father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:9, 10). We also have no claim on the mercy of God. His choosing us for his own is a matter of pure grace. To say “I am an orthodox Christian” or “I am a Bible-believing Lutheran,” as if God must then pay attention and bless us, is as foolish as the Jews’ claim: “We are descendants