The Fourth Sunday of Advent

SERMON

In Nomine Jesu!

Text: Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus, whose gospel message brings light and life to a world filled with the darkness of sin and death its consequence, dear fellow redeemed:

Are you ready for the big day? In response to that question, some of us at this point might pull out our list and respond, "Well, let me see, now, I have three presents to purchase yet, one for Uncle Ed, another for Aunt Emily, and one for my sister, Sue. I have to pick up the eggnog and those little wieners that everyone loves. I have a half dozen cards to get out, but besides that I guess I am ready for Christmas." But are you truly ready? I am not asking you whether or not you have accomplished all of the tasks, which you wanted to complete before celebrating Christmas in your home and with your family. I am asking you whether or not you are properly prepared to respond to the miracle of Christmas and the gift of the Christ-Child and all that implies for your life as you await Jesus final return.

I would hope that in each of our cases, our Christmas celebrations would not involve approaching the manger on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and after a slight tip of the hat walking away to carry on our other business. The Lord Jesus does not want just to be acknowledged, but then ignored. Jesus once stated regarding Himself, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus, that Babe of Bethlehem who is now our mighty Lord and Savior, has promised us, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus wants to walk with us away from the manger, abiding in our hearts and having a direct impact upon our lives as we await His visible return at the end of time.

Are we prepared to respond properly to our heavenly Father, who sent Jesus on that first Christmas? How ought we respond? I would suggest that a proper response to God this Christmas would be to follow the example of the angels of heaven over the fields of Bethlehem. Let us join they as they sing—GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! Yes, let us glorify our God! He has established us in the faith through the gospel, and He wants us to live in obedience to the faith to His glory!

I.

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with the words of our text. He had laid out for those Christians a detailed presentation of biblical doctrine—pointing out everything that God had done for them in and through Jesus Christ, and all that God then expected of them as His dear children. These words are a brief summary of his key thoughts in the form of a short doxology, or hymn of praise. Listen once again: “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest.” Notice three things: First, it is God who establishes us in the faith through the gospel, not we ourselves. Second, this gospel is what the Bible calls a “mystery,” which means that it is something God had to reveal to mankind, for mankind would not perceive or understand it without God’s help. Third, this gospel mystery was revealed through the preaching of Jesus Christ and is further revealed by the evangelists and apostles in the New Testament.

My dear friends, during the baptismal service this morning we heard once again the truth about human beings by nature. We heard that by nature we are sinful and under the wrath of God. The Scriptures describe us by nature as “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), unable to come to Jesus without the Father’s help (cf. John 6:65), and unable to confess Jesus as Lord without the Spirit’s intervention (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3). What a wonderful thing it is then, that we have been led to confess our faith in Jesus and to come into His presence to worship Him. It is evidence that God has established us in the faith and even now is nurturing us in that faith!

What, however, does Paul means when he claims the gospel of our salvation is a “mystery”? Once again, in the Bible a "mystery" is something that is hidden from mankind by nature and which then must be revealed to mankind by God. This is the case with the gospel—the good news of our salvation. Because of sin, we are by nature completely unaware of God’s love and His plan for our salvation. Paul told the Corinthians, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This was not always the case. When God created Adam and Eve, they were created in His perfect image. They understood God and His great love. But when they fell into sin, they lost their perfect image, became in effect the enemies of God (cf. Romans 8:7), and came to fear God rather than love. God loved the world, however, in spite of sin and was determined to deliver it from the effects of sin—death and destruction. Consequently, He determined to send His Son into the world, to take on human flesh, to become one with us, and through Him He chose to reveal His love.

It is through Jesus then—the Christ-Child of Bethlehem, who grew into the preacher from Nazareth, whose gospel message of repentance over sin and faith in the Son of God reveals the true love of God. The Bible declares Him to be the “Cornerstone” of our faith, for His words are to guide us in both our faith and life. Others claim to reveal truth, but when tested their words inevitably prove false, but Jesus’ words cannot be broken. They will live and abide forever, providing a solid foundation for our faith, and giving us true direction for our lives.

II.

Consequently, as we approach the manger this Christmas, may we respond with the angels and sing GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! Stand by that manger and recognize the God has established you in the faith by instilling within your heart the precious gift of faith—a faith that saves, and a faith which understand that God wants us to live in obedience to the faith to His glory! Once again a proper response to the Christ-Child is not to walk away and subsequently ignore Him. Rather, He and His word are take up root in our lives and grow. Paul writes, “The prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever!”

My dear friends, the Scriptures distinguish carefully between truth and error. They warn frequently of false prophets to come—individuals many of whom would arise from within the church who would distort Scriptural teaching or deny it completely in an effort to influence and secure for themselves some sort of gain (cf. 2 Timothy 3:13-14; 4:3-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3). Satan, of course, rages against God’s word in a constant effort to undermine our faith and values. The gospel of Jesus Christ speaks of God’s desire to rescue us from Satan and to deliver us unto eternal salvation. We see the beginning of God’s plan in Bethlehem, and that plan ultimately led to the cross and the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Those are the facts, which are true and indisputable. God loved the world so much that He sent His Son into this world to deliver it. Jesus loved us so much that He gave up His life, serving as our substitute, in order to redeem us.

Having purchased us, however, Jesus us calls us through His gospel to live in “obedience to the faith.” We have not been cleansed of our sins, so that we might go on to live further in the filth of sin. No, we have been called by God to be His children, and so we are to live as His children. What does this mean in a practical way? Paul addresses that issue in his letter to the Ephesians. He writes, “Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be name among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:1-8).

I was asked in a Bible study earlier this week, "If God forgives all of our sins and Jesus died for all of our sins, why can’t a Christian just go on sinning?" My dear friends, would a child kick a parent after opening a Christmas present, in which the child receive from the parent exactly what he wanted? Of course not, to do so would be completely unloving. The child would rather thank the parent and demonstrate true delight in the care and concern the parent had demonstrated. While the child may at some later time transgress the parent’s command, he will if he loves his parent apologize and ask the parent’s forgiveness. Even so, when we come to understand the meaning of the grace of our God as revealed in Christ Jesus, how can we willingly continue in sin against our loving God? It is impossible for someone with genuine faith. Oh, yes, sincere Christians still sin, but they are led to repentance and renewed in their faith, and seek to follow the Lord with faithfulness in the future. Such is the proper response of the child of God to the Christ-Child of Bethlehem.

As we approach our celebration of Christmas this week, may we do so not merely with a list of outward jobs to complete, but rather may we approach the manger with a response of joy and obedience. May we join the angels and by our words and actions proclaim GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting