It’s Reformation Sunday; the day we celebrate the correction of an erring Church. It was a Church that had gone astray by adding requirements to salvation that Scripture didn’t have: actions, prayers, traditions, many of which are good, important, and useful, but none of which are necessary for salvation.
Many of these went against the clear teachings of Scripture, like our passage from Romans 3. St. Paul is very clear that works play no part in our salvation. Works play every part in the life of those who are saved. Those are not the same thing. One is an action by God that produces actions by us. The other is actions by us that, without faith, mean nothing to God.
[All] are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.
Romans 3:24-25a
Our Lutheran church body has put this truth forward as the teaching by which the Church stands or falls. That is to say, if we get this teaching wrong, none of the other teachings will matter. This is the teaching upon which it depends whether someone spends eternity with God or apart from him. There is no greater issue. And this issue rests solely on God’s grace through faith in Jesus. That’s everything.
We are “justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith… [A person] is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:24-25a, 28).
That’s extremely clear.
And yet we often mix it up as well, whenever we point to ourselves and say, “I hope that I’ve done enough. I hope that I am enough. I hope that my good outweighs the bad. I hope that, on average, God sees that I wanted to do better.”
These are phrases that belie a heart focused on works rather than faith.
Brothers and sisters, if you have faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven; salvation is yours;. and in that gift, God now sees your good works and is pleased!
Never mix up where your salvation is based. It is based upon God’s grace. It is based upon the sacrifice, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. It is based on faith in Him.
What a freeing message that is! We need never fear or wonder if we have done enough. We rejoice that Jesus has done it all! He has fulfilled God’s demands, all of them, for us, so that we can respond with joyful service that doesn’t fear condemnation or judgment.
Brothers and sisters, live in that good news of faith and freedom in Jesus! Serve in that good news of faith and freedom because of Jesus!
“Gracious God, we praise and thank You with every fiber of our being that You do not look to our works as the basis for our salvation, for we have sinned and fallen short of Your perfect glory. Thank You that You have saved us by Your perfect grace through faith in Your perfect Son, Jesus! Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who grants us that faith and keeps us in it unto salvation. Thank You for the ability and call to do good works as Your redeemed people for Your glory and the benefit of others. Thank You for everything. In Jesus’ most blessed and freeing Name. Amen.”
Scripture
- Romans 3:19-28
- Psalm 46 (responsory)
