Dear Christian friends:

Are you a good Christian? Do you love God with all our heart, soul and mind? Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? Are you pleased and satisfied with your holy Christian life? Do you want to improve and become a better, holier Christian?

Now is Lenten Season. During Lent Christians try to improve and become better followers of Jesus Christ.

In our text, which is the Epistle Lesson for this Sunday Paul tells us how we can improve and become better Christians.

Paul tells us to improve by following his example. Jesus' wonderful love and kindness led Paul to grow and improve in holy living. Before Paul did not believe in Jesus Christ. His name was Saul, a Pharisee etc. But Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and changed him from enemy to a friend. Acts 9.

Paul tells how now he trusts only Jesus to be righteous and in peace with God in Philippians 3:7-9, "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

Then because of Jesus' love and kindness Paul wanted to improve and become better and better the same as Jesus. "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10)

We should have the same faith as Paul and the same love for Jesus. Jesus' love and kindness should lead us to improve and become better Christians.

We are born with sinful, law-breaking nature and are enemies of God, the same as Saul. David: Psalm 51-5, "I was born with sin, sinful since the time my mother conceived me. Isaiah: Isaiah 64:6, "All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are as filthy rags. John: 1 John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

Say with St. Paul, "All my righteous acts, all my good works I think as trash, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him etc. (Philippians 3:8-9) Jesus is "the Lord our Righteousness."

Then because of Jesus' love and kindness we should want to improve and become better Christians, more holy same as Paul, same as Jesus. We should never be satisfied with our Christian living. (Philippians 3:12-13)

We should follow Paul's example and the good example of other strong Christians. We should not follow the bad example of some false preachers and false Christians. (read! Philippians 3:18-19)

Paul warns about people who say they believe in Jesus, but they don't really have true faith. They want God's love, mercy and forgiveness in Jesus, but they don't want to stop sinning. They don't want to follow the Holy Spirit and become better. They are named Antinomian. They argue that they are free from the Ten Commandments because Jesus obeyed the Ten Commandments for them and won forgiveness.

Do we think like that, too? (Ask the pertinent questions!)

Paul warned the Galatians: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13) Again he says, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you not satisfy the desires of the sinful nature (Galatians 6:16)

If we have true faith in Jesus, the same as St. Paul, then we don't want to sin and do wrong and bad, but we want to become holy and perfect, the same as Jesus, the same as we will be in heaven.

Therefore, St. Paul reminds us about our heavenly home, that our true home is in heaven where there is no sin. (Philippians 3:20-21)

In heaven there will be perfect love, true goodness. There with all angels and all believers we will be friends with God and with each other no more enemies no more jealousy or hate or mean doing. Only love and we will worship and serve God in very beautiful, exciting ways.

This will happen when Jesus comes again in glory with all the holy angels on the Last Day. If we are still living our bodies also will be changed and become like Jesus glorious body. No more sickness or pain, no more dying and tears. God himself will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Those who have died will be raised!

Because we have such a hope! Because we are now members of heaven we should try to live holy and practice true love here on earth while we wait eagerly for Jesus to come again and take us to our holy home.

This is not easy in our very wicked and sinful world. The devil, the unbelievers in the world and our own sinful nature always tempt us to sin. Sometimes we fail!

But we should not despair, but quickly remember God's love in Jesus and confess our sins, and receive His forgiveness in Jesus' name. And then live by the Holy Spirit and walk with the Holy Spirit through this sinful world. We received the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments.

O Jesus, help us continue strong in faith!

Amen.