26/03/2026
*GOD ACCEPTS US THROUGH CHRIST ALONE*
6TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
COROLLARY
When we were dead in our sins and in the uncircumcision of our flesh, God made us alive with Christ. At baptism, he forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. Sin had separated us from God and condemned us to eternal suffering and death but God, so loving, has reconciled us to himself through his only Son Jesus Christ.
READINGS:
Hosea 1:2-10
Psalm 85 Col 2:6-15(16-19)
Luke 11:1-13.
Fellow servant of Christ, grace, peace and love from God be upon you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Welcome to this sermon for the 6th Sunday after Trinity
We continue to rejoice and praise the Name of the Most High for all which he has done for us. Through his fresh wounds, Christ continues to nourish, protect and keep us safe as he grows, multiplies and nurtures our faith during this season of Trinity. In our sermon last week, he reminded us his desire, only one thing; THAT WE SIT AT HIS FEET LISTENING TO HIS WORD. Our struggle with the worldly things will not give us the peace and comfort found in God’s kingdom. And as usual, after showing us this things, which have been hidden for a long time, he sent us to proclaim them to those still in darkness. The amazing grace found only in his basket, his body, the church.
Sermon title:
GOD ACCEPTS US THROUGH CHRIST ALONE
INTRO
We all desire to get good things in life; a good spouse, children, parents, relatives, house, job, etc. Also when we pray, we always hope for nice things. According to our sinful flesh, marrying a pr******te is the least of our expectations. We always ask God to give us a good and God-fearing spouse even when we are not God-fearing.
Hosea must have had similar thoughts, however, when the time came, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.” Wait! We thought God is a loving and caring father who will never give his child a stone for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish? How comes he is giving his faithful servant a pr******te to marry? Is God speaking from both sides? Is he sincere, sensitive and fair to Hosea? Do you think we can still trust God to answer our prayers? The answers to this questions lie deep inside the story of creation.
GOD CREATED US PURE AND HOLY, SIN MADE US PROSTITUTES
In his creation plan, God created us in his own image and likeness. He created us to be his own people, who are called by his own name, 2 Chronicles 7:14. That he be our Father and us his children and brides of his Son Jesus Christ, the bridegroom. Unfortunately, through the deception of that enemy, we disobeyed the Word of God, Christ the Messiah, the divine husband whom God had created us for, and fondled with the devil. We betrayed the faith and trust from our betrothed Master as we slept with the devil. We became adulterous and unfit for the bridegroom. Sin therefore, grabbed us from our divinely betrothed Master, and delivered us to the world, away from God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4
The world always leads us to think that we deserve only the best form God. It deceives us that we are good and our neighbors are evil and adulterous. That, were it not for the pr******te woman, the noisy neighbor, the quarrelsome spouse, the naughty child, the alcoholic friend, the stingy parent, we couldn’t have committed sin. We search for excuses to cover up our mistakes. We say “I cannot go to church because the pastor is corrupt” “the choir does not singing modern hymns” “the church does not have the spirit” “I will not forgive him unless he apologizes” etc.
GOD’S MERCY HAS SAVED FROM PROSTITUTION.
Through God’s mercy, the pr******te woman has received salvation (Hosea). The word of God to Hosea will seem to be a disappointment and great injustice to the the world, but to us, whom God has saved from defilement, its love, mercy and pure grace. God had vowed to punish us (Israel) but now through Judah, as he had promised, he has shown us love; he has saved us according to his word “I, the Lord their God, will save them.”
The symbolism in this story shows the love of God as revealed through Jesus Christ. Like how he commanded Hosea, while we were still sinners, God brought down his Son to take us in as his bride. Like Hosea, Christ did not object, but graciously took us in and made us his suitable helper. The woman whom the first Adam had rejected due to prostitution, has found love in the second Adam. In the place where it was said to us, ‘You are not my people,’ we have been called ‘children of the living God.’
Through his Word, Baptism and Table (the three loaves of bread) he has nailed the enemy the cross, he has set us free, now we can faithfully trust and follow him. By his blood he has washed away all our wickedness to present us as worthy before the Father. Through his wounds which are still fresh, he continues to intercede for us before his father, pleading with him to spare us from the destruction which awaits the wicked.
CHRIST TEACHES US THE HEAVENLY LANGUAGE
When we were pr******tes, our communication network with God was severely damaged. We became dumb and mute to the Word of God, Mark 9:17-29. We could not converse with God because we couldn’t speak nor hear his language. But now the Lord says “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine, Isaiah 43:1. Do not panic nor be afraid of what you shall say in your prayers, the Spirit shall teach and lead you, Matt 10:19. The Lord has showed favor on us, he has forgiven all our iniquity and has covered all our sins. He has set aside all his wrath and turned from his fierce anger. He has put away his displeasure toward us, he has restored us again. Now he says, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’”
The Lord will indeed give us what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. He has covered all our shame and has rescued us from condemnation and hell into his everlasting life. From his resting place, Christ is still opening the door for us. He assures us “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Our loving Father will give us better gifts as Christ is stating “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
LET OUR FAITH BE ON CHRIST ALONE
Having been brought to fullness of the deity through Christ, let us not be deceived again. Let us continue to live our lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as we have been taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Let us be watchful of the false teachers who will try to take us back to prostitution; in no other person are we saved apart from Christ. He is the head over every power and authority. In him we were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Our whole self-ruled by the flesh was put off when we were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which we were also raised with him through our faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. On the cross, Christ has triumphed of the devil, sin, death, and hell.
Through his Son, God has accepted us back into his kingdom. The peace he promised his people we now receive it through him and in Christ, salvation is near us as his glory dwells in our hearts. In him, Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Though Christ, we joyfully share with our friend and foe the three loaves of bread (his Word, Baptism and Table) which he has given us.
May his name be glorified forever and ever, Amen. Enjoy your days, take a daily devotion with us and support Gospel of Christ on Cross
Orondo Rev.John: +254713513426
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
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