St. Paul reminds us that we have a number of blessings since we are justified by faith. In the preceding chapters he had taught what it means to be justified by faith. In short, justification by faith means that we are regarded as having met all of God’s requirements of the law and that all our sins are forgiven and that we are now pleasing to God by trusting in Jesus who alone has actually met all of God’s requirements of the law and has pleased God perfectly. By Jesus’ death on the cross all of our sins are punished and we are forgiven.

Martin Luther correctly identified this teaching as the doctrine by which the church stands for falls-it is that important. There is only one way to be in a right relationship with God and to please him and that if to be justified by faith.

And yet, how often do we think about whether or not our thoughts, words, and actions are acceptable to God? I think that we are more concerned about whether or not we please others or please ourselves.

This desire to please others is indeed taught in the Bible. For examples

Romans 15:1 through Romans 15:2
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

1 Corinthians 7:33
33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world-how he can please his wife-

1 Corinthians 10:33
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Titus 2:9
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

Granted, much of what we do is to win the approval of others. We complete our assignments or work so that the teacher or boss will be pleased with our work. We love and respect our spouse and family so we take into account their reaction to what we do. We make decisions and carry out plans so that the majority will be satisfied. We are concerned about what other people think and we try not to offend them but to be in their good graces.

By nature we would rather please just ourselves. Galatians 6:7-8a 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction;

An infant doesn’t care whom he or she disturbs when wet or hungry, that infant will let out a cry to let you know until they are pleased. Many older children would prefer to satisfy their wants and needs with no regard for the wants and needs of others around them. As adults, we tend to be selfish, self-centered, bent on making sure we are well fed, well entertained, comfortable, and well off and how others can serve us to meet those ends.

And when we see how pleasing others can benefit us (or if we think we need to be loved by others for our self worth), then we primp and preen and guard our tongues and actions because we are concerned about what others may think of us or do to us out of approval or disapproval.

This would be good if we were surrounded by fellow Christians who approved at all times of God’s will but it becomes problematic when we try to please others who do not believe or do as God directs.

And so we are faced with several decisions when it comes to seeking approval and pleasing ourselves or others.

What is it that we are to do to please ourselves or others?

Do we try to please everyone or do we try to please ourselves? One song writer offers this advice, “You can’t please everybody, so you’ve got to please yourself.”

That may make for a good lyric, but it is bad theology. God tells us in no uncertain terms that we are to do what is pleasing to him even if it disagrees with our selfish desires or our attempts to cull the favor of others. St. Paul adopted this philosophy expressed in Galatians 1:10 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

He tells what our goal in life is to be in 1 Thes 4:1 1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more

To please God means to be justified in his eyes. The one who is pleasing to God is the one who has been declared as having met God’s righteous requirements.

What does God want us to do? How are we to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to him? How can we be sure that what we are doing right now is pleasing to God and that he favors us?

The Law says, “Do this and you will live.” God is pleased with those who obey his commandments and he promises grace and every blessing to those who obey him perfectly. The problem with the law is that it also shows that we are sinners. No one of us has kept God’s commandments nor will be able to do so perfectly until we get to heaven. We are failures.

I know there is a movement to remove the concept of failure from the schools because it ruins self esteem and all that, but the fact remains that when it comes to keeping God’s law we all get a big red “F” and no amount of extra credit or make up work is going to change that. We have failed and failed miserable and deserve only God’s wrath and punishment.

How is it then that St. Paul asserts that we are justified? We are justified by faith.

God sent his own son to do what we could not do and that is to please him according to the law. John 8 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” God the Father affirmed that Jesus met his righteous requirements when he said, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus did this in our place. He kept the commandments perfectly and died on the cross in our place. As a result, God declares us justified, as having met his righteous requirements because Jesus did it for us. By faith (trust in Jesus) we are approved by God. Without faith we would still be failures. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

St. Paul recounts the benefits of being approved by God.

We have peace with God. We don’t have to worry if God likes us or if he is going to help us or not. We are in harmony with him.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We can look past our momentary sufferings and problems and look forward to the final rescue from the consequences of sin in heaven.

We have God’s love which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

What impact is this to have on our lives?

In grateful acknowledgment that we are justified, we are no longer uncertain about our standing before God. He does love us. But we are not to abuse this love. We are to find out what is pleasing to God and to live as his children in a way that brings glory to him.

Conclusion: I don’t know how much you worry about what other people think. I know it is real important to some of you and for others you could care less. I am a middle child. A strong personality trait of the middle child is that of being a pleaser. That is why is hurts me so much when someone voices their disapproval of what I do whether it is a sin or not. But I cannot conduct the ministry as a pleaser of men. I must adopt the same attitude of St. Paul who said,

4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed-God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

St. Paul’s main concern was that as one who was justified by faith he wanted to say “Thank you” by pleasing God. You also have been justified by faith. God loves you and is pleased with you through your trust in Jesus. Live that faith so that you also please him with your actions. Amen.