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Special Issue:

The Simul • Simul 101 • Good Guy or Bad Guy? • Why Liturgy?

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cph.org/gospelswithluther

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Preview the new devotional from Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison at cph.org/joyfullylutheran cph.org/joyfullylutheran

H I G H E R

Small Catechism devotions full of

Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 19/Number 1 • Spring 2019

This special topical issue

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Special Features 4 Simul 101

By Rev. George F. Borghardt Rev. Borghardt takes us back to the basics of the reality of Christian life as he zeroes on the very paradoxical nature of the Simul.

6 The Law Is for You Even Now

By Rev. Aaron T. Fenker If you’re a saint, why do you need to bother with God’s Law? Rev. Fenker walks us through the three uses of the Law to help us understand the role God’s good Law plays in the life of a Christian.

8 The Simul in the Old Testament

By Rev. Donavon Riley Rev. Riley demonstrates how the Simul is a key to understanding the underlying message of the entirety of the Scriptures, even the Old Testament: We are sinners in need of a savior who is Jesus Christ, in whom we have forgiveness and are brought from death to life.

10 On Being “Simul”—New Software on Old Hardware

By Rev. William M. Cwirla We’ve all been frustrated with our computers at one point or another—it’s inevitable. That’s why Rev. Cwirla’s analogy works so well! You’ll heartily agree after reading the connection between software, hardware and your life as a Christian.

12 Christianity: Secret Battles & Inner Peace

By Rev. Harrison Goodman From the start to the end of Rev. Goodman’s article, there is one unmistakable theme: The spiritual battle we experience each and every day can’t negate our identity in Christ. When you’re in the throes of your battles (saint and sinner), remember you are baptized, and receive the forgiveness won for you.

“The Simul” has one goal in mind: that by the time you’ve read this magazine cover to cover you will have a solid handle on exactly what simul justus (or iustus) et peccator—simultaneously saint and sinner—is and what its implications are for you as a Christian. Not only that, we hope you’ll be passionately reminded to daily embrace your identity as a baptized child of God and be confident that it is Christ’s work and gifts that will sustain you in your battle weariness this side of Heaven. It is in Him you receive forgiveness in abundance and through His Word you encounter the reality of your true victory in Christ.

18 Well, Do You Believe or Not? Yes! Help!

By Rev. Mark Buetow Is it possible to believe and not believe at the same time? Well, when you’re simultaneously saint and sinner it sure is! How do we reconcile this? Rev. Buetow points us time and time again to Christ and His gifts!

20 Good Guy or Bad Guy?

By Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz Some of the best works of literature we read are so relatable because the characters demonstrate the Simul so vividly. Rev. Schuldheisz cites numerous examples, all leading to the final encouraging word that this battle we fight within ourselves will not last forever.

22 Find Your Rest

By Rev. Gaven M. Mize Rev. Mize uses the words of a comforting Lutheran hymn to remind us that when we confront the brutal reality of simul justus et peccator at a funeral, we can know there is ultimate peace to be found in our Baptisms and in the resurrection to come!

Regular Features 28 Catechism: Liturgical Catechesis: Why Liturgy?

By Rev. William M. Cwirla Rev. Cwirla reminds us what a great gift the Liturgy is, for it is where our saint and sinner nature can be addressed so reliably and consistently.

30 Bible Study: Secret Battles & Inner Peace

Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Harrison Goodman’s article on P. 12.

HigherThings

Volume 19/Number 1/Spring 2019 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies/ Executive Editor

Katie Hill Art Director

Steve Blakey Editorial Associates

Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Gaven M. Mize Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Copy Editors

Kay Maiwald Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors

Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Rev. Joshua Ulm ___________ Board of Directors President

Rev. George F. Borghardt Vice-President

Rev. Duane Bamsch Treasurer

Mr. Kurt Winrich Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche Mrs. Becky Clausen Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Anthony Pellegrini Rev. Chris Rosebrough ___________

Executive Council Deputy Executive/ Conference and Retreats

Sandra J. Madden Media Executive

Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Business Executive

Connie Brammeier Development Executive

Erica Jacoby

Marketing Executive

Patrick Sturdivant Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc. P.O. Box 155 Holt, MO 64048. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2019. Higher Things® is registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-482-6630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@ higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers/ for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.

