Romans 3:19-28.                     Reformation needed!!!           4/11/12

 {19)  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. {20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. {21} But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. {22} This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, {23} for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, {24} and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. {25} God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- {26} he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. {27} Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. {28} For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

 Today we are again celebrating Reformation Day. Now, I am well aware, that in many ways, this almost a dirty word in our present culture. We don’t want reformation; we either want to completely change things or we want things to remain as we think they should be. All too often the attitude is, ‘I want what I want, irrespective; even in the church.’ In this regard our text here has much to say to us; and it is very important that we hear what God is saying to each one of us, wherever we are coming at this issue from.

 From the beginning we need to be aware that we as human beings are sinful human beings; and as such we will always tend toward wanting to do what we want to do: The focus will be on us and what we want. Ever since Adam and Eve we want to place ourselves and what we do, think or feel at the centre of life. We want to think that what we do is good and honourable and acceptable. We place great store on the works that we do. Along with that, we think that as we do new things we can and will improve things more and more.

 Or the other view is that it is only as we hold to what we currently do then we might be able to avoid having things deteriorate even more than they are at the moment. All this is a very diabolical way of thinking. It is all a clear indication that sin is ever so present in our lives; even though we don’t want to think that this is the case.

 So just as evident as it was in Luther’s day, so also today, much of Christianity has this arrogant idea that it is we and what we do, think, feel and experience that is important and is what makes for life. We have built up all kinds of practices and ways of thinking that make it very evident that it is what we do that makes us Christian and makes for growth in our lives and in the church. We use the name Jesus and Christian, but it is to glorify us and the things of this world. We change practices and teachings so that we are able to achieve what we believe is right and good.  

 Together with this, we have ingrained in our thinking, that, God loves us because we are basically good people. So, unless we do something really bad then we are OK, even when it comes to getting into heaven when we die.  But throughout life, why do we need to go to church, read our bibles and go to bible studies or any of that stuff; we are basically good Christians, so what does it matter. Even the idea that we can ignore or change this or that part of Scripture has the same idea; we are even above the Word. Not to mention the attitudes toward worship, where we think we can leave out, change or allow laypeople to do this or that part, all has underneath it this attitude that we are competent and able to do whatever we want; and as long as we are ‘sincere’ that is all that matters.

 So without going any further, I believe that reformation is just as important today as it was for Luther. Not the reformation of Luther’s day, but the reformation that is needed in our own lives and the life of our churches: Having said that, the Reformation of Luther’s day highlights the issues and truths that need to be central to the reformation that is needed today. Again I say, not change for changes sake, or simply a holding to tradition for traditions sake; but a reforming back to the truths of God’s Word and that which have been passed down to us through history.

 Theses truths are first and foremost; grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and the centrality and sufficiency of God’s Word for matters of teaching and practice. Now I probably should go into detail on each of these, but time does not permit. However, as we apply this text that we have before us, we find that it speaks well into our situation today, bringing out these points.

 Now if we respectfully study God’s word as just that, God’s Word, carrying all the weight that this entails, we find that this Word very quickly points out that we do not measure up to God’s standards. We all are sinners from the time we were born; all of us. All us fail to come anywhere near good enough to be acceptable to God. God’s law in the scriptures very quickly silences any effort on our part to justify ourselves and enable us to pretend that we are good enough to be acceptable to God.

 At the same time Jesus makes it very clear that, even with his coming, the Law is not done away with: It carries the full weight that it always did. That means that we all are held accountable to God.  None of us will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. All of us deserve to be sent to hell and all of us can do nothing to work our way around it.

 However, now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. Throughout the Scriptures, God makes it very clear that the only hope we have is, the Saviour that he would send and ultimately did send in Jesus Christ. His death on the cross for our sin was the only solution possible. His death for the forgiveness of our sin is the one and only sure hope for humanity. Jesus Christ alone then is the one and only salvation for us.

 Now as Paul here says: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

 So the point is made that it is by grace alone that we are saved. Not the rubbish that is peddled by much of the church today where we have to cooperate with and decide and all the rest; which in reality says God’s grace plus our works, goodness, cooperation or some such thing. We contribute nothing to our salvation: it is a free gift, won for us by Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

 All that is required is faith; that is, that we trust that Jesus is who he says he is and did what he did for our salvation. It is not that we simply know certain facts about Jesus and cross, or do the right things in worship, or have the right feelings and experiences. All we are called to do is trust that Jesus has done everything necessary: he died for us; he forgives us; he has won eternal life for us; he has a better way for us to live and act.

Here we are told that God is just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus: So all that is required is that we trust that this is the case, and seek to live that faith each day of our lives.

 It is that simple faith that God looks for in any person: a person who looks to Jesus Christ alone for their salvation and focuses their whole life on him and him alone. He is the one who is all important in life. We are justified by faith apart from observing the law.

 Here then is surely the heart of what the Christian Church today is to be on about. Here should be the heart of its teaching and practice. Here then is what each and everyone of us needs to be looking for and living in light of each and every day of our lives. If all we want is change for changes sake, or a holding to what we have always done for its own sake and because it makes us comfortable, then a reformation back to these central truths is what is needed. I pray that this is the reformation that we seek for and celebrate today. For here alone is what the Christian faith and the true Christian church is about.

 Christ alone, Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone. There is what is important for us to remember today and always. To our great God; Father , Son and Holy Spirit, then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish