a Law and Gospel point of view, every other religion in the world would conclude that the requirement that needed to be met was obedience to the will of god. And in those religions, their gods would provide help and even grace to finally meet the requirements of being good, obedient and moral. Listen to most talk radio and TV to hear how the morality of this country needs to be turned around as though that is the goal of Christianity!

In contrast to religions of Law that imagine the requirements to be met are the Ten Commandments or some other ethical platform, the Bible points to another requirement that sinful mankind can not possibly meet. And that requirement is also part of the Word of God which reveals, “In the day that you sin, you will surely die.” The curse of the Law is a requirement that no sinner can meet because to fulfill the curse, one would have to spend an eternity in hell.

The Gospel reveals that, what man could not do because of his sin, God did in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus became sin for you that you might become the righteousness of God in Him. He became your substitute in receiving the requirement of separation from the Father (”My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”). The rest of verse 14 points out how Jesus did that by nailing it to the cross.

Verse 13 clarifies that the gift you receive is that your sins are forgiven. This also helps us to understand the concept of “forgiveness” which does not mean that your sin ceases. Rather forgiveness refers to the taking away of the curse of the Law. We remain sinners deserving nothing but temporal and eternal punishment even with all the help of the Holy Spirit. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the “handwriting of requirements” is wiped out in the blood of Jesus Christ and then transferred to us in the waters of baptism.

For further elaboration that can be heard for one hour, go to kfuo.org and then click on Law and Gospel archives and listen to the broadcast of Monday, July 23, 2007.