But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Rom 3:21-28 ESV)
Reformation 31st October 2010
Dear friends of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Reformation celebrates the renewed manifestation of God's righteousness in this world. Time and again God's righteousness get's blurred, covered up and hidden by all sorts of other issues, things and people, false teachings, human ideologies and corrupt doctrine. However the triune God himself sees to it that this is never a permanent affair. God himself prevents the demise of his church. He himself keeps and preserves a remnant of sanctified saints in this world as its light and salt in the midst of all darkness and corruption. It is he, who has promised that the gates of hell shall not overcome his church in this world. Therefore he himself sees to it that the beautiful gospel comes to light again and again, so that people will hear and believe it and thus be saved from death to eternal life with him in his kingdom. Throughout the Ages it has been God's concern and successful doing that his good news in Jesus Christ for godless sinners be proclaimed loud and clear to those, who otherwise would have no hope. That is why he calls, educates, trains, tests, ordains and installs men into his service of preaching the saving message of the forgiveness of sins to those, who are caught up in iniquity, doubt, despair, false belief and other great shame and vice so that they will hear and believe and thus be justified by God's grace. Due to this divine input the one holy Christian church has grown throughout the world, gaining members amongst all nations and people, who are looking forward to the return of their Lord in glory and therefore pray consistently: Come Lord Jesus, come soon!
This did not only happen in the time of Martin Luther, whose work as a reformer started around 1517 and whom we remember especially on Reformation Day. No, the godly enterprise of putting the torch of the saving gospel onto a high and lofty stand has been a constant blessing by God to his people throughout the times and ages. Just think of the times of Abraham, Moses, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah. However Reformation also happened in the time and through the work of the Church fathers – especially St. Athanasius and Augustine, but also Pope Gregory the Great. It happened after Martin Luther had passed away and the orthodox Lutherans overcame their dissension and strife in the publication of the Book of Concord in 1580. We think of men like Martin Chemnitz [2nd Martin]; Philip Nicolai; Jacob Andrea and others. It happened in the confessional revival in the 1850's: Wilhelm Löhe, C.F.W. Walther and Louis Harms. By God's grace and mercy Reformation even happens in our time, whenever the heavenly Father in his great mercy grants his Holy Spirit so that by the pure preaching of God's Word in Law and Gospel people are drawn to Jesus Christ. He enlightens them through his gifts [Word & Sacrament], sanctifies them and keeps them in the true faith.
What is this true gospel – this righteousness of God? In its essence Reformation is the work of the triune God. He brings his forgiving grace to shine so brightly and his message of merciful salvation of sinful people to resound so clearly that by faith the people's hearts perceive clearly and their ears hear precisely what he has to show and tell them – even though they were totally corrupted by malice and caught up entirely in sinful malady and shadow of death and the devils wickedness. God himself sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ so that he as faithful lamb of God, would carry all the sins of the world onto the cross and there overcome sin, death and devil victoriously – once and for all. He voluntarily shed his precious and innocent blood to make up for our sins as a holy and acceptable sacrifice. His vicarious satisfaction on the cross – pro nobis - has overcome the ferocious wrath of the father, has achieved a everlasting propitiation for our sins and opened up the kingdom of heaven to all of us – not with gold or silver, but by his innocent suffering and death on our behalf and by shedding his most precious blood for the forgiveness of our sins. He did this, while we were still enemies of God and lost in our own iniquity, corruption and deceitful ways. He did this not because we deserved it or would come up for it in this or that fashion later – no – he did this work of redemption, salvation and reconciliation for us and for our salvation out of pure goodness, mercy and loving kindness. The forgiveness of our sins is therefore ascribed solely to the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the effective work of the Holy Spirit. That excludes all personal merit or boasting. All the praise and glory belongs entirely to the triune God.
All glory be to God alone, Forevermore the highest one,
Who did our sinful race befriend And grace and peace to us extend.
