St John 8:31-36/Revelation 14:6-7/Romans 3:19-28
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The Reformation is about the Word of God. It is a matter of His Law and His Gospel. His Law, preached in its full sternness, revealing the depth of our sin, condemning our very nature; and His Gospel, setting us free by the forgiveness of sins for the sake of Christ.
In the text, our Lord was addressing the Jews who had believed in Him. In the Epistle, St Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, indicting the the whole world. Today, this Festival of the Reformation, they both speak to you regarding the seriousness of sin.
You were conceived and born in sin. You were formed from unclean seed in your mother’s womb. Of your flesh you are not children of Abraham, nor sons of your father Luther. You are sons and daughters of your first parents, Adam and Eve, who exchanged the knowledge of the Creator for the image of His creation. In wishing to become wise they became fools. They did not abide in God’s Word. They rejected His Word and in doing so rejected Him.
Luther called them Enthusiasts. They sought God apart from where He has promised to reveal Himself, namely, in His Word. The German was better - Schwarmerei. He said, “Enthusiasts swarm around like buzzing gnats, trying to locate God.” We are their progeny; their offspring. For we look for God in all the wrong places.
“I don’t need to read His Word, I can just watch a beautiful sunset.” “I don’t need to attend Bible study, I can just follow my heart.” “I don’t need to care about doctrine, I’m a born and raised Lutheran.” But creation does not preach the Gospel to us. It convicts us of our sin. God does not speak from within our hearts. He has not promised to do so. And there is no freedom in being offspring of Luther.
Repent. For in seeking God where He has not put Himself to be found, you have become an Enthusiast. And in becoming an Enthusiast you have become a slave to sin. Luther’s burden was, “How shall I find a merciful God?” This is not the burden of our day. We indulge the mercy of God to such a degree that we dare even ask, “Why would God need to punish His Son?” We do not keep the Gospel pure when we stray from His Word. And because we stray from His Word, we do not understand the nature of sin and slavery.
For what we call freedom of choice, freedom of will, freedom of expression is really just slavery. Ours is not the slavery of works righteousness like it was for Luther. Ours is a slavery of acceptance, of false equality. We indulge one another’s sinful behavior in the expectation that when the time comes, you will indulge mine. Amen, amen I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. And from this cruel master you cannot break free.
Concerning the publishing of his collected works Luther said he’d rather see them all destroyed, except for his catechism and On the Bondage of the Will. That is our will apart from Christ: bound. Bound to sin and death. Bound to hell and Satan. Bound. Enslaved. For we know the good we ought to do, but we do not do it. We do not even have the ability to do it. We are, in every sense of the word, slaves to sin. The first of the 95 Theses is needed: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, ‘Repent,’ He willed that our entire life be one of repentance.”
For if you abide in My Word, Jesus says, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Freedom comes not in trying harder or being a better person. Not, as St Paul says, by works of the law. For by them no flesh will be justified in God’s sight. Through the Law comes knowledge of sin. The Law, which comes from our hearts and is seen in nature and is revealed in God’s Word, always kills. The Law always condemns. It always crucifies you and drives you to Christ and His Gospel; to the truth of His Word which alone sets you free.
For Christ is the Son who left His Father’s house and became a servant, a slave, in order to set you free. It is written, You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). This is the righteousness that was epiphanied among us, manifested apart from the Law, yet borne witness by the Law and the Prophets, the righteousness of God, even Jesus Christ. For He who knew no sin became Sin for you in order that, by faith in Him, you are declared righteous - that is, justified, at peace with God.
We do not boast in our pedigree, neither of Luther nor of Abraham. For there are many out there who call themselves Lutheran, yet do not abide in God’s Word. There is no freedom in being the offspring of Luther. But in being the offspring of our heavenly Father, a coheir with Christ - in that there is great freedom. Freedom from sin, from death, and from the devil. Freedom from the condemnation of the Law and the accusations of our guilty consciences. Freedom from striving to please God and earn His favor. Freedom from trying find Him, for He has located Himself in His Word for you, out of love. Your heavenly Father cannot love you anymore than He already does.