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Simul 101

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Photo by Kevin Carden Lightstock.com

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

Sola gratia. Sola fide. Sola Scriptura. You know that Latin, don’t you? Every Lutheran does! Jesus saves you by grace alone (sola gratia), received by faith alone (sola fide), and this flows from Scripture alone (sola Scriptura). The solas confess one of the truths that became clear during the Reformation. That truth—the truth that Jesus saves us by grace alone received by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9)—is confessed another way in the Scriptures: simul justus et peccator. That’s “same time justified and sinner” or “same time saint and sinner.” We call it in this issue of Higher Things Magazine “the Simul.” My job is to give you the basics. Think of this article as “Simul 101.” You are a saint. That is the Gospel! A saint is a holy one. You are a sinner. That’s the Law! A sinner is someone who is, by definition, “not holy.” A saint stands before God completely and totally forgiven. A sinner can’t stand before God at all. All sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). All are justified freely as a gift by faith in Christ (Romans 3:23). “All” are sinners means that you are a sinner, too. “All” are justified means that you are justified, too. You are at the same time completely and totally a sinner and completely and totally declared forgiven by God. That doesn’t make sense at all! That’s because the Simul is a paradox. A sinner is the opposite of a saint and a saint isn’t a sinner. Reason tells you that you are either a sinner or a saint; how can you be both? Everyone knows this! How can both be true in the Scriptures? Welcome to the Gospel! It’s messy and it’s neat. In the Gospel two truths are held together in this life: You are a sinner who is justified by faith alone in Jesus. Let’s start with the truth of the Law: You are a sinner. God didn’t make you a sinner. You are fallen—born in Adam’s image. You inherited your sin from your dad. “In sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5). That’s original sin! Incurvatus in se. That’s the Latin name for original sin. It means “turned inward upon yourself.” You are inclined to evil. Your compass is off. It doesn’t point toward God, it points toward you. You care more about yourself than others and God. You don’t have to be taught to sin. It comes naturally. You do, think, and plan to do evil things (concupiscence). You commit sins (actual sin). Lady Gaga was right, too, in this respect: You really were really born this way. That’s bad! But the Law isn’t done yet. It’s far worse: All of you is a sinner. All of me is a sinner. You are completely and totally a sinner. You aren’t partly a sinner and partly something better. You were born a sinner. You are a sinner. You will be a sinner. You will die a sinner (peccator). At the same time (simul) there is another truth about you: You are justified by faith in Jesus. You are born from above in Jesus. You are holy and without spot or blemish before

God in His blood. You are completely forgiven in Christ of all your sins—past, present, and future sins. God the Father has given you, bestowed upon you, everything that Jesus earned in a blessed exchange! You are righteous in Jesus. You are forgiven in Jesus. Everything that is true of Jesus is true of you: You are a child of God and an heir of heaven itself. All things are yours in Christ—even the right hand of God. Jesus goes to prepare a place for you so that where He is there you may be also. There’s more good news! You are completely and totally a saint (justus). You aren’t part saint or some percentage a saint in Jesus. By faith in Jesus you are completely and totally forgiven. You are justified, declared righteous, in the death and resurrection of Christ. It doesn’t depend upon you. It doesn’t rest upon you at all! Did Jesus die for you? Did He rise again from the dead for you? If He did, you are saved. It all rests on Jesus. So, is this some sort of 50-50 thing? No. Do you increase the amount that you are justified depending on how you get sin out of your life? No. That’s progressive sanctification, which is not taught in the Scriptures. Here is the paradoxical truth of Scripture: Your whole life you are completely a saint and completely a sinner. And when you fall asleep someday, you’ll just be a saint. Your life in Christ is now a constant daily battle between the two yous. The justified new man (justus) lives by faith alone and can’t sin. The Old Adam (peccator) in you wants to live for himself and fix things with God on his own. The whole of your life is this continual battle between saint and sinner. So why not just sin since you are completely and totally a sinner anyway? Well, faith doesn’t think that way. You are baptized. Faith desires more Jesus. Your new man wants to compel your old man to live for God and others. That’s the battle! But your Old Adam is so corrupted with original sin that even as you get one sin under control, you see another actual sin, and another, and another. Thus, your whole life is this fight between the two yous so that you live not as you want to live but as Christ wants you to live. Your whole life now is confessing your sins and receiving forgiveness. Will you get better in this life? How does this look? How does this go down? How is this truth lived out? The rest of this magazine is going to explain and rejoice in this paradoxical truth of the Gospel. But here are the basics: You are simul, which means you are completely a saint and completely a sinner. Rev. George F. Borghardt is the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bossier City, Louisiana. He also serves as the president of Higher Things.

