Connected in The Word 8-25-25
When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him… Luke 14:8
There’s no doubt the Bible is full of good advice. It’s a good idea to follow the advice in the verse above. Take the lowest seat, be humble, and consider others more highly than yourself. This isn’t just good advice, it’s about living out God’s Law to love your neighbor as yourself. I guess you could say following God’s Law is good advice and I highly recommend doing it. After all, God’s Law is good and holy!
However, and this might sound strange, but you need to be cautious when following the Law. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that following the Law is what wins you salvation. The Law is good – But following the Law does NOT make you good. Taking the lowest seat at the wedding, considering others more highly than yourself, and loving your neighbor might, in the words of Martin Luther be works that “seem beautiful and good, they are nevertheless demonstrably deadly sins.” (Thesis 3 - Heidelberg Disputation)
How can being humble and loving others be a deadly sin? Well, if you are depending on them in any way to win you salvation – Then yes, they are a deadly sin. Is God able to still do “good” work in the world through sinful people who trust in their own works to win salvation? Yup! So, to summarize – Love your neighbor as yourself (It’s God’s good and Holy Law). But when it comes to your salvation, trust in Christ alone. It is His GOOD WORK which He accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection that wins you salvation – NOTHING ELSE!
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