Old/New Reformation: Really the Same Message ~ Jesus

Festival of the Reformation

2011

October 30

Rev. Jon C. Olson

Do you have to change your behavior for God to save you, or does God saving you have the power to change your behavior? Think about that for a minute. I’ll repeat the question. Do you have to change your behavior for God to save you, or is God’s saving you the power that changes your behavior? The Reformation comes down to this question.

At first, almost instinctively, we all think the first way. We spend our lives in this world doing what we hope is enough good to cancel out the bad so that God won’t send us to hell. I think deep down we actually believe that we don’t even have to tip the scales in the positive balance of good—some like to think that we just have to keep the balance of sin and good works at zero or neutral. God’s Law demands perfection, not neutrality or a zero sum game. The problem with that whole way of thinking is that it is entirely based on behavior and in the end only increases selfishness: for then doing good to others is simply USING them so that you can stack up the required amount of brownie points to assure that God will be kind to you and not condemn you. 

The other way of looking at the question—the place from which the Reformation took root—is that God’s favor and love has already been given to all of us in His Son, and that believing in Jesus’ person and His work done on our behalf is a power—the only power that changes a person from the inside out. When you believe that you possess God’s grace, mercy and love in Christ (and it is a struggle to believe it!), your heavenly Father looks on you with tender mercy and eternal love, only then are you truly free from all pathetic attempts to win that love and mercy by your works. Then you can actually become some use to your neighbor. Do you understand why? Because you are not using them as objects to do your good works on; instead, you want only to serve them, for if you have been freely loved, so have they. Loved with an eternal love in Christ Jesus. Purchased by the self-same blood that won you. And so your neighbor is then someone to be honored as one redeemed by Christ, even when they don’t know a thing about the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus yet.

The incarnation of Jesus’ didn’t happen because some people 2000 years ago eventually piled up enough good works that God chose to finally come and congratulate us. Jesus’ coming in human flesh occurred precisely because we cannot save ourselves. And this fact remains the way it is, even to this very day. Every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we proclaim this: God has loved the world in the gift of His Son. His love doesn’t have to be earned or deserved; it’s a free gift! This isn’t some big theological theory or heady book knowledge; it is centered in Jesus human body and blood. And it’s the difference between living as an heir to the Kingdom of God or living as a slave to sin, death and the power of the devil. 

In today’s Gospel our Lord highlights the terrible uncertainty of the slave in the household. “The slave does not remain in the house forever.” That is, the slave lives always in fear, always worried about when he’s going to get the boot. Always worried about whether they have done enough to satisfy their master. Will they have a place in that household? And especially when they majorly blow it. Do they not have to fear that the Master will say: “Enough is enough! I’ve had it up to here with you and your disasters. GET OUT!”? 

It is completely the opposite way in the household occupied by “the Son.” The Son’s place is absolutely secure and certain. It’s his HOME. What’s to fear? There is only One Son whose place in the Father’s house was so secure. And most importantly, this Son did not earn His place in the Father’s house only to keep it for himself. The only begotten Son of God came among us and gave His very life to free us slaves to sin and fear. He came to break the bonds of sin. Every sinner knows the truth of His words that everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

Every one of us here this morning has tasted the slavery to sin. You know how the evil one seduces you into it - “just once; just try it” and you know how you end up losing your freedom because of it, being unable on to ever your own break loose from sin again. We have all tasted the bitterness of sin in our lives. And you’ve known in your heart of hearts the fear that because you are sin’s slave, there is no way that God can love you, no matter how many good works you pile up onto  the divine scales of justice, deep down you KNOW the heart out of which sin flows and in whose bondage your heart truly lies. And so there is fear. Not even “have I done enough?” but in your most honest moments, in despair you think to yourself: “I cannot do enough.” And that is because there is not one here present this day who can do enough.

