The Gospel Endures!
October 25, 2026. John 8:31-36, Romans 3:19-38. Erin Lussier
Over 500 years ago, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. At the time, public posting in this way was meant to invite academic debate and conversation.
Following their translation from Latin to German and aided by the invention of the printing press, copies of Luther’s Theses circulated widely first throughout Germany and then throughout Europe. Luther spoke out primarily against the injustice and immorality of the sale of indulgences, which took advantage of God’s people, made them believe they had to earn God’s grace, and completely removed the comfort of the Gospel.
So what? That was over 500 years ago. Indulgences are no longer sold. Why should we care about the Reformation today? What does the Reformation mean for us today? Is it primarily the mark of the beginning of our Lutheran faith tradition?
Our Scripture readings for this morning shine glorious light upon this very important question. Paul writes these words in Romans 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” What does it mean to be justified? Paul explains in Romans 3:24 that we “are justified by God’s 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.”
What a sentence! It leads to more questions: Why do we need to be justified? What do we need saving from? We are going to do some more digging into these questions and into this glorious declaration of God’s love and radical forgiveness on Sunday.
Justification by faith is constantly under attack in the world around us and in the church. This doctrine, as fundamental and invaluable as it is, is incredibly easy to twist or misunderstand. We all do it. Our human nature really struggles with Sola Gratia - by grace alone. Either intentionally or subconsciously, we want to contribute or earn God’s gift of salvation in some way.
Luther translated the bible into German so that all people, not only the clergy, could read it. Our church pews are filled with Bibles in the English language. Many people, historically and presently, have not had that privilege. Did you know that in the Scriptures we are never called to “read” the Bible? We are called to love it, to devour it, to delight in it, and to treasure it. Luther believed that all people should have access to the Holy Scriptures to treasure and devour them and know the goodness of their God. Do you go home after church on Sunday and check out what was preached?
Where do you go with your questions? What do we do when the preacher says something that doesn’t land right on our ears? Do we check it out in the Scriptures and ask the preacher to meet up for coffee to discuss more? Lay people in Luther’s time didn’t have access to the Word, and they were fed a false gospel and left devoid of hope or comfort. Through the devouring of God’s Word, the Holy Spirit sharpens our ears so we can hear the twisting of the Law and the Gospel. If we are not delighting in God’s Word and being nurtured and fed by it daily, how are we to know if something we are taught is true?
To return to my previous question: Why should we care about the Reformation today? First, because we should always care about what the church teaches. The preaching and teaching we receive inform our understanding of God’s character and of our salvation, which are foundational in our faith formation. Unbiblical theology chips away at saving faith because it takes away from Christ. Second, we should care about the Reformation because even today, the Reformation is the radical defense of the precious, sacred, beautiful Gospel that God has revealed to us in Christ Jesus. We must defend this precious gift!!!!
Let us cling to the free gift of God in Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice in the promise of salvation that was secured for us on the cross. Let us fight against false gospels and reject that which takes away from the precious Gospel truth! Let us hold fast to the grace of God, which God pours out for the sinner without reservation! The Gospel Endures Forever!
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