One of the joys of being home is you need not put on airs. Out in the world, we do all we can to hide our faults and failings. You might be afraid if your boss knew your secrets, he’d give you your walking papers. You might be afraid that if neighbors knew your personal issues, they might consider moving. But we know that in a healthy family, people will love us in spite of our faults.

As a young man, Martin Luther thought of himself as God’s slave. Thus, he was terrified of God. Luther believed God was a harsh taskmaster, looking for every possible reason to punish him. But as Martin Luther studied God’s Word, he realized that was not the case at all. God is a loving Father. He does not pretend we have no brokenness or sin, but he paid for it all by the death and resurrection of Christ. Scripture says that through faith in Christ, we are completely forgiven. We are part of God’s own family—a family where we are loved in spite of our faults.

God’s grace not only frees us from the fear of condemnation and punishment, it frees us to live a better, more grace-filled life. We want to live as God’s children. We want to love and bear with one another—our brothers and sisters—just as our Father loves and bears with us.

Join us this Reformation weekend, as we continue our Welcome Home worship series, celebrating the freedom Christ has given to us.