Leaving the season of Epiphany we now enter into the season of Lent with the first Sunday in Lent and these three readings: Genesis 22:1-18; James 1:12-18 and Mark 1:9-15. The text for the sermon is James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Every theological passage of the Bible can be interpreted in one of two ways–the right way and the wrong way. Theologically speaking, the passage can be interpreted from the point of view of Living Under The Law as a Theologian of Self-Glory or Living Under the Gospel as a Theologian of the Cross. James 1:12 is a classic example of how the English translation moves one to interpret the verse as a Theologian of Self-Glory.

The sermon could begin by asking the listeners to list what James 1:12 says is necessary for you to do to receive the crown of life. The answer of course is “nothing” but the text is so translated that most Christians will answer along the following lines: “We are to accomplish three things to receive the crown of life. They are 1) endure temptation; 2) be approved by God; 3) Love Him.”

The Theologian of Self-Glory is motivated by the Old Adam to think this way because the Old Adam does not want to give any credit to God for our salvation. And the verse appears to reveal what 3 things a person must accomplish in order to receive the crown of life. That is why most Christians reading the Bible in this self-glory way worry about whether they are righteous enough to go to heaven. This thinking is a result of not being taught clearly how God thinks which is the primary goal of worship services, Bible studies, seminars and the like.

Here is where the Old Adam misleads us with this translation. The first mistake is that we interpret the verse to mean that if we endure we will be blessed. However, God’s view is that enduring temptation is the blessing itself. For you to endure temptation is definitely the work of the Holy Spirit within you. The blessing is not a result of you doing the endurance but rather the Holy Spirit bringing forth a fruit of the Spirit of endurance.

The second problem is the notion that we need to be proved or approved by God on the basis of our accomplishing His will. No, being approved by God occurs because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which we trust for salvation because of the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit. The “proving” of us by God does not take place in light of our endurance but in light of our baptism.

The third error is to assume that the crown of life is promised to those who make the decision to love God as though the unbeliever could make such a decision. No, as Jesus says, “You did not choose me; I chose you.” The reason we love Him is again because of the gift of the new heart and will (Psalm 51) which God graciously gives to those who do not deserve it.

To put it simply, the credit for receiving the crown of life is not ours to take but is due to the work of God alone as He blesses us with enduring temptation, approves us on the basis of the work of Jesus and creates love in us for indeed, “We love Him because He first loved us!”

James 1:12 is therefore a wonderful verse to demonstrate the tendency of our Old Adam to control our theological thinking as God gets short shrift for our salvation and we desire to take some, if not all the credit. Law and Gospel is the key to applying each theological verse in the Bible in light of God’s way of thinking as theologians of the cross read the Scriptures.

Law and Gospel Responds to “23 Minutes In Hell” by Bill Wiese
By Tom Baker (www.lawgospel.com)

The purpose of this series is to use the Biblical distinctions between Law and Gospel to analyze theologically the claims of various articles and books. This piece will first summarize our general response to the book “23 Minutes in Hell” by Bill Wiese and then provide specifics from a Law and Gospel perspective.

Generally speaking, the content of the book mirrors a view of hell based on the Theologian of Self-Glory rather than the Theologian of the Cross. Biblical verses are taken out of context and the proper distinctions between Law and Gospel are thoroughly confused. I would not give this book to an unbeliever because just the opposite might occur from what the author intended. Rather than a person deciding to believe in Jesus Christ after reading “23 Minutes in Hell” the unbeliever would be persuaded even more so to remain in his unbelief. The bottom line is that the view of hell and its purpose portrayed in “23 Minutes” is not that of the Bible.

Specifically speaking the following theological problems are found in the book with the appropriate page number noted.

Though the author insists that this was not a dream and that he actually was in hell (p. xv), there were no serious injuries sustained when he returned home if he truly had had the “razor-like claws” “plunged into his chest and ripped them outward.” (6) In fact, he states that “my flesh hung from my body like ribbons as I fell again to the cell floor.” Yet when he “awoke” in his house a few minutes later, there were no such wounds. His experience was therefore superior to that of Jesus who truly experienced a crucifixion as was evident from the wounds which the disciples saw.

The theme that he forgot about God is not one substantiated in the Bible in regard to those who suffer the pangs of hell. (9) It is true that God in His grace is absent from Hell; it is not true that those in Hell have no knowledge of God.

The most dangerous part of this book is the revelation of that which theologians speak of the hidden God. The Bible reveals only a tiny fraction of 1% of Who God is and what He does. However, in “23 Minutes” there are specific details never found in the Bible about hell that appear to be written by the devil himself (22, 25, 26, 30) for the purpose of seeing that unbelievers never want anything to do with the god of “23 Minutes.”

The idea that God needed someone to “experience” hell for real for the purpose of bringing back a message of warning (xvi) so that “whoever reads this story will be able to take the proper measures to steer clear of this place at all costs” (xviii) ridicules the power of the Word and a primary distinction between Law and Gospel. The author ridicules the power of God’s holy Word by concluding that his personal experience told to others is something that God needed to have because the Word of God is not powerful enough to convince people of the truth. That is a denial of 2 Timothy 3:16 by writing this book with the assumption that the Scripture is not sufficient. Remember the verse, “if even an angel…let him be accursed.”