Among us may His gracious will All hearts with deep thanksgiving fill.
[Martin Luther LSB 948,1]
Nobody deserved this grace, because everybody was caught up in the sinful mess himself and therefore nobody could save himself. It was all God's doing. However he did it once and for all, completely satisfactorily, effectively and perfectly. There is no need for additional sacrifices, complimentary restitution or further compensation. Jesus Christ finished the work of justification perfectly. It is completely finished and accomplished. There is nothing outstanding anymore! There on the cross of Golgotha this work of divine redemption was done. That is where your salvation was achieved. We thank God for that! By the workings of the Holy Spirit he now distributes it amongst the nations, making disciples through baptism and his gracious teaching and preaching. These are the instruments by which he transports the godly grace of forgiveness into our lives, hearts and souls.
Before Martin Luther's time the gospel had been seriously compromised. The divine service had been transformed into human practice. God's good works for us were no longer emphasized and proclaimed as the most important, instead the focus now was on what we had not done and were still to do. The gospel was replaced with the law. This was the opposite of what God desired for his people and especially his church. No longer was the Lord's Supper the good gift of our Lord Jesus Christ's body and blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. Rather it had been perverted into a human sacrifice to pacify God's ongoing wrath. Similarly it was with Confession and Absolution. No longer was the main focus on God's gracious forgiveness of all our sin so that we may have peace and quiet for our souls, but rather it was harmfully misused as a device to exert pressure on troubled spirits and to exhort restitution of all kinds from them – money, bodily exercise and spiritual work out. No longer were people encouraged to put their entire hope on Christ's institution of holy baptism to be saved, nor were they held to trust on having been adopted as heirs of his kingdom through this washing of regeneration. Instead people were pushed to seek other supposedly better and greater means to please and impress God positively – like entering a monastery, becoming a priest, giving up all worldly ties, living in poverty and in obedience to ecclesial authorities. The law of God was sidelined and instead the canonical law of the church authorities was emphasized. Instead of fixing the eyes on Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, the people were mislead to trust rather in human beings – obey the Pope rather than Christ, pray rather to the saints than to Christ and to hope rather on Mary's compassion than on Christ's grace, love and mercy. Obviously all that was not only misleading, but extremely harmful. If we fix our hearts on something else than the triune God and his holy Word, institutions and mandates – then we are losing the saving faith and are committing most serious idolatry. Thank God, he brought his church out of this evil darkness and brought it back to the saving light of his good and saving and life preserving gospel – through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with him and the Holy Spirit now and forever. This very blessed reformation of the Church and thereby its blessed return to the true foundation of its faith and salvation makes us very grateful even today. Because of it we are not lost in our own doings, but rather are focussed on the saving works of Christ.
As we go about celebrating Reformation this year, let us also remember that in 2017 God willing it will be 500 years ago that God has done this wonderful and very blessed work of Church renewal in Wittenberg, Germany through his pastor Dr. Martin Luther. Let us also remember that by that time God willing it will be 50 years that our Church was constituted in Southern Africa. That gives us reason to be thankful for all the goodness the triune God has granted us through this confessional Lutheran Church – the pure teaching of his gospel of the forgiveness of our sins for Christ's sake and also the authentic administration of his most salvific sacraments. Through these means of grace the Lord of the Church – Jesus Christ – still builds, keeps and sanctifies his most venerated body of believers in the saving faith. Therefore it is our most precious treasure here on earth. We pray from the depth of our hearts that he may keep and preserve us and this church in it most faithfully and by his blessed means of grace may achieve the goal of our faith: the eternal salvation with him in his everlasting kingdom. May our gracious Lord grant this in his mercy + Amen.
"What I on earthy have done and taught Guide all your life and teaching;
So shall the kindom's work be wrought and honoured in your preaching.
But watch lest foes with base alloy The heav'nly treasure should destroy;
This final word I leave you." [Martin Luther LSB 556,10]
Wilhelm Weber +
