This coming Sunday is an important day not just for us at Grace Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Wayne, but for many around the world.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, we will celebrate Reformation Sunday. Reformation Sunday commemorates an event that occurred on Oct. 31, 1517. On that day, an Augustinian monk posted ninety-five theses (or statements) on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. When he posted these statements, he wanted to begin a conversation about some of the abuses he had seen in the Church. His decision to post the ninety-five theses greatly changed the course of history in the Christian Church.
Looking back later in life, Luther acknowledged that he had been naive about the ramifications of posting the statements on the Castle Church door, but his decision had already set events in motion. When we look back at what then took place in the universal church, we see that a bright spotlight was placed upon the Word of God.
On Sunday, October 25, that light will shine brightly on the Word given to us by God Himself. The Bible does not merely contain the Word of God; rather, it IS the Word of God.
The Word of God declares exactly what salvation is and what it is not. We cannot buy salvation. Our works cannot merit salvation. Scripture repeatedly teaches that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. Grace is not something to which we add our works. It is entirely a gift given to us by our One True God. This is what the Word of God teaches. One of the readings for Reformation Sunday comes from Romans 3, which proclaims, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Christ had to be our substitute. He is true God and true man and chose to take on all our sin and punishment. He suffered the death and punishment sinners deserved, even though He was without sin. On Reformation Sunday and every Sunday, our gaze is set completely on Jesus Christ. That has always been the charge of the Christian Church and must remain so until Jesus Christ returns in judgment on the Last Day.
A few years after posting the ninety-five theses, Martin Luther was summoned for a trial in front of Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms. The emperor wanted to deal with the “German problem” of Martin Luther. The famous words that came from that ordeal were, “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me. Amen.”
As Christians, we are bound by the Scriptures. They are a gift from God beyond compare. Thanks be to God for the Scriptures, which tell us exactly who our Savior is and what He has done for us. May we cling to the Word even if everything else in this world goes away. God bless your Reformation Sunday.
Word in Faith is a collaboration of Wayne Association of Congregations and Ministers (WACAM), an organization partially funded by the Wayne Community Chest.
