The Righteous Shall Live

Death and decay are sad realities of life in a world scarred by sin. As children of God, purchased through the blood of Christ, we long for the day of our Lord’s returning. The Day when all will be made new. 

The following sermon, proclaimed at the funeral of one of our dear saints at Concordia, deals with questions focuses on the source and necessity of righteousness. From the message: Our perfect God demands perfection from us:  “Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” He says in Leviticus 19:2. If you ask people, “Do you have to be perfect to go to heaven?"  Most, in our postmodern culture, will answer no. But God’s answer, my friends, is yes. Hell is the destination of people who do not have peace with a holy and righteous God.

Romans 8:1 says there is “no condemnation” for those who are in Christ Jesus. We poor, miserable sinners are declared “not guilty” in the eyes of God because God “transfers” the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ to all who place their trust in Jesus. That’s a pure miracle of God’s grace. Guilty sinners are forgiven, pardoned, and declared righteous because Jesus died on the cross. Thus let it be proclaimed loud and long: The Righteous shall Live… ! (Romans 1:17) 

May this hope inform and empower us to live in the face of death and defeat, recognizing that in Christ Jesus, our victory is secure!