A teaching worth defending!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of Unlikely Heroes – A Monk (CLICK HERE)
“The doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. The article that is so important that he said, that if we lose it, we lose Christianity. If you don’t have the doctrine of justification by faith alone, you don’t have the gospel, and if you don’t have the gospel, the church has no reason to exist. The church itself ceases to be a church and falls into apostasy because it is the article that answers the question, what must I do to be saved?”
While these exact words may not be an exact quote of Luther, they were certainly his sentiment. This quote summarizes what is at the heart of the Bible’s teaching and the theology of the church.
Truly it is the essential teaching of the Bible on which the Church was formed and upon which the church stands. It is the only teaching of grace that gives true peace and comfort and any hope of an eternity in heaven.
Human nature will work as hard as it can to assure itself of God’s satisfaction. Yet personal effort will always leave a person desiring to know, “have I done enough.” Human nature will lower the standard and say that the standard of perfection is too much and that all God desires is a best attempt, yet inside there is an emptiness because God never said that or lowered the standard. Human nature will hope that if there is a dividing of the population, somehow they end up on the “sheep” side of the judgment rather than the “goats” but yet can never really be sure.
Unfortunately, the church at Luther’s time spoke of grace, but it was a grace that only forgave guilt, but not punishment of sin, that was up to you. Grace gave you the opportunity to overcome your sins on this earth or in purgatory. In fact they would teach that the system of works was a gift of grace…and still do today. Here’s a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 1473: The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.”
This is why Luther wrote the 95 Theses. Indulgences were directly contrary to the doctrine of justification by grace. Theses 62: The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of
the glory and grace of God.
The gift of the Lutheran reformation is God using an ordinary man with a spiritual struggle to connect with the power of the Gospel and become so convinced of the truth of the Word and the true answer grace gives to the guilt of a soul that he dedicated the rest of his life to proclaim it, defend it and ensure as many people as he could heard it.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Faith in the Gospel of God’s grace is what you and I and every person need for certainty, hope and peace in our eternity.
The Gospel of God’s grace is worth believing and for us to defend and boldly proclaim in our generation and era.
May we have the conviction of the importance of grace and defend it as clearly and vehemently as Luther did:
Martin Luther – Diet of Worms 1521: Since your most serene majesty and your highnesses require of me a simple, clear, and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God’s word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.
Apply: What does the pure Gospel of God’s grace mean to you?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for taking my sin and putting it on Jesus. Strengthen my faith in the Gospel and lead me to proclaim it boldly and clearly to all who will listen. AMEN.
When the Gospel wins…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of Unlikely Heroes – A Monk (CLICK HERE)
Luther was just operating with the truth the church was teaching him. Jesus was the Savior who gave him an opportunity to overcome the temporal punishment his sin deserved. They taught a purgatory to which an individual would go for long periods of time and endure suffering until the pope or church would declare them justified and free to go to heaven.
He believed this and with every ounce of his strength tried to obtain a righteousness of his own to avoid the judgment of a righteous God.
When people don’t have access to the truth, they have to believe those that claim to be distributors of the truth. In Luther’s day, the church led by the pope was the source of truth. What they said was to be believed and lived. For the few that had objected, they were excommunicated at best, executed at worst.
Until the Gospel wins and exposes the lies of Satan (even within the church) and leads a soul to see the truth.
For Luther, it was in the tower of the monastery in Wittenberg. As a professor of theology, he had the privilege to have access to a Bible. Due to the expensive nature of books, only the academia had access to a copy of the BIble. Luther took advantage of it.
As he was reading Romans 1:16-17, God opened his eyes and heart to see and believe something he never had heard before.
The righteousness that God demanded is the righteousness that God gives.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The Spirt of God opened the heart of Luther to receive this truth. God GAVE him the very righteousness he demanded. Rightly so, his soul was unburdened with the weight of guilt and the prospect of never-ending suffering. The message of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the message of grace revealed God’s truth to Luther’s heart.
