St. John Lutheran Church

Romans 3:19-28

“On Justification we stand or fall!”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reformation shouldn’t be the celebration of the sinful man, Martin Luther, although that is often what it becomes. From Lutheran churches to Reformed, Methodist, Presbyterian, and others; Luther’s name will be invoked today more than Jesus himself. Today marks not the Protestant Reformation but the Lutheran Reformation. And in this celebration we focus not on Luther, thanks be to God for him!, but rather we focus on God’s work through this special man.

If we don’t celebrate Luther; than what are we celebrating? Why the commotion? Why the Reformation hymns? Why celebrate Lutheranism? We celebrate God and His work through Martin Luther on that first Reformation Day, October 31, 1517. On that day God brought the Gospel back to His Church. Today is really the day we celebrate the Gospel message of justification; a message lost by the Roman Catholic Church; a message lost by Protestant churches; a message in danger of being lost within our own beloved Lutheran Church.

These are tough words for others and ourselves; but unfortunately they need to be said. The world is losing the Gospel and is in need of another Reformation. Some churches believe that God gives you a spark; a push in the right direction and you do the rest of the work necessary for salvation. Others believe that you must make a decision to believe and come to faith on your own. Some even believe that all people have already been predestined to either heaven or hell; which means that it doesn’t matter what you believe or what kind of life you lead…it has already been decided.

This problem is caused by the belief that people are generally good; that the world is good…and going to get better. It is commonly said that “all people are good at heart.” But are they? I have read that in the summer of 1970, Delaware experimented with the honor system for 20 days on the Delaware Turnpike. Motorists without exact change at the automatic tool booths were allowed to take return envelopes and mail in the money. But in 20 days, of more than 26,000 envelopes taken, only 582 were returned, according to the Associated Press. Of those that were returned, some had stamps and pieces of paper instead of money. The experiment cost the state about $4,000 before it was discontinued. The worst part is that didn’t even include the amount of the lost tolls.

The world is full of generally good people. That was a common thought before World War 1. Even after war there were many that still held that belief. Then came World War 2 and the holocaust. The belief that people were good started to fade until now. But the world hasn’t changed. There are still wars. There is still genocide. There is still abortion. There are still violent crimes such as rape, incest, and murder. There are still good people that suffer. There is still death.

   “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)

As we mourn the loss of loved ones death stares us in the face. As we pray and sit at the bedside of loved ones who are suffering from cancer, strokes, heart-attacks, and diseases of all kinds…the wages of sin stare us right in the face. We don’t live in a “good” world. We live in a world created perfectly that fell into corruption due to sin. We live in a sinful world where suffering and death run rampant; where sin festers; a world that isn’t getting better.

It is precisely when the law hurts us most by showing us how sinful we and the world are that we need the pure Gospel. It is when we realize that there is nothing that we can ever do to earn salvation or pay God back for all we have done that we need the Gospel. It was when Martin Luther, fearing an angry judge; fearing God’s wrath and condemnation because there was nothing he could do to save himself…that Luther found the wonderful news of Justification. Justification, as Luther says, is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls.

So what is the wonderful news of Justification? It is quite unfortunate that many cannot answer that question. I don’t wish to offend, but I remember asking the question “What is forensic justification?” and getting blank stares from those I asked. Maybe you think it is just a strange Theological term made up in Reformation times…but it’s not. Hear the Word of God from our text in Romans.

   “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (Romans 3:21-28)

The wonderful news of Justification; the doctrine that the Church stand or falls on; the pure Gospel God brought back to the Church by God through Luther is this. You have been declared innocent by God for the sake of Jesus who died on the cross.

The wonderful message we celebrate this Reformation is that you are forgiven. God has declared your innocence for Jesus sake. You are no longer condemned to hell but an heir of everlasting life. This was all done by Christ Jesus not by the work of any sinful man.

My brothers and sisters in Christ live with joy and hope for you have been declared innocent and saved by the blood of Jesus. Share the wonderful message that no matter what you have done; no matter how sinful or rebellious you may have been there is nothing that God will not forgive. Have no fear that you will fall short; have no fear that God is an angry judge; have no fear that you cannot earn or pay back God for your sins. Jesus has died and done all that the law requires. This gift has been given to you freely by Christ Jesus. You are forgiven for Jesus sake. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.