We can’t, but there is One who can. And He has. Along comes the One who IS free, the Son of His Father’s house, the Son over whom sin has ZERO power because it can’t get its claws into Him at all. And He comes to you, and to little Ryder Lullabell born in sin, to break the shackles of sin and to lift her up to the joy of being a child of the household of God.

Jesus removes fear and doubt by showing and giving to Ryder the free gift of salvation. Shown in Ryders’ Holy Baptism is a love from before time began. A love that is eternal, free, and unmerited. She could never earn it or deserve it. It’s just a pure gift.

As Ryder grows up she will hopefully continue to hear Jesus' words. That is the responsibility of Ryder’s God-given parents, and in their absence her Godparents. By the Word of Jesus the shackles of sin are kept at bay. Ryder will hear the Gospel in action by the example of two parents receiving forgiveness and forgiving each other. By God’s actions in Christ, the lies of Satan are exposed. How different the whole world becomes when that realization sinks down into the depths of our being: We do not have to change for God to love us and saves us; it is instead His love in Christ, his forgiveness that changes us, setting us free to forgive each other.

THIS truth is the heart of the Reformation, and this is what He gives us to proclaim through the length and breadth of this world: People of the earth, listen up! You who are slaves to the bitterness of sin, pay attention! In Jesus, in His bloody death, in His glorious resurrection, YOU have been freed. As you witnessed this day that action of God whereby He now looks on Ryder Lullabell in love and mercy and has called her to eternal life remember your Holy Baptism too. You also have a home waiting where with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven laud and magnify the only true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To Him alone be all the glory. Amen.

(Special thanks to Rev. Will Weedon for the basic outline of the sermon.)

A REFORMATION SERMON AND PRAYER by C.F.W. Walther on Reformation Day, 1876

                          
“CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!”                                                                                                       
Jude 3:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Beloved Lutheran partners in faith, confession and struggle! The history of the Reformation, which we commemorate today, is the history of a war. This war lasted almost thirty years, from the year 1517 when Luther openly posted his ninety-five theses until the year 1546 when Luther died. This, however, was not a physical war, but a spiritual war. On the one side stood Luther, a defenseless monk, with no weapon in his hand except the Bible. On the other side stood the well-armed Pope. In his hand he held the temporal and spiritual sword, that is, the power over both Church and State; and he was supported by him who held the highest worldly authority of that day, the Emperor. On the one side stood error, on the other side the truth; on the one side stood man’s word, on the other side God’s Word.

In the year 1521, Luther was at last cited to appear at Worms to stand trial before the Emperor and the Empire. Luther declared: “And although there were as many devils in Worms as tiles on the rooftops, yet I will go there….. to confess Christ, and leave the outcome to him.” Now began a hot battle. But behold! just as Daniel came forth unharmed from the lions den, so did Luther go forth unconquered from Worms; for his final declaration was, and still remains, I will not recant! Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, may God help me. Amen.”

The history of the Reformation, however, is not only the history of a war against foreign enemies, but it is also the history of a spiritual civil war. The Swiss preacher Zwingli had in the beginning been united with Luther, and with Luther had valiantly contended for God’s Word against the popish teachings of men. But soon Zwingli fell away and declared: it is contrary to reason to believe that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the Lord’s Supper. Luther realized with alarm, that Zwingli wished to set human reason in the place of the Pope.

After a fruitless exchange of many writings between Luther and Zwingli, it came to meeting in the year 1529 at Marburg, and thus, just as at Worms, to another decisive battle. Whether the words of the almighty Son of God, “This is My body, This is My blood” should still stand, thus whether God’s Word must give way to human reason, or human reason to God’s Word, this was the second great cause of war, the second great battle question, and at Marburg  it was to be decided. And God be praised! Luther did not give way here either. As at Worms he had preserved God’s Word f the Church against the authority of the Pope, so did he at Marburg defend the same Word of God, against the, authority of human reason.