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On B H

New Softw By Rev. William M. Cwirla

ave you ever tried running new software on an old computer? I have. My old laptop comes to mind—my trusty old road warrior. I’ve replaced the keyboard, the hard disk, and the logic board, three batteries and a few other spare parts from eBay. It’s not my primary computer, which is a desktop, but I try to make the old laptop as compatible as possible. However, I find that the new versions of software just don’t run well on old hardware.

Photo by Hugo Felix/Shutterstock.com

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That’s a picture of the Christian life. Luther called it being “simul justus et peccator,” which is Latin for simultaneously a righteous saint and a damned sinner. We sometimes speak of our “Old Adam” or “sinful nature” and our “new man” in Christ. Old You and New You. Old You is the sinner born of Adam, hopelessly infected with the virus called sin. New You is the saint born of God, pure and holy. The Scriptures call Old You the “outer man” or the “flesh” and New You the “inner man” or the “spirit.” The key to understanding the Christian life as it is lived by faith is that New You is hidden “in, with and under” Old You—a Christ-mind operating an Adam-body. In Baptism, the Spirit has given you a new operating system, new software, New You. You have the mind and the will of Christ. You delight in the Law

Being ‘‘Simul’’

tware on Old Hardware of God and you desire to do what is pleasing to God. The trouble is that New You is running on Old You’s hardware. As a result, there are the inevitable crashes and glitches. This is how the apostle Paul describes it:“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members” (Romans 7:21-23). In other words, New Paul, his “inmost self,” really wants to do God’s will and delights in God’s law. But the hardware for Old Paul, what he calls his “members,” refuses to cooperate. Old Paul has a terrible virus called sin that causes him to crash every time he tries to do the will of God. Whenever he wants to do good, evil always lies close at hand. He can’t seem to get anything right. Everything he does is infected with sin, even his good works. And what is Paul’s analysis of the situation? “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) Martin Luther communicated an amazingly profound insight in a series of statements he drafted for a debate at Heidelberg, Germany in 1518. This was very early in the Reformation—only a year after he had nailed his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg. In his Heidelberg theses, Luther said that everything man does, even when God is working through man, is sin. That’s because the inner man, the new person in Christ, must always work through the outer man, the old person in Adam. In other words, New You must always use Old You’s hardware. That explains a lot of things. It explains why our works can’t save us. They are always sinful even when they are good! It explains why faith alone justifies us before God. Only Christ’s works are without sin. It explains why we always seem to mess up, especially in spiritual things, why we can’t seem to stick with prayer or God’s Word, why we’re not glad when they say, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.” It’s because New You always has to work through Old You. The righteous saint must always work through the sinner. No wonder the apostle Paul cries out, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 8)

It also explains why we can’t seem to fix ourselves. The Christian life is not about retraining old hardware to run new software. Old You is not fixable; it’s destined to die. Instead, Old You must be forced to go along with the program, at least for the moment. That’s where the Law comes in. The Law curbs, mirrors and instructs Old You to death. It curbs Old You’s behaviors; mirrors sin, and instructs with punishments and rewards, much the way you train an old dog new tricks. And you know how well that works. Old You’s hardware is simply not suited for holiness. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.” Until you come into new hardware in the resurrection, New You’s software is going to have to make the best of trying to control Old You’s hardware. Does that mean we simply sin to our heart’s content and ask for forgiveness? No! It means that we say “no” to Old Adam, and we bring him under discipline. Even though our new man in Christ needs no Law, our New You uses the Law to threaten, bribe, coerce our old hardware to go with the holiness program. That’s why we set alarms on Sunday for church. The New Adam is glad when they say, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord,” but the Old Adam says, “I’d rather roll over and go sleep.” For now you live “simul” by grace through faith for Jesus’ sake as a New You in Christ stuck in an Adam’s Old You hardware. That may not be a pretty sight to those keeping score, but in Christ you are already justified, sanctified, and glorified (1 Corinthians 6). You’re just waiting to be rescued from this “body of death” to rise with new hardware to run that Christ-like software. Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly updated since its original publication in the Summer 2012 issue of Higher Things Magazine. As it so uniquely expresses what the Simul is we felt it essential to include in this issue. Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, as well as a president emeritus of Higher Things.

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2019 Spring - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)