Volume 11 Week 44 Ocotber
30, 2005
Reformation
Day Special!
What's So Great About Being A Lutheran? Read On For Good News!
What's so great about being a Lutheran? Reformation Day is celebrated around the world by Protestant Christians as the day in 1517 when a catholic priest, Martin Luther, opened a debate about God's love that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. So, as Dr. Luther would ask, "What does that mean?" Maybe a quick look at that beautiful scripture, John 3:16 could serve as an answer!
"For God..."
There are two approaches to religion. One begins with human beings and their efforts. They ask, "What must we do to find God?" All religions of the world (except one) belong in this category, because they were invented by people. Christianity is the complete opposite of every invented religion. Jesus described it with these words, "For God..." He made us. Only He is holy and good. So He saved us. He did what we could never do, bridge the gap of sin and open the doors of eternity.
Christianity is not a religion per se, that is, a set of rules to follow. It is a faith, a simple confidence and trust in what God has done. The Church of the middle ages had fallen into that same old trap, emphasizing our actions and deeds as a way to appease God. Luther went to the scriptures and read, "For by grace are you saved..." (Ephesians 2:8-9). Lutherans know it all begins and ends with God's action for us in Christ.
"... so loved ..."
The Church was teaching that God was an angry and vengeful God. In the scriptures, Luther read of a God who, because He is holy and just, must punish the sin that we brought into the world, but who by His primary nature, the core of His being, is a God of love. God is love. To know God means to know a Father who loves as no earthly father could,
"... the world ..."
That's us. Every one of us. Not just the Jews, His covenant people of the Old Testament. Every man, woman and child who ever walked the planet. Even though we do not know Him, He loves us.
In this wide vast universe, the far reaches of which we can't even imagine, God looked on this special, wonderful planet on which He created life, and said, "These creatures of mine are the object of my love."
Lutherans know that God is not in the trees. He made the trees. We know that God is not just a force, an unknowable power or energy or life force. God is a person with a relationship of love with the world, the people who live in it. And He wants us to know Him and love Him, just as He knows and loves us.
"... that He gave ..."
Heard it a million times, right? DON'T MISS THIS! The heart of the Christian faith, what makes this the true faith and separates us from every religion of human origin are those two words, "He gave." That's it. "He gave."
God loves you. God holds no sin against you. In His eyes, you are as pure and holy as Jesus. You are a saint, a holy one, and have perfect peace with God. You are going to heaven to live with God your Father in perfect bliss and peace and joy for ever and ever and ever. Why? Because of anything you ever did for God?
Certainly not. It's because He gave. He gave a gift. It's a surprise gift, an undeserved gift, an unspeakably priceless gift. God Himself joined himself to us when the eternal Son of God became a man and lived the perfect sinless life of a servant, and finally gave His life for ours, suffering death and hell for us. He gave.
Lutherans live by the gift, by "grace." Don't ever doubt it. Mormons are expected to earn God's favor by their mission work and their demanding lifestyle of purity and supposed morality. Muslims earn God's favor the same way, by prayer and obedience. Buddhists and Hindus seek enlightenment by their religious rituals and meditations.
Lutheran s know that God's love is not earned by a life of purpose or works or religious practice. He gave.
"... His only-begotten Son ..."
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal and worthy of all the praise and adoration that angels and people can offer, but there is a name the Father has placed above every name, a name to which the Holy Spirit leads people, a name at which every knee will one day bow and every tongue will confess, the name of Jesus.
Some churches lean pretty heavily on the rules for living set down by the Father. Lutherans cherish those rules that show us our great need for a Savior and also how to offer a life of thanksgiving by our obedience, but we know life with God is through the Son. Some churches lean pretty heavily on the special gifts of the Holy Spirit, but Lutherans know the gifts are given to serve and glorify the name of Jesus.
One remarkable feature of almost every Lutheran church you enter will be the cross of Jesus Christ, front and center, prominently displayed for everyone to see. Lutherans are people of the cross. We know that it is the gift of Jesus, the only-begotten Son who died and rose that gives us life with God.
And the resurrection, celebrated in our highest festival, Easter, is the key. Jesus is alive. That's why the crosses in our churches do not show a dying Jesus, but are either empty, or show Jesus alive, risen from the dead, with hands raised in blessing on the people.
For Lutherans, it's all about the cross, it's all about the gospel of His love, it's all about Jesus!
"... that whoever believes in Him ..."
Lutherans know that we are just beggars at the foot of the cross, telling other beggars where to find some food. Faith is nothing more than the empty hands of a beggar. Faith is the gift God gives to know and believe that the message of Christ's love is true and our only hope. "By faith alone" is our cry. We do not resist and reject, but simply hear the call of God's love and believe it.
We're people who can take comfort in knowing that nothing is required of us but simply to believe. With faith as small as a mustard seed, every good gift of God is ours. That's very comforting. And we're people of certainty. We can know without any doubt that we are forgiven and will live with God because He said so, and we believe it. Faith answers every doubt and question. God did it. We believe it!
"... will not perish, but have everlasting life."
I hope you will take the chance on this Reformation Day weekend to give thanks to God for the gift of eternal life. Find comfort in God's promise. Throw your doubts away. Hear the words of Jesus spoken to you, and believe them in your heart. Say it again to yourself, once more, real slow, and take the words to heart, "For God..."