Monday, October 30, 2017
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU ...
Tomorrow is October 31st, Reformation Day! It seems rather fitting that we would be considering a passage of Scripture that refers to "ALL THINGS that I [God] has commanded you." Perhaps we think of Martin Luther as a reformer, and rightfully so. But do you think of him as an evangelist? If we don't, then perhaps we should! Martin Luther realized that much of what Scripture taught concerning the salvation of sinners had been corrupted by and eliminated from what was being taught. The false thoughts and ideas from the hearts and minds of corrupt mankind had replaced "all things that God had commanded." And so the message preached was no longer the truth of God’s word, no longer the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And so, the message being preached was no longer the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (cf. Romans 1:16).
Martin Luther sought to restore ALL the truth of God's saving word to the Church and thus to the world. We are sent forth as Christ's ambassadors to teach all that God has commanded in the pages of Holy Scripture. While this might seem like a burden, in fact, it is a relief for the child of God. It's a relief because we don't have to decide what it is important and what is not. All of God's word is important. Everything that God reveals to us in Scripture is important. Again, this is a relief for the ambassador of Christ because we don't need to spend time debating which teachings are important and which ones are not. We can boldly proclaim ALL that God has revealed to us in His Word and trust that His Word is effective and it will accomplish that for which He sent it (cf. Isaiah 55:10-11).
