Proving The World Wrong
Text: John 16:5-15
In the name of Jesus: Amen.
I do
not need to tell you that there are a lot of opinions in America. Everybody seems to have an opinion these
days. These opinions are on news
channels, celebrities share their opinions on social media, new opinion polls
pop up every week, and opinions are discussed over coffee at local diners.
Collectively
as a whole, the world shifts through and adapts different opinions on a daily
basis. Like a reed that blows in the
wind, the opinions of the world will blow one direction with a particular
movement or a particular ideology (that become popular for a time); however,
when these movements and ideologies have run their course, a new movement and a
new and improved ideology comes to the forefront, which means that the opinions
of the world snap back the other way and blow in the opposite direction. The previous movement becomes “so 2010” and
the new movement is relevant, real, fresh, and on the cutting edge. That is to say until it is challenged two
weeks later, by the next new movement, forcing opinions to change yet again.
This
is the world that we live in my friends.
It is the world that our youth will grow up and live in. It is a world that typically does not agree –
at least for a long time – about what is wrong and what is good and what
justice should be like. In other words, when you ask the world to define sin, righteousness,
and judgment, the world will give an answer one day, but the next day it may or
may not change – depending on which way the wind of opinion is blowing.
For
example, let us consider sin. There are
many different convictions about sin in the world. Some believe sin to simply be a ‘weakness’ in
mankind, whereas, others would see sin as a ‘sickness’ in mankind. And there are other opinions about sin
too. Some see sin as a result of a lack
of education, poverty, and a lack of resources.[1] To them, sin is a result of a social deficiency
– the lack of good resources for a certain group of people. And finally, but not least or last, some see
sin as nothing more than an oppressive term used by the church in order to keep
certain people underneath its thumb and to keep people from having fun.
The
world also has its varied opinions on what constitutes righteousness as well,
that is to say, goodness. To some goodness is to follow your heart and do
whatever makes you happy. Others believe
goodness is found in being a good citizen and a good neighbor to those in
need. There is a third option, these
folks see goodness as doing virtuous and morally upright things – not smoking
or drinking or chewing or dating girls that do.
Let
us not forget judgment either. The world
has a lot of opinions on this topic as well.
Some do not believe there is such a thing as the last judgment, which
means that whatever we do now in this present life will not have an eternal
consequence. These are the ones that cry
out, “You can’t judge me!” On the other
side of the coin, there are others who believe that there should be a judgment. They may or may not hold to an eternal
judgment, but what is for sure is this, they want judgement in this life for people
who violate their understanding of sin and for people who do not honor what
they believe to be good. The judgment
might be to punish people with jail time.
Or the judgment might be to label them as a hater or a closed minded
bigot or to possibly slap a lawsuit on them.
With
all of this said, one thing is for sure, even though the world has a lot of
mixed opinions about what sin is or what goodness is or what to think about
judgment, there is no doubt about it that the world denies – for the most part
– what the Lord says about these subjects.
That is right, the world generally speaking does not agree with what the
Lord God says on these subjects of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Now,
there are times in history where the world has gotten close – in which we must
thank God. However, for the most part,
the world understands sin and righteousness and judgment incorrectly. Frankly stated, the world’s definition of sin
is wrong. Its definition of
righteousness and goodness is wrong. Its
understanding of judgement is wrong as well.
It is all wrong. The world is
wrong about what matters, about sin, and righteousness, and judgment.
And
here is the catch. You and I are in this
world. Like all of our neighbors we too
are corrupted by the sinful nature. And
since we are in this world, we are easily influenced by the world, which means
that we can easily get these important matters of sin and righteousness and
judgment wrong.
Because
the world is always changing in its opinions and since the world is always
redefining what it thinks about sin and righteousness and judgment, we can
thank God though that we are given the Holy Spirit. Yes, even though Christ ascended to the
Father, we are not alone. We have been
given the Holy Spirit. As we hear in
today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit through the
Word and the Sacraments gives us convictions against the changing world.
Indeed, we are given, as God’s dearly beloved, not a collection of opinions on
the matter of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but we are given convictions of
“truth.” Convictions of truth that do
not change or accommodate to the changing world. We are given convictions of
truth in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement.
