Fifth Sunday in Easter - Epistle (1893)

A. "And God looked at everything that He had made; and behold, it was very good."1 Only good has arisen from God's creative hand. All of creation praises His goodness; heaven and earth, yes, every single creature proclaims God is good, but with a difference, the one more, the other less. The highest among all creatures are angels in heaven and mankind on earth. Man is the noblest creature even after the fall into sin. However, among mankind Christians are especially highly exalted and excellent. It is true that there is nothing to see externally from this honor; rather, it is internal and spiritual. Christians often appear the exact opposite, to be the most miserable of all creatures. Nevertheless, it is true what we read in today's Epistle: They are the first fruits of God's creatures. As such, we now consider James 1:16-21 Believing Christians as the firstfruits of God's creatures; 1. how they become such; a. God has begotten them, . God, the Father of Lights, the almighty Creator. They are not only His creatures, because they, like all other creatures, are created by Him, but in a very particular sense: they are begotten by Him; . yet this begetting is a particular miracle that only happened to them; rebirth, new birth; "coming down from above" through the Holy Spirit, Whom they receive; "a new creature"2, b. He has begotten them according to His will, . not according to their own merit and conduct (His will); they have contributed, assisted nothing to it; they were "children of wrath by nature", dead in sin, enemies of God, . but according to His mercy and free grace3; God's work alone, like creation, c. He has begotten them by the Word of Truth, . the Gospel, because it does what it says, it brings and gives the goodness that it promises4; . this is the means, the seed; a living Word, "power of God"5; this Word also works in Baptism6; 2. in what way they are such; a. the first fruits in the Old Testament, . the fruits of the field, the first sheaves, the firstborn among the livestock, the firstborn among mankind; these were separated, sacred, consecrated to the Lord, property of the Lord, which is why they must be in part redeemed; . the firstborn had certain rights: the priesthood, governance, a double portion of the inheritance, b. Christians have become spiritual "first fruits", firstborn, through their spiritual birth, . God's property and chosen people7, the chosen race8; . they have acquired glorious privileges9, the kingly

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Genesis 1:31. John 1:12-13, 12:36; Galatians 3:26 (faith). 3 1 Peter 1:3; Titus 3:4-5. 4 Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5. 5 Romans 1:16; 1 Peter 1:23. 6 Ephesians 5:26; John 3:5; Titus 3:5. 7 John 15:19; 1 Peter 2:9.

priesthood10, garments of salvation, robe of righteousness - prayer, intercession, praise, thanks; . they have a twofold portion of the inheritance; made rich already here with all spiritual blessings, etc.11; made rich in all parts12; yet an imperishable, undefiled and unfading inheritance in heaven13, inheritance of the saints in light14 - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ15; 3. how they prove themselves as such; a. in their conduct toward sin, . not only avoiding and putting off individual sins, like wrath16, but . putting off all impurity and all wickedness.17 pursue sanctification - daily contrition and repentance - until their death, b. in their conduct toward God and His Word: they receive the Word with meekness, . they hear it, believe it, not only as God's Word, but hold fast to it and allow it to work in themselves ("implanted") to their salvation; it takes root, it grows, roots ever deeper, sprouts branches and flowers, bears fruit. Because they are begotten only by the Word and have become first fruits, they thus may remain with it only by the Word and finally attain the blessed inheritance in heaven. "Hold what you have, that no one may take your crown."18

Revelation 14:4, 9; Ephesians 1:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Titus 2:14 - John 10:14 (My own); 2 Timothy 2:19 (His own). 9 1 Peter 2:9-10. 10 Revelation 5:10, 1:6; Psalm 110:3. 11 Ephesians 1:3. 12 1 Corinthians 1:5. 13 1 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 9:5. 14 Colossians 1:17; Titus 3:5. 15 Romans 8:17 - (Spiritual heirs - heavenly heirs). 16 James 1:19-20. 17 James 1:21. 18 Revelation 3:11b.

B. James 1:16-21 If one has a thing in plenty, then one is easily inclined to underestimate its value, to estimate its usefulness slightly, to disregard and abuse it. As many people with air and water, so many with the Word of God; they have it in plenty. God's Word is plentiful these days. If it is pure and clearer in very few churches, then certainly in the Bible. Are we always conscious of it? Do we use it accordingly? Yes, a needful reminder is necessary. When do we rightly use God's Word? When we receive it in meekness 1. as a good, perfect gift; a. it is this because . it is from God. Only good gifts come from it.19 Verse 16 is likewise drawing on the forespoken from verse 13 on and anticipating on the following; . it is light; God, Father of Light, completely light; Who only emits light. Different than the body of light of the world that is subject to shifting (day, night) and to change (the position that they take to each other and to the earth). Light, symbol of Truth. God preserves eternally what He radiates: Truth; His Word is and remains true20, b. it is received as such; . we are not misled by the gossip of unbelievers, the learned and unlearned fools who talk about errors or inaccuracies, distinguish between truth and error, etc.; . we are not overcome with our reason; it is light: true, clear. If something appears to us as wrong, we find the error in our eyes. It is given to illuminate us, we are taught by it; 2. as the means of rebirth; a. it is this21, . indeed "God bears witness", we cannot do it ourselves; dead in sin; God raises up with His creative power22, but . "according to His will", "by the Word of Truth"; He makes His will known to us in His Word: Law and Gospel; He works in the Word23, b. it is received as such . thus it was received by James and His Christians24, . we thus also are able to say: "He has begotten us" etc. When? How? Law, Gospel. Even in Baptism. But we still need the food; 3. as an instrument of sanctification, a. it is this; the Word combats wrath, all impurity and wickedness; the one excludes the other. This shows the juxtaposition25: "casts off", "receives"; b. it is received as such. Especially when the Word of this office should wait, the flesh of Christians wants to revolt every now and then; therefore the exhortation: "receive [it] with meekness." If the Word proves a sanctifying power in you, then let no anger rise up in your heart against God and God's Word.

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James 1:17. Psalm 33:4; Isaiah 40:18. 21 James 1:8. 22 Ephesians 2:4-6. 23 Ephesians 1:13. 24 James 1:8. 25 James 1:21.