Sermon - Reformation Day 2010

TEXT: John 8:31-36
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (ESV)
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

493 years has passed since Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Still today, there are some who still wonder what it means to be a Lutheran, most curiously, even among those who call themselves, “Lutheran.”

Not too long ago I met a man who had been a Missouri Synod-Lutheran his entire Life who complained that some Lutherans made the sign of the cross while speaking the invocation. He said, “Lutherans don’t do that!” Perhaps this Lutheran never read what Luther wrote in the Small Catechism on how to pray: Am Morgen, wenn du aufstehst, kannst du dich mit dem Zeichen des heiligen Kreuzes segnen und sagen: ”Im Namen des Vaters, des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes. Amen.“ (in the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the sign of the holy cross and say: “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.”) Luther had no problem with making the sign of the cross.

It would be good if every Lutheran would actually read some of what Luther said and did. Luther had many ideas. He wanted Bible stories painted on the church walls. He loved sanctuaries that were full of Christian art: paintings, statues and stain glassed windows. Luther celebrated Holy Communion every Sunday, and when he once spilled some wine from the common cup, he got down on the floor and licked it up, because for Luther it was the very blood of Christ. When it came to hospitality, Luther entertained friends and enemies alike. He dined with the pope’s officials and provided lodging for Carlstadt, a man who almost destroyed the Reformation by pillaging churches. Luther said things that many today would find outrageous or at least things we wouldn’t repeat in certain company. He made choice remarks about many people… calling them names and often referring to them as some barnyard animal. Luther enjoyed drinking the beer brewed by his wife, Katie. One of the beer steins that he regularly used had 3 levels corresponding to the 10 commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. Luther would scold his friend Melanchton because he could only drink down past the 10 commandments while Luther could reach the Lord’s Prayer without stopping.

Luther wrote much… hymns, liturgies, theological discourses, and letters to friends and family. His Christmas hymn “From Heaven Above” has 15 stanzas. He preached three different sermons every Sunday, lectured on the Bible every day at the university. You would be hard-pressed to think of a single theologian who has been more influential in Christianity, than Martin Luther.

What made Luther tick was neither his giant intellect nor his ability to work, work, work. Luther was a 16th Century disciple of the Lord, Jesus Christ, who had been blessed to have faith in Jesus’ words, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The saving truth that was at the very center of all Luther’s doctrine was this: That a man is justified before God by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone without works. That was not simply Luther’s doctrine, but Christ’s truth given to Luther to proclaim. Luther rejoiced in the truth that a man could not contribute to his salvation…. Christ had done it all…. His perfect life…. His death…. His resurrection…. For Luther and for you.

Luther once defined a Christian this way: “A Christian is not someone who has no sin or feels no sin; he is someone to whom, because of his faith in Christ, God does not impute sin.” (Gal Commentary, pg. 133) Luther understood what Jesus said… “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

To be a child of God is to be someone whom God does not impute sin. Impute means “to charge with.” Like a charge card or debit card… you swipe a card and charge the debtt to your account. God does not impute your sin to you…. He does not charge you with your sin. Rather, by the gift of faith, God imputes sinners with all the holiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ and truly makes you, “disciples” and “children of God.” Your sin has been charged to Christ and has died with Him…. Drowned and buried in Holy Baptism.

Annual Reformation celebrations cause Lutherans to come face to face with Luther, the man and his doctrine. The truth about Luther often places us in a dilemma. We love to quote Luther when he talks about Jesus, but other aspects of Luther we’d rather not mention.

What does it mean to be a Lutheran? In the end, to be a Lutheran is more than commemorating Luther, or imitating everything Luther did. A Lutheran is not someone who has no sin or feels no sin; he is someone to whom, because of his faith in Christ, God does not impute sin. To be a Lutheran is to be a Christian saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. To be a Lutheran is not a choice or decision BUT only by grace.

Lutherans celebrate the Reformation because Jesus Christ is at the center of that celebration, not Luther…. Take away Jesus, and we’d all be better off staying home.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.