Dear Fellow Children of God,
Do you know what this coming Friday is? The date this
Friday is October 31. You may think you
know what this special day is. But, no,
I am not thinking of Halloween.
I was thinking of another more important day. This Friday is the 497th anniversary
of Reformation Day. On this date in 1517
Day Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or statements for debate, to the door of
the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany.
These statements pointed people to Jesus and pointed people to faith in Jesus’
saving love as their only hope. These
statements also challenged the teaching and authority of the church at that
time.
Actually, this relatively simple act, intended for
academic debate in a university setting, set in motion events that led to what
is known historically as the Reformation.
Among other results, the Reformation led to the formation of Protestant
Christian Churches, put the Bible in the hands of everyday people, helped to
create public education, led to the modern form of the German language, and
created new freedoms, political realities, and opportunities for the people of
the day.
However, the events of the Reformation did not come without
personal cost. Martin Luther and his
followers were scolded and censured by the church and the political leaders of
the day. They were removed from church
membership and had a death penalty put on their heads. This penalty was not carried out in Luther’s
case, but was for others.
Today we hear a lot about the “legacy” of politicians and
even athletes. But, the Reformation was much
more than an historic political movement and legacy. In many ways what we call the Reformation was
an intensely personal struggle of a man needing the love and forgiveness of
God.
Luther was a man who believed the Word of God to be true,
not just in a general theoretical sense, but true for His own life. His came to realize deeply that he did not
live up to God’s demands in the law to “love
God with all our heart and soul and mind, and to love our neighbors as
ourselves.” (Matthew 22:37-39) This
personal failing haunted Luther. Try as
he might, he knew his efforts at personal good works and religious practice fell
short of God’s perfect standard, and Luther was filled with guilt and shame and
fear.
For someone who was personally overcome with guilt,
Luther’s discovery in Scripture of God’s love and grace and forgiveness was
freedom and joy and life to him. By
studying the Bible Luther discovered that righteousness in God’s sight is not
earned. Righteousness is a gift that God
accomplished by sending His own Son to die for the sins of all and to rise
again, overcoming death and sin. This
gift is not earned, because no one but Jesus can be perfect. But this gift is freely and lovingly given by
God when people believe in and trust Jesus as their Savior from sin and then God
forgives our failings for Jesus’ sake.
Luther’s whole view of his life and his future
changed. He had been someone who knew he
deserved death and God’s eternal punishment, and knew he could not escape. Now, because of God’s grace in Jesus, Luther
realized that He still deserved God’s
punishment, but that God instead offered love and forgiveness and heaven. Look at what God tells us in Romans
5:6-8! “6 You see, at just the
right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very
rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might
possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Luther had rediscovered the ultimate truth that God saves
sinners in Jesus. Luther did not need to
live in guilt and shame and fear, because even when we have sinned, 8 God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.”. No wonder Luther spoke
the truth of God’s word to the emperor and the pope’s representatives so
boldly, even at the risk of his own death.
In spite of Luther’s failings God loved him. In spite of Luther’s continuing struggle with
sin, God saved him. Luther could now
live for God, and his imperfect life, which trusted the perfect love of God,
led to the Reformation.
When we were on vacation recently we found that a
long-time furniture store had closed and become a “Halloween Store.” This observance of “All Hallow’s Eve” has
surely grown. But, that was only one
store. Every Christian Church which
teaches God’s grace in Jesus becomes a place where God can and does work to
radically change the lives of people who are caught in failure and sin, so they
can live in the joy and hope and love of God in Jesus.
I hope to see you this Sunday!
A Child of God, Personally
blessed by the grace of God in Jesus,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. The 2003
movie “Luther” with Joseph Fienes and Peter Ustinov is worth seeing if you get
a chance. I believe it is in our church
library.
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ I am
sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and
friends whose e-mails I have. (I am always adding new names of friends
and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first
time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me
know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if
you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me
their e-mail address.
******
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