Well, Reformation Day is upon us. This is a great time of year for many reasons, but in particular what a great time for Reformation theology. It gives us—both Lutherans and Protestants—a wonderful reason to revisit what we believe and why we believe it and to once again understand what was risked by some for the proclaimation of the Gospel.

And just what was it that was so revolutionary about the Reformation and what Luther rediscovered in the writings of St. Paul?

The Doctrine of Justification.

We sinners are justified before a holy God entirely on the basis of Christ’s works and merit, and absolutely none of our own, Jesus’ righteousness being imputed to us and credited as if it were ours. This was done FOR us on Calvary’s cross, completely outside of us and any of our soiled works, not dependent on us in any way, simply so that we could receive the gifts of heaven that we could not have received in any other way.

A God-man became sin so that we would stand as if blameless before our Father on That Day.

And it worked. “It is finished.”

You might think that this simple proclaimation is old news, or a rehashing of something that people have been talking about for so long, that it seems awfully redundant to continue to do so. I mean, it’s almost boring to keep hearing something like this, right?

Wrong.

People AREN’T hearing this. They’re going to churches where the highlight is consistently their own works and their own love and their own merit and what they can be doing to fix their broken lives and how loving God will “work for them”. Christianity has been turned into an even more vapid self-help program, worse than the one that has been pushed by Rome for so long. Now it’s up there with Zig Zigler and Tony Robbins.

Is it any wonder so many people are mad or sad with the church and Christianity? Is it any wonder people don’t want to hear anything more from Christians—they’ve heard it all before. It’s a sales pitch. It’s a multi-level marketing program, and if you join up right now, you too can enjoy all the benefits of being in the “in crowd”.

It WILL HELP YOUR LIFE! You will FINALLY be happy!

These false idols are things we’ve always been drawn to in our fallen state. We’re consistently drawn to anything that makes us feel as though Jesus started something and now WE need to finish it. We CAN do it, with Jesus’ help. And it’s a good thing, too, because if He hadn’t come along, we never could have been given the head start He gave us so we can GET TO WORK.

But eventually, the reality of these works- and self-based righteousness programs (which promote our natural fallen tendency to curve inward to look at ourselves, rather than outward to the cross) come crashing in on many people who realize that, as a matter of fact, they CAN’T do it. But no one is there to pick them up with the Gospel when this crash happens.

And this is tragic. Because the good news is true. The work has all been done by the only One Who could do it. And the benefits of such a death and resurrection are freely given to you! Don’t worry little flock, it is the Father’s good will to give you the kingdom. And He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us.

I only wish more Christians were hearing this, because too many of them are being driven to despair in church. I pray that we have another Reformation to help once again to trumpet the glory of the Gospel to people who have been wandering in the desert—thirsty, spiritually speaking—yearning to hear what they suspect is true.

It is true. Jesus did it all. For us. It is finished.

Under the totally sufficient imputed righteousness.

By Ted R

Posted in General