All Saints' Sunday (GA)

Matthew 18:10-14

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹² What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. 

There are always discussions about who are these little ones. Some think of them as children, which in this context makes great sense. But in a fuller view of the text, since we are all to become like children. Let us not just think of the lost little sheep being children. But maybe we should think more like the first century church, All those outside the church are lost sheep.

What does it mean if they are lost saints? Those people who do not truly know the Lord, but once were members of a congregation. Those lost saints are not the ones who have fallen asleep in Christ, but they are the children who have left the church. Some of these are now in their forties. The previously churched individuals, are saints who have gone astray.

These are the lost sheep. Maybe we can truly talk about ways to develop a system to save these lost saints. But the first step is that we don't think of these saints as lost forever. We need to be willing to love even those who have done wrong to us in the past.

Jesus Christ has died for you, even while you were yet still sinners. Even while we were enemies of Christ, God sent his son to die for us. Thus, you have been forgiven of all your sins. You have truly been rescued from the hand of the devil. You have been made saints of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All Saints' Sunday (NT)

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

² Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴ I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 

⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸ For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹ As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 

¹⁰ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. ¹¹ For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³ Therefore we are comforted. 

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. ¹⁵ And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you. 

It is time for us to rejoice with all the saints. It is time for us not only to think of our own short comings, but also of the world around us. It is important for us to not only know our sin, but how that sin effects others. God comes to each of us to tell us how to deal with our own sins. Our sins lead to death, and thus we his holy people will eventually die.

But the real difficulty is how do we reflect on those who have fallen asleep in the Lord? How do you view your connection to the saints of God? Godly grief comes to us because we suffer. Godly grief brings us recognition of our suffering and our sin. It is through times of grief and remembering the sinners who have died, that call us to repentance.

All who die are sinners. Yes, Christ became the worst sinner of all. The one who knew no sin, takes upon himself all the sins of the world. He thus, dies for all the sins of the world. He pays the price of death which we owe on account of our sins. Christ is likewise risen from the dead as the first fruits of our resurrection.

In Jesus we not only have a proper understanding of why people die. We die because of sin, and because we have fallen away from God and even disgraced God in our lives. But he does not leave us with this answer. We also have life through his resurrection. Rejoice with complete confidence that you will rise on the last day to life everlasting with all the saints.

All Saints' Sunday (OT)

Isaiah 61:1-11

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 

because the Lord has anointed me 

to bring good news to the poor; 

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

to proclaim liberty to the captives, 

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 

²  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, 

and the day of vengeance of our God; 

to comfort all who mourn; 

³  to grant to those who mourn in Zion— 

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, 

the oil of gladness instead of mourning, 

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; 

that they may be called oaks of righteousness, 

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 

⁴  They shall build up the ancient ruins; 

they shall raise up the former devastations; 

they shall repair the ruined cities, 

the devastations of many generations. 

⁵  Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; 

foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; 

⁶  but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; 

they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; 

you shall eat the wealth of the nations, 

and in their glory you shall boast. 

⁷  Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; 

instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; 

therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; 

they shall have everlasting joy. 

⁸  For I the Lord love justice; 

I hate robbery and wrong; 

I will faithfully give them their recompense, 

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 

⁹  Their offspring shall be known among the nations, 

and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; 

all who see them shall acknowledge them, 

that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. 

¹⁰  I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; 

my soul shall exult in my God, 

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; 

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, 

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, 

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

¹¹  For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, 

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, 

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise 

to sprout up before all the nations. 

The Sunday of Job

CL: Job 38:1-18

OTA: Exodus 3:1-12

NT: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

NTA: Ephesians 6:10-24

G: Matthew 14:22-33

GA: Matthew 8:23-27

Ps: Psalm 89:1-18

The Sunday of Job

November 22nd

Collect of the Day:

O God, Your divine wisdom sets in order all things in heaven and on earth.  Put away from us all things hurtful and give us those things that are beneficial for us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Theme for the Week          Who are You?

Verse of the Week:              Job 38:16

Daily Bible Reading List:

Mon:  Ephesians 6:10-24  Tues:  1 Thessalonians 3:1-13    Wed:  Job 38:1-18

Thurs:            Exodus 3:1-12         Fri:  Matthew 14:22-33

Catechism Reading:

The First Article: Creation

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures;

that He has given me my body and soul,

eyes, ears, and all my members,

my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes,

food and drink, house and home, wife and children,

land, animals, and all I have.

He richly and daily provides me with all that I need

to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger

and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy,

without any merit or worthiness in me.

For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

All Saints' Sunday (CL)

Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus gives us a list of truth statements. These are not conditional sentences. These are purely statements of fact. Jesus declares that these various groups of people are blessed. It is not a command to be like one of these groups of people, in order to be blessed. This is purely a gift from God.

There are some people who may struggle to find themselves in one of these groups. But you could even find yourself in multiple groups listed. You may recognize there are different blessings, but all these blessings seem to entail the gift of everlasting life with God.

Sin can often blind us. It can make us think we are not worthy for what God has done for you. But Jesus is telling you, this gift is for you. You are called to be Gods disciples. Jesus has done the work for you. He even prepares you for the time when you might question whether you are still blessed. When suffering or persecution comes remember you're blessed.

All Saints' Sunday (OTA)

Micah 6:1-8

Hear what the Lord says: 

Arise, plead your case before the mountains, 

and let the hills hear your voice. 

²  Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, 

and you enduring foundations of the earth, 

for the Lord has an indictment against his people, 

and he will contend with Israel. 

³  “O my people, what have I done to you? 

How have I wearied you? Answer me! 

⁴  For I brought you up from the land of Egypt 

and redeemed you from the house of slavery, 

and I sent before you Moses, 

Aaron, and Miriam. 

⁵  O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, 

and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, 

and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, 

that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” 

⁶  “With what shall I come before the Lord, 

and bow myself before God on high? 

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, 

with calves a year old? 

⁷  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 

with ten thousands of rivers of oil? 

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, 

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 

⁸  He has told you, O man, what is good; 

and what does the Lord require of you 

but to do justice, and to love kindness, 

and to walk humbly with your God? 

God brought his people up out of the land of Egypt. He gave them requirements to show their loyalty. But even those who witnessed the power of God were turned away. Think about being in Egypt while the ten plagues are happening, and crossing the Red Sea, yet these people still turned back. So now we who do not experience this, know how God has redeemed his people.

He doesn't redeem his people through the blood of beasts. There are not enough beasts to be sacrificed for all your sins. Micah even asks the question whether there is anything we can do to actually please the Lord? Can you repay God what you owe for your sins? The answer is quit clear, NO! You are a fallen creature bent on sin. Therefore, we look to what God did in Egypt.

But for us today we can look at our real pascal Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Christ our Lord has laid down his life for you and your sins. He has paid the full price you owe and redeemed you from your sins. The work is not about what you need to accomplish, but what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.

All Saints' Sunday

OT: Isaiah 61:1-11

OTA: Micah 6:1-8

NT: 2 Corinthians 7:2--16

NTA: 1 John 3:1-3

CL: Matthew 5:1-12

GA: Matthew 18:10-14

Ps: Psalm 41:1-13

All Saints’ Sunday

November 1st

Collect of the Day:

Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ.  Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Theme for the Week          Unity between All Saints

Verse of the Week:              Matthew 5:3

Daily Bible Reading List:

Mon:  Micah 6:1-8    Tues:  Isaiah 61:1-11         Wed:  Matthew 5:1-12

Thurs:            2 Corinthians 7:2-16          Fri:  Matthew 18:10-14

Catechism Reading:

First

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not just plain water,

but it is the water

included in God's command

and combined with God's word.

Which is that word of God?

Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew:

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,

 baptizing them

in the name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

The Sunday of Moses (G)

Matthew 24:1-35

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 

Reading this section without the headings that seperate the various sections can be very interesting in itself. The headings sometimes make it too easy to seperate the context of a pericope.

As we have placed this text along side the creation of the golden calf, does this bring more light upon what the abomination of desolation is really all about? Or does it possibly highlight how Moses' return to the people is like that of Jesus' return?

The Abomination of being in ther very presence of God, and even hearing God's voice and forty days go by and you are already abandoning him for an object of gold. The people have switched tracks so easily. This brings great shame and disgrace upon the entire people. They should have fled before drinking the gloden water and being cut down by the Levitical sword.

Similarly, Moses went up the Mountain that was covered with smoke and fire. It looked like a smoking furnace. Moses instructed the people and delivered the people, then he left the people to spend 40 days with God. The people thought he was gone, or worse dead. But then the Lord burns with Anger, Moses burns with anger, and he comes down the Mountain to confront the people with their sins. So the Son of Man will come with lightning. He will come with darkness and judgment as it seems the entire creation is turned upside down.

