From Pastor

April 2012

How is this whole business of sin coming along? Have you managed to finally put away your old, sinful ways? Are you now
enjoying a life of victory?

Isn’t that the way the Christian faith should be? We should no longer be giving in to temptation. Sin should begin to lose its allure. If we continue to let our old, sinful ways get the better of us, can we truly claim to be followers of Christ?

Where is the victory for the Christian? Is it found in a transformed life that keeps away from every form of sin? There is no victory to be found there. As long as we are in this flesh, sin will always give us trouble. It continues to hound us relentlessly. We may be able to put away an undesirable behavior here and there, but the old, corrupt nature still persists. We still grow impatient. We still harbor feelings of resentment. We still gossip and covet. We still let all kinds of distractions take priority so that we neglect God and his Word.

Instead of being a life of victory, the Christian faith is essentially a life of struggle. Paul states in his letter to Galatians that the sinful
nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the sinful nature. Therefore, there is conflict.
So where is this victory over sin that the Christian faith promises? Easter provides the answer. When the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared, they discovered that the tomb was empty. An angel declared to them that Christ had risen.

The blow that Christ took on the cross for all of ours did not wipe him out for good. That terrible death was not his end. Jesus prevailed and rose again.

The resurrection reveals that Jesus is where our victory is located. He faced the death of all our sins and came through. He is risen!
This victory of our Lord has been delivered to us by means of his Word and sacraments. For this reason, sin no longer has a claim on us. It no longer determines our fate. It must give way to the Lord and the forgiveness and eternal life he has achieved for every one of us.
                                                  Have a blessed Easter!!