Our souls yearn for the same thing. Without the truth of grace, our hearts are burdened by guilt, by a hopelessness, by a searching for truth, but never finding it.
But when the Gospel wins in our hearts…
God’s truth prevails over human lies.
God’s grace prevails over human effort.
God’s love prevails over selfish focus.
When the Gospel wins, we experience freedom to live a life that is identified by our place in God’s family with a purpose to serve God’s mission. When the Gospel wins, our lives take on a focus of learning and sharing the Gospel with others who are burdened by the weight of sin and guilt.
When the Gospel wins, we know the biggest problem we could ever face has been defeated. When the Gospel wins, we have a hope and peace that transcend all human promises. When the Gospel wins, our hearts are set free to live in the confidence of faith and the conviction of God’s truth.
Enjoy living as a winner today!
Apply: How would you finish the phrase, “When the Gospel wins in my heart, … “
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for revealing your truth to my soul. Spirit of God thank you for leading my heart to believe the Gospel and find the freedom it gives. Son of God, thank you for taking on my unrighteousness and giving me your righteousness. AMEN.
Who’s going to win?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of Unlikely Heroes – A Monk (CLICK HERE)
Who’s going to win?
At the time of this writing, we do not know who the next president of the United States is. Returns are coming in and we will soon understand who will be in the White House and control the Senate and House and many other state and local positions.
Campaigns seek to capture the heart of an individual and persuade them to support a certain candidate. The question is which direction your mind and heart will go.
Bigger than any platform of a political candidate is the soul of every person. Two candidates vie for the primary spot in your heart: the Lord and Satan/self. Their platforms could not be more opposed and really there is no compromise between the two.
This past Sunday we looked the life of Martin Luther and his spiritual battle and what convinced him to abandon his past beliefs and align with the Lord.
The campaign that Satan ran in Luther’s heart is one that he runs in the heart of every human being. Satan loves to convince the human heart, that longs to have a true connection with the Lord, that an individual can work their way into God’s favor. This puts the onus on each individual to try to obtain perfection. The challenge is captured in this verse: There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, … (Romans 3:22-23) The lie that Satan loves to give is that you can be different. But what stands before us is the reality of Jesus’ words: Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luther tried as hard as he could to be the best monk he could. He cleaned. He tended the garden. He went to confession. He went on pilgrimages to earn more indulgences that could spare him some temporary punishment on earth or in purgatory. He realized the truth of Psalm 130:3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? He felt Psalm 32:3-43 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Luther realized that his heart was captivated by despair. He felt unworthy. He felt it impossible to win the righteousness that the Lord demands. Even though he was very spiritual and part of the church, Satan was winning the campaign in his heart.
Can you relate? While we are 500 plus years after Luther, we can have the same feelings and thoughts of despair when we consider the justice of God and his right to punish sinners. If the Lord kept a record of my sins, there is no way I could stand before a holy God. The same is true for you.
Satan’s campaign continues in our heart until the Spirit of God shows us a campaign of grace. This is what God showed to Luther as he read Romans 1:16-17.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
More tomorrow…
Apply: What is the campaign that is winning in your heart? Is it time to replace the lies of Satan with the truth of the Gospel?
Prayer: Lord, overcome the campaign of Satan’s lies in my heart with the power of your Gospel truth. AMEN.
Where to turn on Election Day!
(This morning’s devotion is reposted from November 2020 before the presidential election. For a message on other great reminders from Scripture, listen to “Election Earthquakes” from October 27, 2024. Here’s the LINK.)
Today is election day in the United States. At the end of today (or hopefully soon after) one candidate will be declared the winner and will serve the next four years as president. Perhaps the campaign cycle has not just wearied your media scroll, or your appetite for politics, but wearied your heart and soul as well. You may be banking a lot of emotional energy on the outcome of today’s election.