Moreover, from a L&G point of view, the Law makes clear first of all that God demands perfect obedience which no one can do as we all fall short of the glory of God. Second, the Bible makes clear that no unbeliever has the ability to take any measures—let alone the proper ones—to “steer clear” of hell. (xviii) Instead, salvation is a gift which requires neither change of behavior nor obedience as a prerequisite. In fact, until one has been totally saved, it is impossible even to do one proper work.

The book therefore is a refutation of one of the primary rediscoveries of the Reformation that no unbeliever has any free choice in matters spiritual. What is needed is not information about hell to motivate one to become saved but rather a heart transplant and a new spirit (Psalm 51). As with most evangelical theology today, the book is the reverse coin of Roman Catholic thought that even unbelievers are responsible for making the right choices before they are saved. The author appears imprisoned in this pre-Reformation thinking by insisting that God had him experience hell so that unbelievers “could instead choose life with Him.” Does no one remember the clear passage, “You did not choose Me; I chose you.” (John 15:16) In other words, the author’s opinion on page 35 that he had to share with others his experience so that they would know “what they need to do to avoid that terrible place” is nothing else than the lies of the devil himself.

Though the author claims that the Bible verses on hell confirmed “everything I had experienced,” there are numerous items that find no Biblical data such as the description of the two enormous beasts (page 2) as well as other details too numerous to mention through page 38.

The bottom line is that the author is basing his knowledge about hell on some “experience” Our message needs to be based on the Bible and it alone because experience will always confuse us and draw us away from the Word of God. Why is that? Because our experience is based on commonsense such as when you are bad, God punishes you and when you are good, He rewards you. So do the good thing, accept Jesus as your Savior and go to heaven instead of hell. Such teaching is from the pit of hell as it denies salvation by grace through faith on account of Jesus Christ and not because of the threat of hell.

The greatest confusion of Law and Gospel is that apparently unknown to the author is the Biblical fact that the Law can never lead to salvation. It can only inform us that there is nothing we can do to be saved. However, in “23 Minutes” the fear of the Law in pointing out the reality of hell supposedly motivates someone to do the impossible; that is, decide to become a Christian. Once more we find ourselves back in pre-Reformation days with no knowledge that an unbeliever has no power at all to make such a choice.

Because the author bases his book on his experience, and not on trusting the Word of God, such experience will never be sure. Thus, it is no surprise at all that the author himself begins to doubt his experience and demand from God another experience to provide him with more evidence of his time in hell (56). The devil is only too happy to serve up as much experience as he loves to draw you away from the sure truth of God’s Word.

The very fact that the author has an entire chapter on “Confirmations” exposes the weakness of his own faith in the veracity of what he “experienced.” For the believer, no evidence is needed for true faith; for the unbeliever, no amount of evidence is ever sufficient. For what keeps the unbeliever from making a decision for Christ is not simply ignorance of hell but original sin and a will that is totally incapable of making such a decision. Page 78 and 79 demonstrate the pre-Reformation, pro-Roman Catholic theology of this theologian who apparently is totally ignorant of the discoveries of the Reformers that contradict much of what is on those pages.

There are many other theological errors such as the unbiblical view on page 112 of how all children will be saved and thus the implicit denial of the importance of infant baptism. In fact, there is hardly any mention of the sacraments as the proper means of grace to create and confirm faith which again militates against Reformation and biblical theology.

In regard to whether I believe that the author made all this up or had a dream, I have no problem in agreeing with the Scripture that in the last days the devil himself will be given miraculous signs and wonders so that even the elect might fall from the faith as they forsake the Word of God and cling instead to their experiences. I will give the author the benefit of agreeing that he had this experience through a dream instigated by Satan and permitted by God. The purpose? So that theologians of Law and Gospel might point out the unbiblical details and theology behind such a book as “23 Minutes” for the sake of the believer’s growth in the one true faith that is only found in the written Word of God and in the incarnate Word of God; namely, Jesus Christ.

For the end of the Epiphany season, Transfiguration Sunday offers the following readings: 2 Kings 2:1-12 or Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6 and Mark 9:2-9. The sermon text is 2 Corinthians 3:13, “unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.”

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after speaking with God, his face shone with the reflected glory of God. Exodus 34:33 reveals that after speaking with the people of Israel, Moses put a veil on his face. Why? The answer is not given so clearly as in the text for today from 2 Corinthians 3:13 so that the “children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.”

In other words, while his face shone, Moses had great authority and power as the people saw that he was speaking for God. But when that glory began to fade, Moses was concerned that the people would not be as attentive to him. In contrast to that fading glory of reflection, the Mount of Transfiguration reveals a radiant glory on Jesus that resulted in his clothes being so exceedingly white that “no launderer on earth can whiten them.”

