1
00:00:00,833 --> 00:00:04,009
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father,

2
00:00:04,051 --> 00:00:07,266
from our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Amen.

3
00:00:09,833 --> 00:00:14,006
Paul's striking
image here in this text

4
00:00:14,048 --> 00:00:18,366
of God's law as a
guardian is, as many of

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00:00:18,366 --> 00:00:21,580
you will already
know, I'm sure, from the

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00:00:21,622 --> 00:00:24,566
Greco-Roman
household. From the age of

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00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,992
six to the age of
sixteen, young boys

8
00:00:29,034 --> 00:00:33,266
were supervised by
a special household

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00:00:33,266 --> 00:00:38,525
slave, the Paidagogos,
who was assigned

10
00:00:38,567 --> 00:00:43,866
to watch over the
boys and walk the boys

11
00:00:43,866 --> 00:00:46,605
to and from their
school to make sure

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that they had all of
the equipment they

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needed to stop
them from getting into

14
00:00:52,373 --> 00:00:54,866
trouble and to
make them do their

15
00:00:54,866 --> 00:01:00,292
homework. This slave
was given temporary

16
00:01:00,334 --> 00:01:04,866
but almost absolute
power over his

17
00:01:04,866 --> 00:01:08,457
charges as a legal
guardian and the

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00:01:08,499 --> 00:01:12,433
boy couldn't do
anything or go anything

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anywhere without
his permission until he

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turned 16. This picture
reminds me of my

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00:01:23,333 --> 00:01:26,071
school principal in
my Lutheran high

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00:01:26,113 --> 00:01:28,666
school back in
Australia. He was a

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relentless disciplinarian.
He was a good

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man, actually. He
was an alumnus of this

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seminary, but man
was he tough. Behind

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that austere and
forbidding German

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exterior someone
once said, be the heart

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of pure liquid nitrogen.
He enforced the

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law. He was a guardian,
a peytegorgos of

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the first order, and
we all lived in fear

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of him, hardly
daring to put a foot

32
00:02:05,148 --> 00:02:09,033
out of line, but you
know he played an

33
00:02:09,033 --> 00:02:12,850
important role for
us in our growing up.

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Those of us who
were used to doing our

35
00:02:16,466 --> 00:02:19,867
own thing in our own
way in our own time

36
00:02:19,909 --> 00:02:23,266
soon learned that we
needed to do things

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differently. We
needed to listen to the

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law. I got in trouble
more than once and

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I was made aware
that my ideas about

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00:02:32,832 --> 00:02:35,533
what was right and
what was wrong were

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00:02:35,533 --> 00:02:39,054
frequently off-key. I didn't

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00:02:39,096 --> 00:02:43,166
know it then,
but I needed him.

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00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:49,449
Paul says this is
how the law works as

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00:02:49,491 --> 00:02:54,266
our guardian, our
Paidagogos, to make us

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00:02:54,266 --> 00:02:59,117
take notice of God's
will. We can't do

46
00:02:59,159 --> 00:03:03,800
what we want. Our
rebellious, sinful,

47
00:03:04,066 --> 00:03:08,979
self-focused will
is subject to God's

48
00:03:09,021 --> 00:03:14,366
controlling law. We
live in fear of God's

49
00:03:14,366 --> 00:03:19,458
punishment. Our
guardian calls the shots.

50
00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:24,266
He shows us what
is required and we are

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00:03:24,266 --> 00:03:29,392
restrained, confined,
Paul says. The

52
00:03:29,434 --> 00:03:34,600
law does its good
and important work,

53
00:03:35,533 --> 00:03:45,058
showing us God's
goodwill and showing us

54
00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:53,966
too inevitably how
we fall short. This

55
00:03:53,966 --> 00:03:57,002
is the faith in Christ,
of course, through

56
00:03:57,044 --> 00:03:59,833
whom we have
forgiveness so that we are

57
00:03:59,833 --> 00:04:04,487
justified by faith.
When Christ makes

58
00:04:04,529 --> 00:04:09,100
us his own, the
law's overbearing but

59
00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:12,631
temporary guardianship
over our lives

60
00:04:12,673 --> 00:04:16,433
comes to an end
because we have been set

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00:04:16,433 --> 00:04:21,334
free from God's
judgment by grace.