What then? Has the victory of the Reformation brought a final end to the Church’s struggle? No! Only in heaven will the Church celebrate final victory: here we must strive, until the sounding of the last trumpet. God’s Word witnesses to this on every page, and also the apostle Jude writes in our text: “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Permit me then today, on the basis of these words, to answer for you the question: Why should and can we never cease contending for the pure teaching of our church? 1. Because the pure teaching of our church is not our possession but God’s, entrusted to us for faithful stewardship; 2. Because the loss of this jewel would be something more terrible than any contention and discord among men, and finally 3. Because this struggle is commanded us by God, and therefore it is also surely blessed by God, in time and in eternity.

The first reason why some think that it is high time for the struggle for the pure teaching of our Church to be ended is that this eternal quarreling and fighting, as they call it, is against love. But as true as it is, beloved, that brotherly love is the indispensable mark of a true Christian, nevertheless it in no way follows that the time has now come for us to cease contending for the pure teaching of our Church. For the holy apostle Jude writes in our text, as we have already heard: “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

The holy apostle says of the true faith that it was “once for all delivered to the saints.” The true faith, or what is the same thing, the pure teaching, has therefore not been given to us, but only “delivered,” that is, not made over to us, but only committed to our charge. It has not been made our own possession, over which we are the masters to do with as we please, but it has only been entrusted to us as the property and possession of Another, that is, God, so that we as servants and stewards should faithfully keep and administer it.

Now ask yourself: does love perhaps demand of a steward that he give away some of the goods entrusted to him? Or that he allow the treasures of his master, which have been entrusted to him for safekeeping, to be taken away from him without a struggle?

Would it be love, if a general, in order to avoid war and battle, allowed even the smallest opening for the enemy in the wall of a fortress which he was charged with defending? Would such a general not rather be called to account and punished as a traitor? And finally, would it have been love if Luther had silenced his confession of the clear truth as soon as strife arose on its account?

Therefore judge for yourselves: Would it therefore be love if we Lutherans would now cease contending for the pure teaching of our Church which has been “delivered” to us, that is, committed to us for faithful stewardship? Would it be love if we, in order to make men our friends and to be regarded as love-filled and peace-loving men, were to cast it away? No, this would not be brotherly love or love of our neighbor, much less love of God, but love of self. It would not be faithful stewardship of the great treasure entrusted to us by God, but rather disgraceful breach of trust, yes, before God nothing other than robbery and theft.

O my beloved Lutheran partners in faith, confession and struggle, do not allow yourselves to be misled when on every side those are accused of lovelessness who refuse to abandon the struggle to retain the pure teaching of our Church. Keep in mind that this teaching is, as our text says, the faith “which was once for all delivered to the saints. “It is therefore not our possession, which we have authority and license to give away. It is rather God’s possession, of which we, are only stewards, so that we should preserve it, not only for ourselves, but for all of Christendom, yes, for the whole world, and hand it down in its purity to 1he generations to come. On the Last Day God will therefore say to us in regard to the pure teaching of His Word, which has been entrusted to us Lutherans, “Give an account of your stewardship!”

Let us, then, richly show our love in all earthly things, so that the world may see that love truly does dwell in us Lutherans. In those things which belong to God, however, in the pure teaching of His Word which was “once for all delivered to the saints,” let the saying of Christ be our motto and guiding star: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37)

Yet, my brothers and sisters in the Lord, we can also never give up contending for the pure teaching of our Church because the loss of this jewel would be something more terrible than any contention and discord among men. It is true, my beloved: the contention and strife which goes on continually in all of Christianity between the various Christian denominations is so great a calamity that it can never be sufficiently expressed with words and never be enough lamented, yes, wept over with bloody tears! Is it not a calamity that those who would be children of one and the same heavenly Father, servants of one and the same Savior, and temples of one and the same Spirit, fight with one another? Is it not a calamity that those who should, together as one man, oppose the numberless and powerful foes of Christianity instead turn their swords against each other? How must Satan rejoice when he sees this disunity among Christians!

