Preacher: The Rev. R. Eric Malmstrom
Deuteronomy 6:4–13* / 1 John 4:8b–21* / Luke 16:19–31
Faith Trusts in Christ for Life Eternal
Faith in Christ alone saves. When the beggar Lazarus died, he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. He was Abraham’s seed, for he shared the faith of Abraham. Like Abraham, he believed in the Lord, and the Lord “counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). The name Lazarus means “God is my help.” But the unnamed rich man did not fear, love, and trust in God. Since “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20), the rich man’s lack of faith is evidenced by his lack of love for the beggar at his gate. He who loved and trusted in possessions and prestige died and was in torment in Hades (Luke 16:19–31). There, he was filled with regret; regret is not repentance. Repentance and faith are worked only through Moses and the prophets—that is, the Word of God. Through Moses and the prophets, Abraham, and Lazarus—and all Christians—come to faith in Christ. Only through the death and resurrection of Jesus are we brought the comfort of life everlasting.
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