Mr. President

A couple months ago our family brought home a new member, a white German Shepherd named Harrison. Pretty cute, no?

Harrison has been a constant source of stress and frustration. He's a money drain too. Honestly I'm not sure one thing this dog is supposed to bring to our family. An alarm system would be cheaper, WAY cheaper, security wise.

Then, yesterday, I was walking through the backyard and something caught my eye. I almost threw up in disgust. There, in the middle of a pile of dog poop, was a large white worm. WHITE. A roundworm. I spent the rest of the day panicking as I read about the dangers of roundworms in dogs to children and pregnant women. That explains his recent loss of appetite and diarrhea bouts all night long that have required me to get up often twice a night and take him outside between going to the restroom myself. We now have to spent even more time and effort into protecting ourselves, our yard, and our home from these invaders in our dog. (Don't worry, I know how to handle it.)

Why did we get him? Why should we keep him? What is his value or worth? What were we thinking opening our family to him?

[15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16, ESV) (emphasis mine)

I wonder if the Jewish Christians felt this way when Christ let it be known that He had died not only for the Jew, but also for the Gentile sinner. I wonder if the Jews were disgusted. I wonder if they felt repulsed by the extra work and struggled against opening their faith to such a "sinful" people, to such lawless people...people that were never part of the exile into the desert or the exile into Babylon. People that had not suffered and wandered and had their heritage. And suddenly salvation unto them has come by God's free grace and favor. 

Sigh. 

So, Mr. President stays. He is pretty cute, after all. He's stupidly happy and you should see him when the water hose is on. I'm still not sure what he will add to our family and what all this money spent will do for us, but, sometimes it just has to cease to be about money or us. We certainly won't win any brownie points with God just for welcoming a stupid dog into our house. It's not like we did something noble like adopt a child. So it's not even a salvific good work. huh. What a waste. 

But he stays. 

May we stay too. Always. Christ keep us. 

Salvation unto us has come

By God’s free grace and favor;

Good works cannot avert our doom,

They help and save us never.

Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,

Who did for all the world atone;

He is our one Redeemer.


What God did in His law demand

And none to Him could render

Caused wrath and woe on every hand

For man, the vile offender.

Our flesh has not those pure desires

The spirit of the Law requires,

And lost is our condition.



It was a false, misleading dream

That God His Law had given

So sinners could themselves redeem

And by their works gain Heaven.

The Law is but a mirror bright

To bring the inbred sin to light

That lurks within our nature.


From sin our flesh could not abstain

Sin held its sway unceasing;

The task was useless and in vain,

Our guilt was e’er increasing.

None can remove sin’s poisoned dart

Or purify our guileful heart—

So deep is our corruption.


Yet as the Law must be fulfilled

Or we must die despairing,

Christ came and hath God’s anger stilled,

Our human nature sharing.

He hath for us the Law obeyed

And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed

Which over us impended.


Since Christ hath full atonement made

And brought us to salvation,

Each Christian therefore may be glad

And build on this foundation.

Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,

Thy death is now my life indeed,

For Thou hast paid my ransom.



Let me not doubt, but trust in Thee,

Thy Word cannot be broken;

Thy call rings out, “Come unto Me!”

No falsehood hast Thou spoken.

Baptized into Thy precious Name,

My faith cannot be put to shame,

And I shall never perish.


The Law reveals the guilt of sin

And makes men conscience-stricken;

The Gospel then doth enter in

The sinful soul to quicken.

Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;

The Law no peace can ever give,

No comfort and no blessing.



Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone

And rests in Him unceasing;

And by its fruits true faith is known,

With love and hope increasing.

Yet faith alone doth justify,

Works serve thy neighbor and supply

The proof that faith is living.


All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise

To Father, Son, and Spirit,

The God that saved us by His grace—

All glory to His merit!

O Triune God in Heav’n above,

Who hast revealed Thy saving love,

Thy blessèd Name be hallowed.

Salvation Unto Us Has Come, LSB #555