The Gospel according to St. John says, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). When we look at man outside of Christ, he is not pure and righteous, but sinful and dark. Outside of Jesus, we are dead, as Colossians says, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses"(Colossians 2:13). Outside of Jesus we are dead, dark, and rather than be inclined toward goodness, we desires only to do wicked things all the time. Outside of Jesus, we will never desire to know or do the things of God, but will habitually do the things of sin, death, world, and the devil. As 1st Corinthians says, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1st Corinthians 2:14). As the Book of Concord asserts, "The Scriptures deny to the intellect, heart, and will of the natural man all readiness, skill, capacity, and ability to think, to understand, to be able to do, to begin, to will, to undertake, to act, to work, or to agree to work anything good and right in spiritual things from himself" (FCSD II.11). Outside of Jesus, we are dead in our sins, darkened in our hearts, and we will never desire the things above, but will live in the passions of the things of this earth below. 

In and of ourselves we will never make the choice for Jesus, but will do the things of sin and the devil. This means that our salvation is entirely out of our hands. Not that we wouldn't ever, but we couldn't ever make the decision for Jesus. In fact, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. This was not our decision or our doing, but rather is the will of the Father. It is the will of the Father that Jesus lay down His life for us His sheep. It is the will of the Father that Jesus speak over us, the valley of dry bones, and give us life in His Name. It is not according to our will that we are saved from sin and death, but according to Jesus good and gracious will. We are saved, not because there is something good in us, but because Jesus is good and righteous. We are not saved because we were found holier than the rest of creation, but because Jesus assumed the sin of all creation and died in our stead on the cross. Our Salvation is all Jesus work; therefore, also, our conversion is all Jesus work. He doesn't die for us and then say it's up to us to pick things up from there. No. Jesus says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you." We do not go to Jesus by our own free will, but rather we are brought to Jesus by the Holy Spirit and baptized into Christ according to the will of Jesus. Our conversion is all Jesus' work. It's all God's work. We are declared righteous, not found righteous. We are forgiven, but rewarded for good behavior. Our salvation, conversion, justification, sanctification, and absolution is all Jesus' work for us. 

Jesus is the sun that comes to light our darkened hearts. He is the one that brings light in the midst of darkness, life in the midst of death, forgiveness in the midst of sin. Rejoice then my friends, for it's all free and it's all Jesus' work for you. He is the sun that beings light in your dark world in order that you may know that your Father in heaven loves you and waits for you in paradise. Take heart then in all the good work that Jesus does for you. May this be your confidence this week as you face the assaults of sin, death, world, and the power of the devil. May the love of Jesus comfort you while everything seems to be going down the toilet. Take heart, all things are done for you, and paradise awaits you for all eternity.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I forgive you. I love you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull