How do the words “The righteous shall live by his faith” go from a context of hope in hopelessness to the cornerstone declaration of the chief doctrine of the Christian faith?
As soon as people understand what crucifixion means, the cross becomes offensive.
This is the third installment in the 1517 articles series, “What Makes a Saint?”

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This is an edited excerpt from Addendum A, “The Church Year,” On Any Given Sunday: The Story of Christ in the Divine Service, written by Michael Berg (1517 Publishing, 2023), pgs. 113-120.
This is an excerpt from chapter 6 of Scandalous Stories by Daniel Emery Price and Erick Sorensen (1517 Publishing 2018).
What we do much less of, even in Christian circles, is recognize just how pervasive sin is, such that it has thoroughly corrupted us.
The gospel is for sinners – both the tax collector and Pharisee, both in need of the Great Physician.
Applying the pressure of law to ensure you do not to take grace for granted squeezes the life and power out of the gospel.
Heaven is yours now.
Sin is a heavy thing to bear. Its jacket is shame, its medals are guilt.
Your champion steps forward.
Christ's resurrection does not merely negate the bitterness of sin; it changes it into a source of divine sweetness, embodying the promise of a new life for us and a restored existence overshadowed by heavenly hope.
God demonstrates his great love for us in the actions of Jesus, who came down into the flesh and soaked up all our sin.
Yes, Christmas brings joy, but no less danger
It is of the utmost importance that pastors teach their congregation that through faith in Jesus Christ, they are fortified against the machinations of the adversary.