Dear
friends, “the Holy Spirit proves the world wrong about sin, because the world
does not believe in Jesus, and Jesus is right.”[2] Now, the world still has some idea of sin and
expects a certain kind of penalty for doing bad things it; however, the world
does not understand that our most serious problem of sin comes forth from mankind’s
unbelieving heart. That is right. The Holy Spirit convinces us of our sin,
teaches us right from wrong, which the world sometimes pick up on; however, the
world cannot understand that even if a person pulls themselves up by their
bootstraps, helps their neighbor, and walks the straight and narrow, that they still
can be damned to hell by their root of unbelief. In other words, no matter how good our words
and works, ways, and life are, when the Holy Spirit breathes on us we whither
like a flower, for the Holy Spirit through the Law reveals to us that our
hearts are the source of the chief sin of unbelief.[3] Because of our unbelief, we do not fully
fear, love, and trust the Lord God. That
is sin at its core – unbelief towards the Lord and His Word.
Dear
friends, do not be deceived by the definitions of sin in the world, but hear
the Holy Spirit through God’s Law that is proclaimed to you – know that your
sin of unbelief is the chief sin that needs to be absolved and forgiven.
The
Holy Spirit also proves the world wrong about righteousness and goodness – and
therefore shows us where we are wrong as well.
“The world has its idea of what is good, which is strangely like what it
wants at the moment. But Jesus came and
showed himself alone to be good in this world.
He shows up the world’s self-righteousness, and ours, for the sham it
is. . . . This Jesus, whom the world
crucified because it could not stand his claim to be alone the Holy One, lives
and reigns with the Father and the Spirit, one God, now and forever, and the
Spirit gives [you] everything that is his.
Sin is paid for. Death is dead.”[4] The righteousness of God is made known in
Christ, not in what the world thinks righteous is. To make it even better, the Lord also gives
this righteousness to you and me for free, unlike the world that likes to make
a profit. Righteousness in Christ and
for free; righteousness the world cannot take away.
Finally,
the Holy Spirit proves the world wrong about judgment. There will indeed be a judgment. We live in a morally significant
universe. Our actions and deeds and
lives will have consequences in this life and for eternity. However, we are not judged at the end for
breaking social norms or opinions of celebrities, or the shifting movements of
the world, but rather we are judged for breaking the Lord’s Law as expressed
simplistically in the Ten Commandments. No
doubt about it my friends, there will be an end someday to this life and there
will be a judgment, contrary to what Oprah or the latest Cosmopolitan opinion
poll may tell you. Why, because Jesus –
who was raised from the grave – says so.
You though, hear the good news of the Gospel! Christ was crucified and judged in your
place. In Jesus you are already judged. Christ was judged as a sinner – as you. He was damned – for you. And because Jesus was damned and judged for
you; therefore, you have nothing to fear when the Lord comes again in judgment
– or at any time before that.
Dear
Baptized Saints, the world is wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment;
however, the Holy Spirit through the Word and Sacraments comes to you and has
come to you this very day so that you might be given convictions of truth.
Truly,
the Holy Spirit brings God’s precious convictions of truth in regard to sin,
righteousness, and judgment to you this day.
He brings truth to your ears, so that you may believe and know who you
are and what the Lord has done for you, in the midst of a world that flaps back
and forth like a flimsy reed blowing in the wind. Yes, the Holy Spirit through the Word and
Sacraments will keep your hearts fixed upon Christ, the author and perfector of
your faith… unto the end.
Baptized
Saints, there is sin, righteousness, and judgment; however, Christ became sin
for you, Christ is righteousness for you, and Christ rescues you from
judgment. This is all most certainly
true.
In
the name of Jesus: Amen.
[1] C.F.W.
Walther, Walther’s Works: Gospel Sermons
– Volume 1 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2013), 263.
[2] John W.
Sias, “Sermon for Cantate,” Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Sermons,
http://www.mtcalvary-colstrip.org/ (Accessed April 22, 2016).
[3] Johann
Spangenberg, The Christian Year of Grace:
The Chief Parts of Scripture Explained in Questions and Answers, tr.
Matthew Carver (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2014), 193.
[4] John W.
Sias, “Sermon for Cantate,” Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Sermons.
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