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Something completely
new happens. Our

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00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,526
relationship with God
is no longer based

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00:04:29,568 --> 00:04:32,100
on keeping the
law on pain of death

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00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:35,973
under the guardianship
of that law, but

66
00:04:36,015 --> 00:04:39,733
on a new freedom,
the freedom of faith

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00:04:39,733 --> 00:04:42,656
that we have as
the sons of God in

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Christ and as the
sons and daughters of

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00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,199
Abraham, Paul
says, that great father

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00:04:49,241 --> 00:04:52,566
of faith. Now this
is all good Lutheran

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00:04:52,566 --> 00:04:57,518
teaching, which you
know already. We talk

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00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,433
about it in class most
days, don't we? We

73
00:05:02,433 --> 00:05:05,905
hear about it in
chapel, in the preaching,

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00:05:05,947 --> 00:05:09,133
fairly often and many
of you have heard

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00:05:09,133 --> 00:05:12,598
this all your life.
We know it so well

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00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,966
that we can slice
and dice it several

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00:05:15,966 --> 00:05:19,319
different ways
theologically, law and

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00:05:19,361 --> 00:05:22,933
gospel, sin and
grace, flesh and spirit,

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00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,642
two kinds of
righteousness. We know the

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00:05:26,684 --> 00:05:30,166
texts that lay it all
out beautifully in

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00:05:30,166 --> 00:05:33,009
the New Testament,
Ephesians 2, for by

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00:05:33,051 --> 00:05:35,933
grace you have been
saved through faith

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00:05:37,233 --> 00:05:40,047
and that is not your
own doing, it is a

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00:05:40,089 --> 00:05:42,800
gift of God, not as
a result of works,

85
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,785
works of the law,
so that no one may

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00:05:46,827 --> 00:05:51,066
boast. We know it,
we know how this goes,

87
00:05:51,066 --> 00:05:55,566
don't we? And the
problem is that perhaps

88
00:05:55,608 --> 00:05:59,500
we know it all too
well. We know the

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00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:04,157
script by heart. It
can become very

90
00:06:04,199 --> 00:06:08,766
theoretical in this
case, it can be

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00:06:08,766 --> 00:06:11,353
something that
feels more like a

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00:06:11,395 --> 00:06:14,500
mathematical proof
or a legal judgment,

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00:06:15,466 --> 00:06:18,143
something to be
recited, something that

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00:06:18,185 --> 00:06:20,766
we know, the muscle
memory of our lips

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00:06:20,766 --> 00:06:24,641
and our tongue go
there and we know how

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00:06:24,683 --> 00:06:28,500
to make it sound
right. Because this is

97
00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:32,830
something that
happens outside you and

98
00:06:32,872 --> 00:06:37,466
actually must happen
outside you, but the

99
00:06:37,466 --> 00:06:40,085
problem is that
it's not something

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00:06:40,127 --> 00:06:43,166
which we then always
directly experience

101
00:06:43,166 --> 00:06:47,376
ourselves. It may
seem sometimes like

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00:06:47,418 --> 00:06:51,333
it's been reduced
to a formula or a

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00:06:51,333 --> 00:06:54,265
procedure. It's like
money going into

104
00:06:54,307 --> 00:06:56,966
or coming out of
your bank account

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00:06:56,966 --> 00:07:00,771
electronically. You
never get that dosh

106
00:07:00,813 --> 00:07:04,466
in your hand to
see it and feel it and

107
00:07:05,366 --> 00:07:09,010
you never set your
eyes on it. I am a

108
00:07:09,052 --> 00:07:12,833
sinner under the
law, yes that's right,

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00:07:13,066 --> 00:07:16,803
Jesus died for me
and set me free. Very

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00:07:16,845 --> 00:07:20,433
nice, thank you very
much. By the way,

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00:07:20,433 --> 00:07:24,113
what's for lunch?
As Pastor Paul

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00:07:24,155 --> 00:07:28,100
reflected recently
last week in his

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00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:32,189
sermon, our very
familiarity with this

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00:07:32,231 --> 00:07:36,466
wonderful gospel,
good news, can lead us

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00:07:36,466 --> 00:07:39,953
into difficult and
dangerous territory.

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We can take it for
granted, we can lose

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00:07:43,433 --> 00:07:46,115
our awareness
and appreciation of it

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00:07:46,157 --> 00:07:49,100
and even hold it in
contempt through its

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00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:52,871
familiarity to us.
And we become

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00:07:52,913 --> 00:07:57,533
susceptible in that
case to difficulties

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00:07:57,533 --> 00:08:00,673
and temptations.
And you know that's

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00:08:00,715 --> 00:08:04,066
exactly what happened
to the Galatians.