So we are to remember the promises God has given to us. He has delivered from our sins. He has provided us with a promise of Hope in the new creation. He has done these things and will soon return to his people. He will revisit their sins upon all the creation. He will judge us! Yet, you are forgiven all your sins in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Reformation Sunday (G)

Matthew 20:1-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ⁸ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

We never think we are going to get a fair deal. People will devise all kinds of constitutions, or contracts that they think will protect them from bad things. They do not want to be cheated out of their work. But here in our text those who went to work early in the day feel they got cheated because the owner followed their contract. They assumed he would be gracious to them because of their great work.

Often times compare ourselves to others, we determine from our own perspective who is better. These comparisons are generally based on what we have done, or who we are. But ultimately the sin here is expecting a greater gift, from a gracious master.

He did not have to hire anyone. He goes out at different times and does not just hire the required number, but all those who desire to come. He is gracious in hiring. He is even gracious in providing a full days wages for those who worked less than a day. He is gracious in calling all people to receive good gifts for their labor.

God does not provide each of us with a different gift. He provides us with the same amount of grace. He provides each of us the same amount of forgiveness. But even though some of us may have more sins that weigh us down, God still covers all your sins. Even though some of us may struggle with sins we have committed that appear to be greater than anyone would forgive. God still provides you with a full denarius. He still forgives you all your sins, because Christ died for all the sins of the World.

Reformation Sunday (NT)

1 John 5:9-21

⁹ If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 

¹⁸ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 

¹⁹ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. ²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 

What is your testimony? Many people today want to talk about how God is working in their life. Some even want to talk about How God is delivering us from daily suffering and distress. Even the movie War Room has established this idea that if you pray hard enough God will grant you good things, and even a good life. But this is not the case.

What is your testimony? It is the same testimony God has provided each of us with since the beginning. God sent his Son to bear this testimony. You are a sinful creature. You are a lost and condemned person. You are worthy of no good thing. You are beyond saving yourself, or redeeming yourself. This is the Testimony we have from the scriptures and it is our testimony.

What is your testimony? Christ has died for the forgiveness of all the sins of the World. God, the Father, has given his Son to die for our forgiveness. He also provided us with a perfect life. He even provides us with the first fruits of our resurrection. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." This is your testimony! It is not about what you have done, or even this wretched fallen creation and in some sense fallen life. But it is about the new creation and life everlasting.

Reformation Sunday (CL)

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20

¹⁰ He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? ¹² Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. 

¹³ There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴ and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ¹⁵ As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? ¹⁷ Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. 

¹⁸ Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. ¹⁹ Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. 

It seems the more you talk with people, the more they complain about their poor sleeping habits. Many people in the united States seem to struggle with getting to sleep at night. Others struggle with not being able to keep their eyes open after a long day of work. There are even others that never seem to want to wake up and start their day. But it is amazing to me how many people also struggle with sleeping problems and snoring.

Solomon has an answer to all your sleeping problems. He might even have the answer to the obesity problem in the united States. We are living too high on the hog! "but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep." You can either think of Acid reflux or just general obesity. How much of your day is spent at a dinner table or some other table meant to be eaten off of, or even to prepare a meal.

The movie over the hedge pegged things a little too close for our comfort, when the racoon tells the animals how humans worship food. The movie even illustrates how we have such an over abundance of food. We are so wasteful with the gifts we have been given from God. Why does your trash bag seem to weigh more than your groceries?

God does have an answer, You do not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He also reminds us that even though we are trash makers, Christ is the perfect trash man. He has taken all your garbage that you have created from your life, and he has sealed it away in a tomb. He even revealed to all the world that the tomb is now empty. He has died for the forgiveness of all your sins. He has redeemed you from your garbage.

Reformation Sunday (NTA)

Romans 3:19-28
¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 

By the works of the Law no man can be saved, you are only saved through the work of Jesus Christ. "you are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." It is not our job to cover up our sins. It is not by our doing that we are saved. It is only through the work of Jesus Christ.

One of the fancy things I think we have started to hurt ourselves with is that you need to confess your sins. When you confess your sins you will receive forgiveness of your sins. But what if I can't confess my sins? What if I can not accomplish even this simple task? Similarly, What if I don't accept Jesus Christ into my heart? How can one be saved without these works? Oh, it is not about my works!

We forget that even when it comes to faith and confession, these can become works. But there are no works of the Law that any human can do to save themselves. It is the Holy Spirit who works faith in our hearts. It is the Holy Spirit who calls us to confessing our sins. It is even the Holy Spirit that places the words of forgiveness on our tongues and lips.

The Holy Spirit even drives St Paul to write, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and [all] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.