Justified By Faith

4-27-08 message by Pastor Rich Doebler

If you haven't already heard, we're in a series of messages looking at our spiritual roots—where we all came from on our spiritual journeys.

Why are we doing this? Because sometimes it helps to understand where we've come from so we can move forward. We must understand our heritage of faith and spiritual upbringing so we can either (1) build on its good foundation or, (2) if it wasn't lined up with God's Word, realign our thinking.

A couple of recent studies tell us that the religious landscape in our country is shifting dramatically. Just like an earthquake that shifts some geological tectonic plate beneath the surface—shaking everything up—there have been some major shifts in American society.

It used to be that most people would pretty much stay in the church in which they were raised. What their parents taught them, they believed. In 1955 only 4 percent of American adults moved away from the church of their parents. But people started asking questions. People starting thinking for themselves. People weren't content to be spoon-fed their faith. By 1980 30 percent of American adults had moved away from the church of their parents. Today it's nearly 50 percent! [James Twitchell, professor of advertising at the University of Florida, it The Divine Commodity (2007)]

Many of you here at our church have come on similar journeys. We respect and honor our parents. We appreciate what they taught us—the faith they gave us. But we don't want spoon-fed religion. We want to know the truth for ourselves. We're not content with second-hand religion. We don't want hand-me-downs. We earnestly desire the real thing. We want to meet with God—to experience God—for ourselves. And so we feel the need to follow wherever that quest may take us.

In these messages, we celebrate the legacy left by various leaders of influence within the church, the body of Christ. Last week Pastor Fred talked about being "Awed By God." It was a look at the reverence and the respect for God given to us by those in the Catholic tradition!

Today, we're going to look at what we learn from our Lutheran roots. Since we have two ministers on our church staff who were raised as Lutherans, I'm not sure I'm the best one to talk about this topic, but I'll try. I did spend a year in the fourth grade attending a Lutheran school where I studied the Luther's small catechism. I remember memorizing a lot of stuff, but all I remember now (it's been 50 years) was that it had lots of Scripture, each one followed by the question: "What does this mean?" I don't remember the answers, but I remember the question. Over and over again, "What does this mean?"

But let's go back to the beginning, back to a brilliant, 21-year-old young law student who was beginning to struggle with doubt. He took a break from his law studies to travel home and visit his father, who worked in the copper mines. On his way back to the university, walking through a fierce thunder storm, a bolt of lightning slammed to the ground mere feet away from him. Terror-stricken, he called out for mercy to St. Anne, the patroness of miners: "Help me, St. Anne!" There in the rain, fearing for his life, he made a vow: "I will become a monk."

And that's how a lightning bolt altered the course of history. Martin Luther abandoned his law studies and fulfilled his vow. He gave away all his possessions and became an Augustinian monk. Then he became a priest in the church. With all those changes, however, one thing had not changed: Martin Luther was still gripped by fear: He lived in fear of not being good enough. He lived in fear of hell and punishment. He lived in fear of the devil.

Martin Luther was like a lot of us—he wanted to be good, he wanted to please God, but he felt so inadequate, so unworthy, so sinful. He knew he could never be good enough, so he kept trying harder.

Luther didn't just go through the motions of religion, he embraced it: He prayed. He fasted. He engaged in asceticism (practices such as going without sleep, enduring bone-chilling cold without a blanket, and flagellating himself). While visiting Rome, Luther paid money to buy the release of his grandfather's soul from purgatory, by climbing the 28 steps of the Scala Santa on his knees, saying the Lord's prayer at each step. Luther was a loyal, devoted priest in the Catholic church. But his religious fervor could not bring him peace of heart. No matter how hard he tried, he knew he could never be good enough to please a holy, righteous God.

Then he was assigned to become a professor of the Bible at the University of Wittenburg, Germany, where he actually began to study the Bible in earnest!

It's amazing that a young priest could be so religious and not really even know the Bible. You can study church doctrine, you can follow religious traditions, you can do good works, but until you open God's Word and let its truth soak into your heart and mind, all the religious stuff you do has no more substance than a snowflake in July.

The Bible did its work on Luther's heart and mind. As he studied, he asked God for understanding. This is how we should read God's Word—prayerfully, depending on the Holy Spirit to give insight and understanding. Here is how Luther described what happened:

I was seized with the conviction that I must understand [Paul's] letter to the Romans...but to that moment one phrase in chapter 1 stood in my way. I hated the idea, "in it the righteousness of God is revealed." ...I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners...

At last, meditating day and night and by the mercy of God, I...began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith... Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through gates that had been flung open. [Christian History, Issue 34 (Vol XI:2), p 15 (1992)]

Martin Luther's personal awakening spilled over into his teaching and preaching. As he challenged the heavy religious obligations that the church had imposed on people and promised freedom the faith in Christ alone, he became increasingly popular among the people.

Then one day a priest named John Tetzel arrived in town selling indulgences to help fund the ongoing building of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Indulgences were like "Get Out of Jail" free cards—but you had to pay for them. It was taught that you could buy pardon for sin with money. You could escape the punishment of purgatory (or reduce your time there) by buying an indulgence. This led to all sorts of abuse and corruption. Some men, for example, going on a trip, would buy indulgences ahead of time because they planned to visit a prostitute or two while they were away.

Fo his part, Tetzel was a marketing genius. He claimed, "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the rescued soul from purgatory springs." He even created a chart that listed a price for each type of sin. So John Tetzel created quite a stir when he arrived in town.

