Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, associate pastor and headmaster at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study the proper distinction between Law and Gospel.

The proper distinction between Law and Gospel is a glorious light that opens the Holy Scriptures to us; apart from this distinction, the Bible remains a closed book. The Law is the revealed will of God for His creation. In the Law, God commands what we must and must not do. These commands curb our sinful behavior, show us our sin, and instruct Christians in what a righteous life is. The Gospel is not what we must do, but what God has done for us in His Son Jesus Christ. This is God’s free gift to us for our salvation apart from any merit or worthiness in us. Both Law and Gospel are good because they are God’s two different ways to speak to us. They must be distinguished, lest we falsely believe we can use the Law to save ourselves or turn the free gift of salvation in Christ into another Law. This distinction comes from the Lord’s own mouth in both the Old and New Testaments. St. Paul’s use of this distinction abounds in Romans as he proclaims the glorious truth that our righteousness comes not from our works of the Law, but from the free gift of salvation earned by Jesus Christ declared to us in the Gospel.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 3:1-8.

As St. Paul preaches that all men are unrighteous, objections arise, but the Apostle will not let any of them stand. If all stand condemned by the Law, Jews questioned the importance of having been a part of God’s people under the covenant of circumcision. The advantage was not in the outward rites apart from faith, but the proclamation of the Word of God that is received in faith. Wherever that Word is proclaimed, God is at work for the forgiveness and salvation of His people. The unfaithfulness of some was not the fault of God, nor does it bring into question His faithfulness. Rather, it points to the need to let God be God and allow Him to judge our sins so that He can judge us innocent for the sake of Christ. Sinners still try to insert themselves into the equation, however, even going so far as to claim credit because their unrighteousness allows God the opportunity to show His righteousness. Such foolishness pushes God off His throne and fails to recognize that sin and unrighteousness leads to death. St. Paul here sets the stage for the far better Gospel he has to proclaim: free salvation from sin and death.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Tim Koch, pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 2:12-29.

St. Paul continues to strip away from sinners all confidence apart from Christ. The problem is sin and death. Those who sin die, with or without the Law. The Law requires action, not only hearing, from both Gentiles and Jews alike. Though the Gentiles did not have the Law written down in the Ten Commandments, God’s Law still was written on their hearts. Their works according to the Law testify to that truth, as does their accusing conscience. The Jews, on the other hand, have found their confidence and identity in the Law. That confidence is nothing, however, unless the Jews do the Law. St. Paul rightly condemns them for their failure in this regard, which only leads to the blasphemy of God’s name. He takes them to a different starting point, the covenant of circumcision which the LORD gave as His promise. Yet as they break the Law, even their outward circumcision counts for nothing, because true circumcision is one that is done in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Their confidence and identity therefore must not be found in the doing of the Law; rather, it must be found in the promise made and kept by God in His Son Christ Jesus.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Gaven Mize, pastor at Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 2:1-11.

St. Paul’s “they” of Romans 1 becomes “you” in Romans 2. Those who have heard the proclamation of God’s wrath against the unrighteousness of man are left with no excuse. To pass judgment on “them” is to recognize the justice of judgment upon oneself. Comparison to another sinner will not justify anyone, nor will a presumption on the kindness and patience of God. God intends His kindness to lead us to repentance and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. If we misuse Christ as scapegoat as an excuse to keep sinning, we only store up God’s wrath. His judgment comes to us, not based on the judgments we have made of others, but based upon our own works as they stack up next to His standard of the Law. That is why eternal life will only come to those who have Christ through faith in the things of God; those who have sought only the things of man only have God’s wrath and fury. That is equally true for Jew and Gentile alike. God has no partiality, but seeks after all sinners in His Son.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 1:18-32.

Having proclaimed that the Gospel is God’s power to save, St. Paul begins to lay out why humanity needs salvation at all. God’s righteousness to save sinners goes hand-in-hand with His wrath against man’s unrighteousness. The unrighteousness of man expresses itself in the suppression of the true knowledge of God. Creation is witness to all people of the eternal power and divine nature of the Creator. Knowing this, however, men have denied it. In an attempt to be wise on their own, they have become foolish by replacing God with idols. Such idolatry is seen in the corruption of soul, mind, and body. God gives sinners over to their evil desires, letting them see firsthand what the devastating consequences of that idolatry truly are. Homosexuality and sins against God’s gift of marriage stand as Exhibit A of this truth, but St. Paul will not let anyone off the hook. In a tragic list of evil, all men are indicted of their sin, as St. Paul turns the corner from the “they” of chapter 1 to the “you” of chapter 2. It is good and right for us to experience the terror of this text in order that we would know the sweetness of God’s free salvation in Christ Jesus.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Paul Pater, pastor at Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church in North Ridgeville, OH and Hope Lutheran Church in Sheffield Village, OH, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 1:8-17.

Rome was known in the wider world for many political and economic reasons, but none of those are the reason for Paul’s thanksgiving in this epistle. He gives thanks for the faith the Roman Christians had in Jesus Christ. Though he had never visited this congregation previously, he still prayed for them regularly and longed to visit them in person. His longing to see them was bound under the will of God for his ministry. Paul desired to be with them in order that they could share the mutual consolation and conversation of the brethren in the Gospel. He had a joyful obligation to preach this good news concerning Jesus to all people. Paul lays out that Gospel as the theme for his entire epistle. Though the preaching of the crucified and risen Savior seemed foolish and weak to the world, Paul was not ashamed. He knew that this proclamation alone was God’s power to save all people, because this proclamation reveals the righteousness of God. This is not the righteousness things that we do; rather, this is the acts of salvation God has done in His Son Jesus Christ to bestow His righteousness upon us as a gift received through faith alone.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 1:1-7.

St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans lays out the fullness of the Christian faith centered around the truth of justification by grace through faith in Christ. Paul identifies himself both as a child of God bound only to Christ and as an apostle sent to preach the Gospel of God. That Gospel was announced already in God’s promises through the Old Testament prophets. That Gospel centers in Jesus Christ our Lord. He is true man, our Brother, the Christ from the line of David. He is true God, declared to the world in His resurrection from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are more than empty historical facts. Jesus has accomplished this for sinners, to give us His grace and give us a new identity underneath the hearing of His Word. This is what the Romans have received as those loved by God and made holy by Him. Because of Jesus, grace and peace are theirs and ours still today.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Rev. Ned Moerbe, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blackwell, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 28:11-20.

Jesus’ resurrection is a reality, just as He said. That didn’t stop His enemies from making one final attempt to defeat Him and His Word. They pay the guards to spread the lie that Jesus’ stole His body while the guards were sleeping. The soldiers’ love of mammon and the chief priests’ hypocrisy show just how far unbelief will go to deny the truth. They had not believed Jesus’ Word, and so they refused to believe even when Jesus had been raised from the dead. Yet Jesus gets the last Word. Jesus’ appearance to His disciples in Galilee highlights the authority of His Word as He fulfills the promise He had made to them before His suffering and death. The final words of Jesus that St. Matthew records build on that truth. Our Brother has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and He uses that authority to reign for the good of His people. He commissions His disciples by His authority to bring His reign to all nations through His treasures of Baptism and teaching. Throughout this blessed work, Jesus assures His Church that He is with us always to fulfill His promise.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Richard Mittwede, pastor at University Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 28:1-10.

The women went to Jesus’ tomb on the first day of the week just as the light was dawning, though they did not yet realize just how bright that light would be. The reality became apparent soon enough. As an earthquake accompanied Jesus’ death, so another earthquake accompanied Jesus’ resurrection as God’s own creation announced the new creation. God sent His angel to roll the stone away from Jesus’ tomb to reveal that it was already empty. The guards became like dead men in their fear, but they were the only dead ones there. The angel announced the good news to the women. Jesus’ resurrection takes away all fear. It is the central event of all history and of the Christian faith, giving us hope not only for this life, but for eternal life. As the women went in fear and great joy to tell the news to the disciples, Jesus met them with His greetings. In worship, they took hold of His feet, an important reminder that Jesus’ resurrection is physical. Jesus again took away their fear and sent them to His disciples as His brothers, those loved and forgiven through His death and resurrection.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.