No Mystery
I read an article recently about a ship that was called The Griffin. It was the first full sized sailing ship on the Upper Great Lakes in 1679. It sailed through Lake Erie to Lake Huron before ultimately landing in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The ship was owned the explorer La Salle. He disembarked in Green Bay, and then sent the ship back towards Niagara. It was last seen struggling in the waves near Washington Island, Wisconsin. It is presumed that it went down somewhere in Lake Michigan, but explorers have been searching for the location ever since. It is one of the top mysteries of the Great Lakes.
Explorers have announced that they are confident that they have found the wreck, but because it is tied up in lawsuits, it hasn’t been verified by other experts and archaeologists. So for now, the location of The Griffin remains a mystery.
Humans have always been fascinated by unsolved mysteries, and many people spend their lifetimes trying to solve them. Sometimes they are ultimately solved, but many times they remain mysteries that seem to be forever out of reach of a solution.
When it comes to our salvation, there is no mystery. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. We are saved because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins and redeemed us from them. His death and resurrection provide salvation for us, and by God’s grace, we are given the Gospel which tells us of Christ. The Gospel proclaims to us that Christ has done it all, and we only need to believe it and trust in Christ.
Without Christ and without the Gospel, our salvation would always be a mystery. We could never know that we have salvation. Those who try to be saved by their works are forever in doubt and fear, because they cannot truly know if they have done enough good works to be saved. And in fact, you cannot be saved by works. The law condemns us because our works are tainted by sin. However, the Gospel tells us that we are saved because of Christ, and through faith in Him there is no mystery.
In Christ,
Rev. David L. Putz, Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Good things are happening at Holy Cross! Praise God for that. When we keep Word and Sacrament ministry at the heart of what we do, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sown. As we share the Word, God gives the growth and we rejoice as humble stewards of the God who changes lives and hearts. Help us always, Lord, to keep Your Word at the center of our life together under your Holy Cross!
Please continue to pray for our congregation and each other. Don’t forget to visit our church website www.holycross-crawfordsville.org to find links for all our services on YouTube.