It is Finished!

OK, I stole that line (can’t put my finger on where…) but it’s true. The Year of Our Lord 2011 is done. Not only that, but I read through the Bible in one year. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for an attaboy since I should have done this years ago. Still, I made the commitment and followed it through. I will now need to study it, not just read it.

So, did I learn anything? You bet! Here are just a few highlights:

Our Lutheran liturgy comes directly from the Bible
Yes, I already knew this. However, it was fascinating to see the words we use every Sunday in their original context. I found myself putting the words to familiar tunes as I read. If you use the red Lutheran Service Book (LSB), you can see the Bible reference for each section of the service. I’ll cover this Liturgy/Bible connection in more detail another time. 

God really, really wants us to repent and return to Him
In the Bible, as in life, if a message is important, it gets repeated, a lot. The Old Testament Prophets spent much of their time warning the Israelites to abandon their evil ways and obey the laws of God. For a sampling, check this listing (http://www.esvbible.org/search/turn+evil/). Time after time after time, the Israelites disobeyed God and tried to go their own way. Some things never change.

It’s all about Jesus
The entire Bible points us to either God’s Law or God’s Gospel. God has always demanded perfect obedience to his law. Failure means punishment and death. Every one of us deserves that death penalty because we fail to live up to God’s expectations. However, there is Hope. There is the Gospel (Good News) message. There is Jesus. Not only did he save the day, he saved you and me.

If you haven’t read the through the Bible yet, start now: http://www.stlukesreno.com/through-the-bible-in-a-year.aspx

Happy New Year!

Stephen
Sola Gratia - Sola Fide - Sola Scriptura