You're confirmed. ✅ You’ve learned the catechism, the Book of Concord, and you understand law and gospel.

So, what’s the next level? What does Christianity 2.0 look like? 🤔 Is there something more to this than just the forgiveness of sins?

The problem is the question.❓The question should not be “What’s next?” The question should be, “What is the most needful thing for me to do?” 🤲

Think back to the Bible when Martha was upset at Mary for not helping her with the housework, and Jesus tells Martha that “one thing is needful.”

What was the one thing that was needful? To sit and receive from Jesus. ✝️

Go back to the first things — the things you first learned. Even if you think you’ve got it all mastered, you haven’t. 😬

Our sinful flesh demands that we return again and again to first things — the 10 commandments, the creed, and the Lord’s Prayer.🙏

❓Why is returning to first things the answer?

The old Adam has to die every day ⚔️ so the new man can be raised. 🌱

We need protection from the devil, rescue from our sinful flesh, and from this world — constantly.🛡️

The devil never sleeps. He doesn't stop. 😈 The same is true of our sinful flesh. It's always trying to take God's gifts and turn them into something we do.

The good works that we want to do and we should do only come as good from God.

Luther says there's enough in just baptism for us to unpack the rest of our lives.💧

✨Look to the author and the finisher of your faith.✨

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, his ways are not our ways. There are parts of God that you will never understand, but there are also the parts that he wants you to know. And the more you study them, the more you learn.

Every time you return to the text and the more you dive into the scriptures, the deeper they seem to want to go.

Luther said you need to hear the gospel every day because you forget it every day. 🗣️We’re good at beating ourselves up with the law. So what do you learn next? You need to hear the gospel again and again and again.💗

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #christian