Romans 3:19-28
October 31, 2004
Reformation Sunday
Romans 3:19-28
October 31, 2004
Jesus said; “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31)
Martin Luther, for whom the Lutheran Church is named, was looking for the truth that would make him free. He was not looking to form a new church, but to reform the church of the sixteenth century, a church in which few were free from the grip of a religious system that encouraged individual righteousness, while at the same time making it clear that few were capable of attaining it.
How can one get good enough for God? How can we be justified before God—that is, worthy in God’s eyes? The young Luther was tortured by these questions. If you have seen any of the movies about Luther, you know that as a monk, he struggled daily with the question of his worthiness before God. He was constantly confessing even the most insignificant of sins, constantly doing acts of piety and contrition in an effort to somehow raise himself above the status of a worm. He despised himself, and assumed that God did, too.
And yet, Luther remained faithful. He continued to study, and to search the Word of God for something that would allow him—and other Christians who were so burdened by guilt—to finally stand before God, worthy to be servants of God.
Luther finally found what he was looking for in Romans 3, which we heard as our second lesson today. In this now-famous passage, St. Paul explains that there is no way human beings can be justified—that is, be made acceptable before God—by works of the law. In other words, you can try as hard as you are able to keep the law of God in an effort to make God like you better, but it won’t work. First of all, you’ll never be able to live up to the demands of the law, and second, God has already justified you as a free gift—through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Those who have faith in Christ’s saving act are A-OK in God’s eyes. They are, in the words of the slogan of the Reformation; Justified by grace through faith. That is the truth that finally set Luther free, the same truth that sets us free to love and serve a God whom we know has already forgiven us.
With this truth as a starting point, Luther and other reformers went on to reform a church that had not only held the souls of it’s members captive, but which had also held God captive. The church was no longer the “owner” of God, dispensing God’s grace to those who “deserved” it, or could afford to buy it. God became a free agent whom Christians had direct access to, without the mediation of the church. God was also transformed from what the church portrayed as an angry, punishing God, into what God really is—a loving Father, who bestows love and grace on his children so that they cannot only worship him without fear, but serve the world around them with the same compassion and mercy that God has first shown to them.
Luther and the reformers taught that Christians ought to be engaged in the world around them, working to make it a better place for all, a place where God’s love and justice was lived out. This notion didn’t just come out of nowhere, but was based on what Jesus did. Jesus came into this world and was fully engaged in it. Jesus pointed out corruption and injustice, and out of compassion for the world, gave his life for the healing of the world.
This week, we have an opportunity to follow both Martin Luther and Jesus by engaging in the political process of our country. In the Lutheran tradition, God is active in all realms of life, including political life. Government is a means through which God works to preserve creation and to help maintain a peaceful and just social order in a sinful world. Voting is a way for all citizens—including Christian citizens—to participate in government, and to ensure that our government is a just and compassionate one.
I’ve been upset during the current presidential campaign at how both parties have tried to “hijack” God. Like the church in Luther’s day, they have claimed God as their own, and claimed that God is “on their side.” Well, as I hope you know, in any conflict—whether it’s a war, or a church squabble or a presidential campaign—the job of a Christian is not to claim that God is on their side. The job of a Christian is to make sure that they are on God’s side, that the choices they are making are in line with God’s vision of mercy, justice, and peace.
Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker on my car—“God is not a Republican…or a Democrat.” Bishop Patrick Mutume of Zimbabwae, reiterated that in this recent remark about our presidential campaign; “God is not a Republican, neither is he a Democrat, and the American candidates are wonderful Christians, but neither of their parties has a direct line to God. It is known that the Bible is very accommodating and respects divergence of opinion and our ability to choose. But people who use the Bible to reach their own ends do a great disservice to Christianity.”
Last week in an interview on CNN, Rev. Jerry Falwell gave a shocking example of what Bishop Mutume was talking about. Here’s what Falwell said; “But you’ve got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops. And I’m for the president to chase them all over the world. If it takes ten years, blow them all away in the name of the Lord.” Excuse me? Blow them all away IN THE NAME OF THE LORD? As far as I can tell, that is not being on God’s side.
In response to Falwell and others who would hijack God in order to further their own ends, a group of over 200 respected Christian theologians and ethicists, including a number from our own Lutheran seminaries, have written an important document entitled; “Confessing Christ in a World of Violence.” In closing, I’d like to share just a bit of it with you. It begins:
Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus said; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Innocent people at home and abroad are threatened by terrorist attacks. But Jesus said; “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” In this time of crisis, we need a new confession of Christ. This confession assumes:
1) Jesus Christ knows no national boundaries. Our allegiance to Christ takes priority over national identity. Whenever Christianity compromises with empire, the gospel of Christ is discredited.
2) Christ commits Christians to a strong presumption against war. Christians have a responsibility to count the cost, speak out for the victims, and explore every alternative before a nation goes to war.
3) Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary’s eye, but also the beam in our own. The distinction between good and evil does not run between one nation and another. It runs straight through the human heart.
4) Christ shows us that the love of enemy is the heart of the gospel. Peacemaking is central to our vocation in a troubled world. We urge Christians and others to remember Jesus’ teachings when making their decisions as citizens.
If you would like a copy of the full text of this new confession of Christ, I’ll be happy to provide it.
No candidate, no political party, no nation or government can claim to speak for God, or have a corner on the truth. As disciples of Jesus, we look to him for the truth; “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Despite partisan claims on the truth, as Christian citizens we see the truth written in the flesh and blood of Jesus’ body. Here, words of absolution trump words of accusation. Each of us, and all of us together, are worth everything, including life itself, to the God who has been revealed in Christ. Of all that’s true about any of us, this is the truth that ultimately counts.
It is that same truth that gives the church life, freedom, and the strength to repent and seek reform. Christ’s gospel, when spoke truthfully, never isolated, alienates, excludes, judges, or condemns. Rather, it reforms our lives, our families, our church, and our world. AMEN