Let me redirect you again to some verses from Psalm 119, where the psalmist encourages us to find rest, strength and hope for tomorrow…regardless of what is going on in the political sphere.
Here’s some encouragements and reminders:
When our soul is weary…turn to the Word!
Psalm 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
What promise of God gives you strength if you feel weary? How about Psalm 46:10-11?
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
When I need to know what is true and right…turn to the Word!
Psalm 119:29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law.
What truth of God do you need today, in culmination of a political cycle? Perhaps the words of the prophet Samuel to King Saul:
1 Samuel 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
When I need to know what is upright and faithful…turn to the Word!
Psalm 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.
What does the “way of faithfulness” look like? Perhaps Paul’s words to Titus (2:11-14)
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
When I need to hold fast to someone or something…turn to the Word!
31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame.
What “statute” can I hold fast to today that will never disappoint or put me to shame? Perhaps Psalm 118:8-9,14:
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Let God’s Word and promises give you strength today and every day!
Apply: Choose 3-5 passages that always help you to give you strength when life makes you weary.
Prayer: Lord, in all things lead us to look to you and rely on you. Let us not put our strength, hope, and peace in a human being, but always in you. Amen.
Do divisions matter?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of Unlikely Heroes – A Monk (CLICK HERE)
So, you’re Lutheran?
Yes. Do you know what that means?
Well, my uncle was a Lutheran pastor but we never went to church.
This brief dialogue occurs periodically as people visit our church. It is a launching point to a discussion not just about theology, but also about history. Christianity has been part of history for 2000 plus years. Different eras affected the focus of Christians and yes even the theology of Christians.
So does it matter?
One often hears that today about denominations and reflections that there is so much division in the church and wondering why churches can’t just all get along. Often in the discussion there is a quotation of Jesus’ words in John 17:20 “I pray that they all may be one.”
Does it matter?
Yes, it does. It would be wonderful to have all Christians united in all aspects of faith based on the teachings of the Bible. It would great if the second half of that verse was true, “I pray that they may be one, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
But this unity only happens when theology matters.
Jesus didn’t agree to the minimal standards of unity with his Father. He and the Father were one…in every aspect. His prayer is that our unity is rooted in a oneness that covers every aspect of his Word and teaching.
When it doesn’t, the opposite of unity happens: division.
Jesus warned us to be on the look out for those that would teach falsely and claim to be of Christ. Mark 13:5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.
500 years ago one such division occurred.
It wasn’t arbitrary. It wasn’t a personality conflict or a division over the color of carpet in a new church or the type of music that was being played in worship.
It was over the truth of God’s Word and how someone was certain they were saved.
Martin Luther was the man God used to bring the truth of the Scripture back to the forefront after it was clouded over by erroneous teachings and practices promoted by the church and its leaders.
Like many in Europe in the early 1500s, Martin Luther grew up under the direction of the Catholic Church. His parents were devout Catholics and raised Luther the same. However as Luther grew up an agonizing pit grew in his soul. He knew God as an angry judge ready to pounce on every sin, but yet felt empty after he worked hard to do right to overcome the wrong. Surviving a thunderstorm at the age of 21 he vowed to become a monk…and he did. The monastery was his path to peace…so he thought. Yet the more he tried to obtain a righteousness by his own works, the more he feared the wrath of God.
Grace was covered by a system of earning forgiveness for the temporal punishment your sin deserved. He felt no peace.
Until God revealed his truth in Romans 1:16-17. Righteousness that God demanded was given by God as a gift of grace to all who believe.
The truth had been revealed and the deception became obvious and Luther could do nothing but ensure the message of grace, central to the Bible’s teaching, became at the forefront of the church’s teaching.
The church of Luther’s day would not change and that’s a key reason why I am a Lutheran today.
Apply: As you study the Word of God, what teachings do you notice seem true but are not biblical?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us your righteousness so we can stand before you as fully forgiven because of the perfect life of Jesus. AMEN.