The gospel is not an if-then proposition for us to achieve by works, but a done-deal completion by Christ alone which we receive by faith. Even as a good tree bears good fruit, a living faith does living things: it confesses, believes and trusts in Christ above all things. Today, Craig and Troy dive into all of these issues and more on "For You Radio."

Jesus does not say to us, “Try really hard, and you will be better.”

We are so free as Christians that we don't even have to compare ourselves to other Christians.

In our democratic society we love to talk about freedom. But anybody out there ever tried to be perfect? Ah, shucks. Turns out we’re not as free as we thought.

We are a people always seeking, always moving, always striving for more: it is the American way.

We expect God to try us, not for our crimes, but for our better moments.

We who have been given so much are the way by which the Father cares for those in need.

When we say in the benediction, “The LORD make His face shine on you,” grace is what we mean.

But these good works aren’t done under compulsion. They’re done freely. They aren’t done so that God will love us. They’re done because He loves us.

Perhaps if we indulged our Christian freedom around them, they would come to see that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

This is the third installment in our special series on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation. Translation of Theses 5 and 6 by Caleb Keith.

No matter which side, it’s easy for all of us to build Bible verses into grenades aimed at obliterating the political other.