You are holy [Trinity 8; St. Matthew 7:15-23]

The Lord Jesus Christ speaks, not just to His generation, but in history and to you today, saying:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

The wolves are cloaked. Hidden from your sight. Impossible for natural man to detect. As a duck blind blinds the ducks to the hunter’s presence, so also are you blind to the wolves. The blind leading the blind, as it were…

In an attempt to not fall victim to the wolves, or to become one yourself, you hear St. Paul’s words today and figure that if you just live according to the Spirit, and not the flesh, not only will you live, but you will be able to judge the wolves from the sheep.

You, however, quickly become bored with good works. You realize that not everyone is doing the works you are and you must make sure they know this. You judge them unworthy to receive Christ’s gifts by holding them in contempt.

In your own attempt to do the sheeply works God demands of you, you wolfishly devour them by one-upping God and instead do what you feel are better works. So, you prophesy, cast out demons, and do many mighty works.

These three flashy acts are the devil’s favorites, because if even one person supposedly enacts them, everyone flocks to them, throws money at them, and forms a cult around them. Yes, the Apostles did these things, but they, and they only, had the calling to spread the Church in this way.

So what are false teachers really after? It can not be the flashy works. They offer no camouflage for trickery and lies. What the wolves are really after is your holiness; your sanctification given to you by the Lord. Those who are already a part of the pack do not incite blood-lust quite like the justification through faith by grace for Christ’s sake.

The howl of the hunt is raised as Jesus opens your eyes in proclaiming the forgiveness of sins. In preaching Christ Crucified, the false prophets loose their camo as the light of the world falls upon them. Jesus is the wisdom of God and the wisdom of God sends His Son to suffer and die on the cross.

For in that event; in Christ dying on the cross, all righteousness is fulfilled. In this once-for-all, historic act that can not be undone, salvation has been completely accomplished. It can not be taken back, because time does not move backwards. Neither can it be undone. It is set in the stone of the past and upon that rock, true faith and the true Church are founded.

Returning to St. Paul’s words then, it is not enough to live in the Spirit, it is more important to be led by the Spirit. Works follow, but being led means you are listening and hearing the words of Jesus. Possessing the Spirit of Jesus commends you to God and gives His promised holiness.

And since your holiness is a gift from God, and is as eternal and unchanging as He is, it can not be taken away from you. No matter how many times you hear someone tell you, you need to be doing this or that to be a better Christian, you are called to the holiness of Christ. Regardless of life lived or works worked, you have it. It is already in your possession, for you are saved by grace alone.

Because this gift can not be taken from you, the false prophets desire it. They want to create doubt inside you, because they want you to reject this gift. This is the only way to lose it. Do you prophesy enough? Have you cast out your quota of demons? Have you extended God’s Kingdom? Are your works mighty enough? Do you even do any of this?!

Dear Christian, these are indeed godly works given to you to do, but a bad tree can not produce good fruit. The wolves love your works; to twist them and make you value them more than church, but they can not stomach the Word of God. Your faith is not based on your ability, but the ability of Jesus to rise from the dead.

Which means that now, your sanctification is happening. You are hearing God speak from His own, human lips and you guard and treasure the pure preaching of the Gospel. You give all of yourself to ensure that this is done among you, in a church. You sacrifice everything to make it to the correct administration of the Sacraments.

These are the promises God makes to you, in Scripture, and these are the promises you see right in front of your face. Your call to holiness is manifested in the words of the Spirit leading you to Jesus in the gifts of the Spirit, given and shed for you.

The false prophets hate that your sanctification is so secure. The wolves loathe that the Gospel and the Sacraments can not be changed or destroyed and that by them, you gain the entire kingdom of heaven. The devil rages and howls because your only purpose in life is to receive the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus lived, suffered, died, and lives still today. Through the torturous cross, He has secured healing. Through His scourging, He has produced comfort. Through His fatal wounds, He secures life for you. In the world, the tree of life looks like the tree of death, good works look like bad works, and holy living looks like bigotry.

There is only one good tree: Jesus. The thorns, thistles, and bad fruit that only produce death were struck down forever on the cross. They are no more and the real thing that the false prophets, wolves, and the devil can not stand is the fact that, even if they were to kill you, you would live.

Your life is now hid in Christ. Others may not see it, but Christ has placed His name upon you and washed you clean. Life may be confusing, but Christ has given His Word to be proclaimed. All we eat and drink may be slowly killing us, but the bread of heaven comes down to set a table that never needs replenishing.