Therefore, as the previous verse is concluded: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Cor 1:31). Or, even better, Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal 6:14). You have, no doubt, heard of the “solas” of the Reformation? Sola Gratia - Sola Fide - Sola Scriptura We confess that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone.
There is another “sola” of sorts. Crux sola est nostra theologia. “The Cross alone is our theology.” This is the abiding Word - the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sinners. It is fitting, then, that today we consecrated this altar crucifix. It is not Roman Catholic. The crucifix is the icon of our faith, the emblem of our freedom in Christ. It is Biblical. It is a visual sermon, preaching to you the cost of your redemption, the blood of the Son of God. And it is placed on this altar, the physical location from which you receive the risen and glorified flesh and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
This is the eternal Gospel which the noon angel proclaims in Revelation. Many pious Lutheran fathers thought this to be a reference to Luther himself: a messenger sent by God to reclaim the purity of the Word. Fair enough. Yet this is also and always the Church and her messengers, always preaching the Law in its full sternness that we may then give the Gospel in its full sweetness.
This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ: to abide in His Word. There is no better way than to come here each Lord’s Day to hear His Word read and preached for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive in faith the Word made Flesh in His Sacrament. Not Jesus in your heart, or your emotions, or your feelings, or your works. But Christ for you, from outside of you. His life and salvation put into your ears and mouths and hearts.
This is what is means to be Lutheran. To be set free by Christ. The Reformation isn’t some historical event that happened on October 31, 1517 or on June 25, 1530. It is an event that happens every Lord’s Day as you are gathered by the Spirit to receive the gifts of Christ in His Word. This is how the Church is reformed. She is always in need of reform. So are you. Not by men. Not by your own doing, But by the Word of Christ. By His Law which breaks and kills you, and by His Gospel which raises and revives you. He is just. And He is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Dear Christians, one and all rejoice, for you are no longer a slave, but an heir. You have been set free by the Son. You are free indeed.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The Reformation is about the Word of God. It is a matter of His Law and His Gospel. His Law, preached in its full sternness, revealing the depth of our sin, condemning our very nature; and His Gospel, setting us free by the forgiveness of sins for the sake of Christ.
In the text, our Lord was addressing the Jews who had believed in Him. In the Epistle, St Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, indicting the the whole world. Today, this Festival of the Reformation, they both speak to you regarding the seriousness of sin.
You were conceived and born in sin. You were formed from unclean seed in your mother’s womb. Of your flesh you are not children of Abraham, nor sons of your father Luther. You are sons and daughters of your first parents, Adam and Eve, who exchanged the knowledge of the Creator for the image of His creation. In wishing to become wise they became fools. They did not abide in God’s Word. They rejected His Word and in doing so rejected Him.
Luther called them Enthusiasts. They sought God apart from where He has promised to reveal Himself, namely, in His Word. The German was better - Schwarmerei. He said, “Enthusiasts swarm around like buzzing gnats, trying to locate God.” We are their progeny; their offspring. For we look for God in all the wrong places.
“I don’t need to read His Word, I can just watch a beautiful sunset.” “I don’t need to attend Bible study, I can just follow my heart.” “I don’t need to care about doctrine, I’m a born and raised Lutheran.” But creation does not preach the Gospel to us. It convicts us of our sin. God does not speak from within our hearts. He has not promised to do so. And there is no freedom in being offspring of Luther.
Repent. For in seeking God where He has not put Himself to be found, you have become an Enthusiast. And in becoming an Enthusiast you have become a slave to sin. Luther’s burden was, “How shall I find a merciful God?” This is not the burden of our day. We indulge the mercy of God to such a degree that we dare even ask, “Why would God need to punish His Son?” We do not keep the Gospel pure when we stray from His Word. And because we stray from His Word, we do not understand the nature of sin and slavery.
For what we call freedom of choice, freedom of will, freedom of expression is really just slavery. Ours is not the slavery of works righteousness like it was for Luther. Ours is a slavery of acceptance, of false equality. We indulge one another’s sinful behavior in the expectation that when the time comes, you will indulge mine. Amen, amen I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. And from this cruel master you cannot break free.
Concerning the publishing of his collected works Luther said he’d rather see them all destroyed, except for his catechism and On the Bondage of the Will. That is our will apart from Christ: bound. Bound to sin and death. Bound to hell and Satan. Bound. Enslaved. For we know the good we ought to do, but we do not do it. We do not even have the ability to do it. We are, in every sense of the word, slaves to sin. The first of the 95 Theses is needed: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, ‘Repent,’ He willed that our entire life be one of repentance.”
For if you abide in My Word, Jesus says, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Freedom comes not in trying harder or being a better person. Not, as St Paul says, by works of the law. For by them no flesh will be justified in God’s sight. Through the Law comes knowledge of sin. The Law, which comes from our hearts and is seen in nature and is revealed in God’s Word, always kills. The Law always condemns. It always crucifies you and drives you to Christ and His Gospel; to the truth of His Word which alone sets you free.
For Christ is the Son who left His Father’s house and became a servant, a slave, in order to set you free. It is written, You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). This is the righteousness that was epiphanied among us, manifested apart from the Law, yet borne witness by the Law and the Prophets, the righteousness of God, even Jesus Christ. For He who knew no sin became Sin for you in order that, by faith in Him, you are declared righteous - that is, justified, at peace with God.
We do not boast in our pedigree, neither of Luther nor of Abraham. For there are many out there who call themselves Lutheran, yet do not abide in God’s Word. There is no freedom in being the offspring of Luther. But in being the offspring of our heavenly Father, a coheir with Christ - in that there is great freedom. Freedom from sin, from death, and from the devil. Freedom from the condemnation of the Law and the accusations of our guilty consciences. Freedom from striving to please God and earn His favor. Freedom from trying find Him, for He has located Himself in His Word for you, out of love. Your heavenly Father cannot love you anymore than He already does.
Therefore, as the previous verse is concluded: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Cor 1:31). Or, even better, Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal 6:14). You have, no doubt, heard of the “solas” of the Reformation? Sola Gratia - Sola Fide - Sola Scriptura We confess that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone.
There is another “sola” of sorts. Crux sola est nostra theologia. “The Cross alone is our theology.” This is the abiding Word - the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sinners. It is fitting, then, that today we consecrated this altar crucifix. It is not Roman Catholic. The crucifix is the icon of our faith, the emblem of our freedom in Christ. It is Biblical. It is a visual sermon, preaching to you the cost of your redemption, the blood of the Son of God. And it is placed on this altar, the physical location from which you receive the risen and glorified flesh and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
This is the eternal Gospel which the noon angel proclaims in Revelation. Many pious Lutheran fathers thought this to be a reference to Luther himself: a messenger sent by God to reclaim the purity of the Word. Fair enough. Yet this is also and always the Church and her messengers, always preaching the Law in its full sternness that we may then give the Gospel in its full sweetness.
This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ: to abide in His Word. There is no better way than to come here each Lord’s Day to hear His Word read and preached for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive in faith the Word made Flesh in His Sacrament. Not Jesus in your heart, or your emotions, or your feelings, or your works. But Christ for you, from outside of you. His life and salvation put into your ears and mouths and hearts.
This is what is means to be Lutheran. To be set free by Christ. The Reformation isn’t some historical event that happened on October 31, 1517 or on June 25, 1530. It is an event that happens every Lord’s Day as you are gathered by the Spirit to receive the gifts of Christ in His Word. This is how the Church is reformed. She is always in need of reform. So are you. Not by men. Not by your own doing, But by the Word of Christ. By His Law which breaks and kills you, and by His Gospel which raises and revives you. He is just. And He is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Dear Christians, one and all rejoice, for you are no longer a slave, but an heir. You have been set free by the Son. You are free indeed.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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