What then? Many therefore ask, “Is it not high time that we Lutherans cease contending for the pure teaching of our Church, conclude peace at last with all denominations, and join with them in one great Peace Church?” Certainly, if we Lutherans could purchase a God-pleasing unity among the churches with our blood, no Lutheran, let alone Lutheran pastor, should regard his0 blood as so -dear that he would not spill it for this cause with the greatest joy. And yet, my brothers, we cannot cease contending for the pure teaching of our Church. The Word of God teaches us this on every page; it teaches us this also in our text, when it says: “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”‘

Notice: because the apostle wished to write to Christians “of our common salvation,” he therefore found it necessary first to exhort them that they should “contend for the faith.” According to the apostolic declaration, therefore, contending for the faith involves not something insignificant, but rather “our common salvation.”

What then? Can we, should we, therefore cease contending for the pure Bible teaching of our Church? Never! Indeed, if we should contend for money or property, reputation, the comforts of life, in short, over earthly things, woe to us then, if we do not first ask ourselves whether thereby the peace of the world or of the Church will be disturbed. But it is another matter when we “contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Then we contend not for things temporal, but for things eternal; then we contend not for the honor of men, but for the honor of God; then we contend not concerning this life but concerning eternal life. In a word, then we contend, according to our text, concerning “our common salvation.” Were it the case that no one falsified God’s Word, it would certainly not be necessary to contend; yes, it would be a grave, dreadful sin. But the flesh, the world and the devil continually arise to try to adulterate God’s Word or the pure teaching. May we, can we, therefore, in order to avoid contention in this world, simply keep silent?

Suppose that in the fourth century when the Biblical teaching of the Deity of Christ was attacked by Arius, neither Athanasius nor anyone else had contended against the error? Suppose that in the fifth century when the Scriptural teaching that man is saved solely by grace was attacked by Pelagius, neither Augustine nor anyone else had contended against it?

Suppose that in the sixteenth century, when the whole teaching of Christ was corrupted, neither Luther nor anyone else had contended against it? Indeed, there would have been much less contention and strife in the world, but where would the teaching of the entire Word of God now be? Where now would be the correct teaching of the way to salvation?  O my beloved, let us indeed lament the fact that false teachers constantly arise to attack the pure teachings of God’s Word, and thereby cause contention and strife in the Church; yet let us not lament, but give thanks and praise to God, that He always -raises up men to contend against those false teachers, for, I repeat it, it concerns here “our common salvation.”

Yet the most important, most irrefutable, reason why we never may nor can cease contending for the pure teaching of our Church is this: because this struggle is commanded us by God, and therefore also certainly blessed by God. For who is it, who in our text through the apostle Jude so earnestly summons all Christians, to “contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”? It is the great God himself. For all Scripture came about when “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” What more do we need? What man, yes, what angel will venture when God says “Contend!” to say, “No, do not contend!”? And when we now contend at the orders of the great God, need we ever fear that our struggle will be a useless one? Never! What God does or commands to be done, that cannot be anything other than blessed in time and eternity.

God’s command, “Contend for the faith!” applies for all times, also for our time. Therefore let our hearts be kindled with the same burning zeal with which Luther and his faithful, co-workers once contended. What they once won through hot battles, and with word, pen, blood and tears, let us not in cowardice give up without a struggle, but let us faithfully guard and courageously defend it against all attacks, even unto death. Let us contend faithfully, knowing that, when our blessed struggle is over, the Last Day will for Christ’s sake the day of our crowning, and all eternity our eternal celebration of victory and peace. Amen.

A REFORMATION PRAYER

O Lord our God, help us to faithfully use the gift of Thy pure Word, and give Thee heartfelt thanks for the same by word and deed. Grant us grace to hold fast the treasure delivered to us, and never to part with it for the sake of any earthly good, whether money, power, pleasure, honor, or favor with men, but faithfully to contend for this treasure until death. And since all struggle for purity of doctrine is useless without struggle also for purity of life, help us who have the true faith to live truly Christian lives, that our light may shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify Thee, our Father in heaven. Hear us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.