Final study in this series on the Formula of Concord

Conclusion and summary of the study of the Ten Commandment section of the Large Catechism is given by Pastor Jeremy Rhode. Note: Minutes 2 through 20 of this teaching were not recorded due to a technical error. The audio will "jump" at the 2 minute point to the 20 minute point of the teaching.

In today's sermon, we delved into the profound doctrine of election as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions, emphasizing that God's eternal election is to be understood in Christ, not apart from Him. We explored how election, when viewed outside of Christ, can distort the gospel, reducing Christ to a mere function within a theological system rather than the foundation of our salvation. By contrast, understanding election in Christ directs us to the revealed Word of God, where election is a comforting doctrine, assuring us of our salvation through the promises made in baptism, absolution, and the Lord's Supper. These sacraments affirm that God does not lie; if He claims us as His own, then we are indeed elect. This understanding shields us from despair and encourages a life of faith and obedience, rooted in the assurance of God's unchanging promise in Christ. We are called to continually turn to Christ, where we find the certainty of our election and the fullness of God's grace, dispelling any fears and leading us into a deeper trust in God's faithful declarations over our lives.

The teaching on the 9th and 10th commandments is concluded. Coveting is desiring something we don't have. We do this while trying to make the process appear OK and good using a "slight of hand" method. We make it appear to be on the up and up by scamming and scheming. Greed and envy are the root sin of the 9th and 10th commandments. God's goal is to remove these desires from our heart. Our focus must be on what God has done for us. We are children of God and love God because He first loved us. This lesson concludes with a summary perspective on all the Commandments in the context of our vocation and whether obeying them are good works that please God.

The 8th Commandment, "Do not bear false witness against thy neighbor" is concluded in the first half of this lesson. We are reminded that there is a way we can murder a person's reputation and do our neighbor great harm. Let our ears be a tomb. Rather than gossip, we are to go to the right authority. The 9th and 10th commandments, "Do not covet", are introduced. The word covet includes "desire" and includes aiming to get what our neighbor possesses including wife and servants. It is getting what belongs to a neighbor in a way that seems appropriate. At the root of coveting is dissatisfaction. Once getting what we want, we become dissatisfied again and seek after something new. The world is one large schoolhouse where you are given things and things taken away. We must be like Job and be content when things are taken away. Do not seek (beyond aspiring) after what belongs to another. Aspiring is OK as long as it does not go to a specific. All our disordered desires can only be filled in God and a relationship with Him.

The lesson covers the 8th commandment, "Do not bear false witness against thy neighbor". We are to honor the reputation of the members of our family. The grounding of the commandments are in the family. Fixing society does not fix the family. it works the other way around, family must be fixed first. We are to help our neighbor secure their rights. This commandment forbids all sins of the tongue, yet we are all masters of using our rational to make wrong into right! We are not to make an injustice just. Slander, gossip and jealousy are defined in the context of this commandment.

In today's sermon, we delved into the profound Lutheran doctrine of God's eternal foreknowledge and election, as articulated in Article 11 of the Formula of Concord. We distinguished between God's foreknowledge, which is His ability to see all future events, and His election, which is His active choice in saving certain individuals. It's crucial to understand that God's foreknowledge does not cause evil or predestine individuals to damnation; rather, evil arises from the devil and human will. Conversely, election is God's deliberate act leading to salvation, emphasizing that while God foresees events, He only causes the salvation of the elect. This doctrine reassures us of God's just and merciful nature, ensuring that our understanding aligns with the scriptural portrayal of a loving and sovereign God who desires all to be saved, yet respects the free will of His creation.