Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Reformation Day
Matthew 10:32 ... whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY TRUE
When at Worms it was demanded of Martin Luther that he retract what he had written and confessed on the basis of Holy Scripture, he replied, "If I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture ... if I am not satisfied by the very texts I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can not nor will not retract anything; for it can not be right for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I can not do otherwise. God help me. Amen."
The impact of Luther's stand on the Word before Pope and Emperor was terrific. The Western world was changed in so many ways that the only person about whom more books have been written is Luther's Savior, Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, too many who review the life of Luther, miss the focus of the Reformer's heart and work. The changes that came about in Europe through the Reformation lead some to think that Luther took his stand with a view to these things. We Lutherans should know better. Luther did what he did because the Spirit of God through the Word caused him to live out his faith's motto: "Christ is my life."
But finally, when all is said and done, simply knowing the history of how the Holy Spirit led Martin Luther to put his faith in Jesus Christ and the good news of forgiveness and life through His living and dying alone is not a true celebration of the Reformation. In fact, to learn the facts of what happened in Luther's life that caused his "find" to change the history of the world, is a waste of time and energy if we do not travel the same road that Brother Martin did.
What good is Reformation history or being a Lutheran or even being a church member, if we do not, each one of us, despair of ever making ourselves righteous in God's sight and rejoice in the righteousness which God gives us as a free gift through faith -- the very righteousness of His own dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let us ever hold fast the glorious Gospel truth that we receive forgiveness of sins and are justified before God not by our works, but by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. Then we will not only join Martin Luther in confessing that "This is most certainly true," we will one day actually join our voices with his and sing before heaven's throne:
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice, With exultation springing,
And, with united heart and voice And holy rapture singing,
Proclaim the wonders God hath done, How His right arm the victory won;
Right dearly it hath cost Him.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 387:1)