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00:08:05,633 --> 00:08:07,633
They had heard
and believed this

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00:08:07,675 --> 00:08:09,900
wonderful good
news of Jesus Christ,

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00:08:10,166 --> 00:08:14,186
first preached to them
by St. Paul, but do

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00:08:14,228 --> 00:08:18,100
you know what? They
had let go of it. Can

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00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:22,122
you believe that?
They let go of that

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00:08:22,164 --> 00:08:26,333
wonderful good news
and they started to

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00:08:26,333 --> 00:08:28,688
believe what the
false teachers were

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00:08:28,730 --> 00:08:30,866
telling them,
that in addition to

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believing in Christ
and trusting in his

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00:08:35,114 --> 00:08:39,466
salvation, they had
to also go back under

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00:08:39,466 --> 00:08:42,961
the governorship
of that Guardian, the

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law, and obey the
Jewish law and its

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00:08:46,266 --> 00:08:51,282
regulations. Like
Paul, it's hard for us

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00:08:51,324 --> 00:08:56,133
to think about and
to think of how they

137
00:08:56,133 --> 00:08:59,812
could be tricked by
this. Why would they

138
00:08:59,854 --> 00:09:03,300
trade their wonderful
freedom of faith

139
00:09:03,300 --> 00:09:08,400
in Christ for slavery
back under the

140
00:09:08,442 --> 00:09:13,166
demands of the
law? Well as Luther

141
00:09:13,166 --> 00:09:16,759
insightfully points
out in his great

142
00:09:16,801 --> 00:09:20,433
Galatians commentary,
the law, tyrant

143
00:09:20,433 --> 00:09:25,209
though it is, is easier
in some ways to

144
00:09:25,251 --> 00:09:30,066
believe in than God's
grace. You see, we

145
00:09:30,066 --> 00:09:33,920
know the law and we
see it every day. We

146
00:09:33,962 --> 00:09:37,666
know the equation.
You get the command,

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00:09:37,666 --> 00:09:42,140
you obey it, and
things go right. We may

148
00:09:42,182 --> 00:09:46,366
be slaves, but at
least we know how it

149
00:09:46,366 --> 00:09:49,699
works. It's predictable.
You see, and when

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00:09:49,741 --> 00:09:52,800
things are predictable,
we human beings

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00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,970
cherish the delusion
that we can control

152
00:09:56,012 --> 00:09:59,066
it, that we can
predict it, that we can

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00:09:59,066 --> 00:10:03,725
make it work for
our ends. Luther says

154
00:10:03,767 --> 00:10:08,466
that yes, even we
who have embraced the

155
00:10:08,466 --> 00:10:12,252
faith and embraced
Jesus Christ and his

156
00:10:12,294 --> 00:10:15,833
work for us can be
reconverted to the

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00:10:15,833 --> 00:10:22,493
law at any moment.
It is more than just

158
00:10:22,535 --> 00:10:28,733
words, you see. The
law provides some

159
00:10:28,733 --> 00:10:33,042
action. It's
experiential. Somehow it

160
00:10:33,084 --> 00:10:37,433
feels good because
we human beings are

161
00:10:37,433 --> 00:10:40,960
trying to do something.
Something is

162
00:10:41,002 --> 00:10:44,666
actually happening.
Something is being

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00:10:44,666 --> 00:10:50,309
done, and here's
the really seductive

164
00:10:50,351 --> 00:10:56,333
thing, it's being done
by us. The law of

165
00:10:56,333 --> 00:11:00,359
God tells us what
we have to do and we

166
00:11:00,401 --> 00:11:04,466
do it. That's an
experience we can hang

167
00:11:04,466 --> 00:11:07,687
on to, something
we can remember,

168
00:11:07,729 --> 00:11:11,566
something we can
chalk up. It's visible,

169
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,339
it takes place in
space and time, it's

170
00:11:15,381 --> 00:11:18,500
concrete, it's
tangible and real and

171
00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:21,848
measurable. It's
hard, but you know

172
00:11:21,890 --> 00:11:25,466
somehow that can
just add to the sense

173
00:11:25,466 --> 00:11:29,654
of achievement
when we get it right,

174
00:11:29,696 --> 00:11:34,266
when we think we
get it right. We can do

175
00:11:34,266 --> 00:11:37,294
something. We have
some points on the

176
00:11:37,336 --> 00:11:40,566
board, we have
something to bring to the

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00:11:40,566 --> 00:11:46,370
table, even though
that has never worked,

178
00:11:46,412 --> 00:11:51,700
never did, never
could and never will.

179
00:11:53,666 --> 00:11:56,488
This kind of believing,
Paul says back

180
00:11:56,530 --> 00:11:59,466
in chapter 1 of
Galatians in his opening

181
00:11:59,466 --> 00:12:03,352
discourse to these
Galatians, is actually

182
00:12:03,394 --> 00:12:06,666
a different gospel.
In fact it's no

183
00:12:06,666 --> 00:12:12,720
gospel at all. It is
in fact damnable and

184
00:12:12,762 --> 00:12:18,566
false, a deception
leading to death, and

185
00:12:18,566 --> 00:12:22,582
yet it is this false
gospel which we,

186
00:12:22,624 --> 00:12:27,000
like the Galatians,
are fatally attracted

187
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,026
to, because we too
are addicted to our

188
00:12:31,068 --> 00:12:35,133
own delusions of
grandeur and spiritual

189
00:12:35,133 --> 00:12:40,333
achievement and we
fall for it every time.

190
00:12:42,233 --> 00:12:46,055
Saint Paul, after
his strong rebuke

191
00:12:46,097 --> 00:12:50,066
to his readers in
the first couple of

192
00:12:50,066 --> 00:12:54,624
chapters of Galatians,
has something

193
00:12:54,666 --> 00:12:58,766
rather beautiful
and powerful and

194
00:12:58,766 --> 00:13:04,133
pastoral to say to
his readers and to

195
00:13:04,175 --> 00:13:09,866
us. In verses 24 to
29 we see him at his

196
00:13:09,866 --> 00:13:15,834
most pastoral and
wise as he restates

197
00:13:15,876 --> 00:13:22,200
and reapplies the
gospel. In verse 26 he

198
00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,189
switches from the
first person plural,

199
00:13:26,231 --> 00:13:30,466
we, and he preaches
God's grace using the

200
00:13:30,466 --> 00:13:34,165
second person
plural, you. You are

201
00:13:34,207 --> 00:13:38,266
all sons of God
through faith in Jesus

202
00:13:38,266 --> 00:13:42,157
Christ for all of you
who were baptized

203
00:13:42,199 --> 00:13:45,933
into Christ have
put on Christ. Notice

204
00:13:45,933 --> 00:13:49,959
what he does here.
He does not speak in

205
00:13:50,001 --> 00:13:54,066
theological abstracts,
he does not quote

206
00:13:54,066 --> 00:13:57,641
doctrinal formulae,
he gives us a lesson

207
00:13:57,683 --> 00:14:01,033
in pastoral teaching
and preaching and

208
00:14:01,033 --> 00:14:04,595
pastoral care, he
talks about a concrete

209
00:14:04,637 --> 00:14:07,800
historical event,
something that has

210
00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,198
happened, something
that took place in

211
00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,766
space and time,
something that's visible

212
00:14:14,766 --> 00:14:20,259
and tangible and
verifiable. It was seen

213
00:14:20,301 --> 00:14:25,833
and heard and believed
here on earth. Our

214
00:14:25,833 --> 00:14:31,305
baptism, water and
word enacted and

215
00:14:31,347 --> 00:14:37,166
spoken, transforming
us from slaves to

216
00:14:37,166 --> 00:14:42,141
sons and daughters
of God in Christ. This

217
00:14:42,183 --> 00:14:46,600
Luther points out
is why God attaches

218
00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,839
his powerful word
to material signs like

219
00:14:49,881 --> 00:14:53,000
the water of baptism
and like the bread

220
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,410
and wine of the
Lord's Supper so that

221
00:14:55,452 --> 00:14:57,966
we can see and
perceive with our senses

222
00:14:57,966 --> 00:15:03,375
showing us what
He is doing, what He

223
00:15:03,417 --> 00:15:08,866
is doing. Paul says,
if you have been

224
00:15:08,866 --> 00:15:14,557
baptized into Christ
then you are a son

225
00:15:14,599 --> 00:15:19,900
of God. It is His
action and work and

226
00:15:20,233 --> 00:15:25,024
it's now what defines
who you are. He has

227
00:15:25,066 --> 00:15:29,666
redeemed us, brought
us back, rescued us

228
00:15:29,666 --> 00:15:33,119
yet again from the
law through His body

229
00:15:33,161 --> 00:15:36,566
and blood broken
and shed on the cross,

230
00:15:37,666 --> 00:15:41,571
His salvation
personally delivered to us

231
00:15:41,613 --> 00:15:45,366
by name in our
baptism. That thing that

232
00:15:45,366 --> 00:15:49,062
happened, that God
did for you, that was

233
00:15:49,104 --> 00:15:52,566
witnessed by others,
that was recorded

234
00:15:52,566 --> 00:15:55,119
here in this world
even as your name was

235
00:15:55,161 --> 00:15:57,500
at that moment
written in the book of

236
00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:02,191
life, that event that
keeps on happening

237
00:16:02,233 --> 00:16:06,733
every day as you
trust in Christ's work

238
00:16:06,733 --> 00:16:11,600
living by faith.
Our old friend the

239
00:16:11,642 --> 00:16:17,366
Paidagogos, the
Guardian, the law, he does

240
00:16:17,366 --> 00:16:21,882
his good and needed
work in our lives

241
00:16:21,924 --> 00:16:26,600
but it is not he. He
is not the one who

242
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,742
can make us true
Christians. He is not

243
00:16:29,784 --> 00:16:32,966
the one who can help
us become sons and

244
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,211
daughters of
Abraham or sons and

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daughters of God.
It is Christ Jesus

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alone who justifies
us by faith, matures

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us and strengthens
us in love and trust

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in God. He is the
one who nourishes

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that gift of faith
in our lives unto

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eternity. Amen.