The Law and Gospel theme is that our words are authoritative only when we repeat what God has said. Jesus’ words are auathoritative because He is God! That is why the Father commands, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Only when the Christian repeats the words from the Word of God–both Jesus and the Bible–are such words to be taken in faith.

The Gospel includes the theme that apart from faith in Jesus Christ, the veil remains over the heart of unbelievers and only is taken away “when one turns to the Lord.” For even the Pharisees’ reading of the Bible resulted in being blind to the Gospel as they thanked God that their personal works made them better than others who were sinners!

Also for Christians, apart from a teacher of the Word who can use the original Hebrew and Greek, a portion of the Bible remains veiled. Examine most evangelical theologians today who even know the Hebrew and Greek and you will find the denial of infant baptism, talk of a rapture and the use of decision theology. It is clear how the veil remains over the hearts of even believers.

The sermon can then demonstrate how even for those in the pews worshipping the holy Trinity that the old Adam often interprets and applies the Bible in such a way that what we think, do and say appears to make a difference in whether we go to heaven or hell. That is not only a denial of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ but also an addition to the work of the cross which in essence is a subtraction from the work of the cross.

We can thank the Lord that on the Day of Judgment, He will not decide whether we go to heaven or hell on the basis of our understanding with the head but rather on the basis of our perfect faith in the heart trusting the effective work of Jesus’s death and resurrection. The task of the Christian in witnessing is to help the hearer think more like God by means of a correct understanding of the Word and a proper use of the holy sacraments.

For the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany the three readings are 2 Kings 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:19-11:1 and Mark 1:40-45. The text chosen to preach for this coming Sunday is 2 Kings 5:12, “Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?”

The story is a familiar one for teachers-in-training of the Old Testament. Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria finds out from a captured Israeli girl that he can be healed of his leprosy by a prophet in Samaria. But when the prophet Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan river seven times, Naaman is furious that such dirty water should be helpful to him. After being persuaded by others to do what Elisha tells him to do, his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

There are many today who reject the teaching that baptism is a holy sacrament from God by which we are indeed cleansed of our sins. Theologically speaking, the Pentecost water baptism delivers the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection so that we are no longer held accountable for the punishment of our sins; that is, we are forgiven.

How can water do such things? It is not the water but the Gospel promises of the Word of God connected to that event. Baptism is NOT the work of man to show forth one’s faith; it is the work of God to assure us of our having now received the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. Unlike marriage in which mutual promises are given between man and woman, in baptism God alone makes the promises and we as the baptized receive the fulfillment of those promises.

It reminds us of the dream Abraham had when a burning torch passed between the remains of sacrificed animals. Normally, both sides in a conflict would pass between the sacrifices indicating that if they did not keep their new covenant, that they deserved to happen to them what happened to these animals. But in God’s covenant relationship with us, He alone passes between the animals. For the new covenant is not based on our work or promises but the promises of God through the work of Jesus Christ and the benefits conferred on us through the waters of baptism.

It doesn’t really matter whether the water is clean or dirty. What matters is whether the Word of God is connected so that indeed the Bible is correct, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” In fact, it is no coincidence in regard to infant baptism that the Great Commission of Matthew 28 has baptism preceding teaching. A miracle indeed takes place when the waters of baptism transfer even an infant from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God on earth; that is, the holy Christian Church.

Looking forward to the 5th Sunday after the Epiphany the three assigned readings are Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 and Mark 1:29-39. The passage chosen to preach about is Isaiah 40:27, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God.?”

One goal of a sermon is to help the listeners to get into the shoes of those mentioned in the readings. From a theological view, that means to have the listener realize that the accusation of Law against those in the Bible can also be made against the listener today. One way to do that is to begin a sermon with a question that is later understood to connect with the sinners of the text.

For this particular text, one question which could work to do this is the following: “Can you remember the last time you prayed to God that He did not answer.” If a Christian can remember such a prayer, he either does not understand prayer and certainly does not understand God. For God always answers every prayer and instantly. His answers are yes, no or wait.

In reality, they are always “yes.” How so? Proper prayer is of two kinds. Either you are praying for something which God has already promised or you are requesting something for which there is no specific promise. In the latter case, one is to keep in mind, “But Thy will be done.” Therefore, in all cases of our prayers to God, His answer is a firm “Yes” either in keeping HIs promise or accomplishing His will.

Jacob and Israel complained both that their way was hidden from the Lord and that their just claims in front of God’s court were being passed over; that is, ignored. Such an attitude is similar to those who imagine that God does not answer our prayers. However, Isaiah reveals that God is way past commonsense understanding.

On the one hand, He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might He increases their strength. God is totally paradoxical. Apart from eyes of faith, He never makes sense. The cross, of course, is the most ridiculous of events as though we would act toward our enemies the way God acts toward us.

The Gospel is found in verse 31 in that those who wait on the Lord is simply another way of speaking of “trust.” Note that such trust does not merit anything. Instead, the verse continues that “the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Note well that God is the One Who drives all the verbs. That means that He is the subject and doer of any sentence that reveals how we are saved and how we continue to be saved. His work began with creation, continued through the redemption of the cross and resurrection and culminated with the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to faith and sustaining such a faith.