Big mistake! Luther became incensed at the way the poor and the uneducated were exploited to fund the extravagances of Rome, angry that people were enslaved by a legalistic doctrine of works. Not only was it bad theology, it was bad politics. These were Germans! Why should they have to pay for a church in Rome?

Luther had already become increasingly frustrated that the church had become encrusted with institutional greed and a corrupt, immoral priesthood. Tetzel's actions were the last straw. So on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a list of concerns to the community bulletin board—the front door of the church in Wittenburg. His list—95 theses—were intended for scholarly discussion. He wanted to renew and reform the church. But somebody took his 95 theses to the printing press and they spread across the country. Luther didn't mean to start a revolution, but that's what happened. So events were set in motion and Luther's personal awakening spilled over to awaken the entire continent.

Martin Luther did all this at great personal cost. By questioning authority, he put himself at risk of excommunication, even execution. It was not easy to stand alone against his accusers, knowing that if he listened to his conscience he would likely be killed.

è Video clip: Diet of Wurms, 1521.

Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther, saying he was a "drunken German who will change his mind when he is sober." Last month, it leaked out of Rome that Pope Benedict will soon rehabilitate Martin Luther—saying that he was not, after all, a heretic. He will announce that Luther did not intend to split the church but only to purge the church of corruption. Already, one of the Catholic Cardinals has been quoted as saying, "We have much to learn from Luther, beginning with the importance he attached to the word of God."

Martin Luther wasn't perfect, but he left a huge mark on history. Today, it's not just Lutherans who value his influence. Those who protested against the religious abuses of the medieval church became known as Protestants. As Protestants, we value the theological truths that young priest stood for nearly 500 years ago.

What were the key things Luther left for us? Out of thousands of pamphlets and books, it's impossible to cover everything, but here are a few.

1. Go to God's Word. Luther relied on God's Word above all else.

There are several things we learn from Martin Luther, but one of the greatest is that God's Word is our ultimate source of truth. It's not doctrines, not traditions, not learned teachers, not pastors. Everything we learn from those other sources must be tested against the authority of the Bible.

The Bible was Luther's ultimate source of truth—the final answer to every argument. When he was put on trial for heresy, his defense was simple: If I am wrong, show me from the Scriptures where I have erred. Luther said: "Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures..."

Ninety years before the KJV, Luther translated the first NT into German, into the language of the common people, so for the first time they could read God's Word for themselves. This was considered a travesty! To put the sacred writings into the hands of unskilled commoners was worse than dressing up peasants in all the fine clothing of aristocrats.

But Luther was convinced that the Bible would take care of itself, because the Word would transform people's lives.

'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matt 4:4 (NIV)

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NIV)

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17 (NIV)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 (NIV)

Today, we still need God's Word!

We're more educated and more sophisticated than the people Martin Luther preached to. We have more resources and more wealth then they did.

But despite everything we have, we still need God's Word!

2. Stand up for what you believe. Luther had the courage to stand up for what he believed.

He did not back down from the challenge. He did not give in to his fears. He counted the cost and determined that he could do nothing else except stand.

Today, God looks for people who will stand for what they believe. In a day when many people and institutions are undermining the truth and attacking God's Word, we need to stand firm. When our educational systems refuse to allow open debate, we need to stand firm. When the entertainment industry mocks our faith and ridicules our Lord, we need to stand firm.

Oprah has done a lot of good things. But I saw a video clip recently where she was questioning the truth of the Bible. "How can there only be one way to God?" she asked, incredulously. "With all the different religions out there, there has got to be many ways." One individual in the audience challenged Oprah and stated clearly and emphatically that the Word of God says no one can come to God except by Jesus Christ. She dared to stand up for what she believed.

...it is by faith you stand firm. 2 Cor 1:24 (NIV)

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Eph 6:11 (NIV)

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Eph 6:13 (NIV)

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, Eph 6:14 (NIV)

...stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, 2 Thess 2:15 (NIV)

3. The just shall live by faith. This truth in Medieval times required a huge shift in thinking—Luther went from believing in the merits of relics and paying indulgences to understand that salvation, humanly speaking, is impossible. No person can do anything to gain God's favor or earn his forgiveness. But Luther discovered that it's by faith—by trusting—that people receive spiritual life. God saves those who believe, those who receive his free gift.

For in it [i.e. the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17 (NKJV) Also: Hab 2:4; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38.

Luther taught that salvation comes by grace through faith.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 (NASB)

Today, we need faith as much as ever.

Some people today struggle, carrying a huge weight of hopelessness and despair. They try to be good enough, like Martin Luther. They struggle with feelings of inferiority. Some beat themselves up emotionally or become consumed with all kinds of behavior trying to compensate for their feelings—trying to feel good about themselves. Others buy into the gospel of good works. Others buy into self-helpism. Others become entangled by addictions or by compulsive behavior or by working harder.

Luther discovered that all his effort and all his religious fervor could not bring him peace of heart. No matter how hard he tried, he knew he could never be good enough to please a holy God. There were not enough stairs in Rome to crawl on; there were not enough religious relics to pray to...

That's why the truth of the gospel was so liberating to Luther! "The just shall live by faith!" If you want to be justified before God, if you want to be declared righteous by the Lord, then you must accept the free gift of salvation by faith. It's by faith—by believing, by trusting—that God can do his work in us.

Sometimes I catch myself saying I believe, but then not really acting like it. And I wonder what Martin Luther would say if he were alive today. Would he feel that another Reformation was needed? Faith is not just saying you believe, it's acting on what you say you believe.

It's daring to step out of the boat to walk on the water...

It's risking everything for the cause of Christ...

It's taking God's Word for what it says...

It's standing up for the truth and for what's right...