Reformation Sunday, 2006
Text: Romans 3:19-28
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
On this day, we celebrate the beginning of the Reformation in which the gospel once again shed its light upon the church. Here in our Epistle Lesson is placed one of the key passages in the Bible upon which the Reformation was founded. Romans chapter 3 verse 28, states, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”(Rom. 3:28 ESV)
This is what we hold to…… that we are justified by faith alone. This is why we are gathered here today…….to talk about faith, to talk about believing.
Recently, I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Believe Peace.” The goal of the so-called peace activists is to save people from unnecessary death. This is surely a worthwhile cause. Well apparently, if you would just believe in the possibility of peace, then world peace would become a reality.
Recently, I saw a couple of signs that were displayed in the stands of Shea Stadium (the home of the New York Mets). One sign read, “Believe” and another sign read , “You just gotta believe.” Such mottos have been taken up by fans dedicated to their favorite sports teams all across the U.S. They believe that their team is the best. Their team is number. It is no wonder that they should expect their team to win the world championship and prove it to everyone. Now if you’re following baseball, you know that the Mets didn’t even make it to the World Series. Either nobody in that stadium believed enough or… ….their just weren’t enough people to believe that the New York Mets could beat the Cardinals and end up in the World Series. Or is it the fact that believing in and of itself does not have the power to create reality.
Later on Friday night, when the Cardinals won the World Series, David Ekstein who was voted the MVP said, “No one believed in us, but we believed in ourselves.”
In these scenarios, believing is almost seen as a magical force that makes things happen. Yet, no matter how much I desire, and hope, and believe that something will happen, I cannot make all of my dreams and wishes come true.
Now, here we are gathered together as “believers” who “believe” that we are justified by faith alone. What makes us any different than those who place bumper stickers on their cars wishing for world peace? What makes us any different than the fans in New York? Or even those in St. Louis for that matter?
Is it… …that we have more faith?
Is it… …that we believe in a better or nobler cause?
There are two main things that make us different:
1.) The object of our faith
2.) The type of faith that we have
First of all, we do not believe in a baseball team, nor do we believe in ourselves. The Law of God tells us that if we were to believe in ourselves, we would have no hope of salvation. In ourselves we see sin. Romans chapter 3 verse 20 states, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Later in verse 23 it states, “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”(ESV).
The object of our faith is Jesus and His atoning work on our behalf. Our faith is in Jesus who knew no sin, and by his sinless life, bitter suffering, and death on the cross, He atoned for our sin.
Romans chapter 3 verse 24 and 25 state that we “are justified by his 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. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins (ESV).
He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Our faith is in Christ who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Second of all, our faith is a “justifying faith.” Our faith is in the promise of God who cannot lie. We do not believe in an idea of peace or in an unrealistic desire. We believe, we cling, we trust in the promise of the gospel that because of Christ we are just, we are righteous.
Since our faith is in God’s promise, the amount of faith that we have it is not the determining factor. In fact our faith, in this life, is ever so small and it continues to grow. We are weak but Christ is strong.
Take for example, Ashley pond in the winter. When the temperature drops and the pond freezes, it doesn’t matter how much faith you have in the ice that is covering the pond. If that ice is less than inch thick, you’ll fall through. If the ice is three feet thick you’ll stand. The difference between standing on the ice and falling in is not dependant upon how much faith you have in the ice. Rather, it is totally dependant upon the strength of the ice itself.
Our faith is not faith in itself our faith is in Jesus. Our faith is not an act of the will; instead, it is a gift from God. Our faith is not just agreeing that something is true. We could all agree that the name of the capital city of New Mexico is “Santa Fe.” But are agreement in the name “Santa Fe” (which means “Holy Faith” in English) does not make Santa Fe the city of Holy Faith. We know that there are many unholy beliefs in Santa Fe.
Our faith is not just knowledge of the work of Jesus. Even the demons know who Jesus is. Rather, it is a trust in the reality that the atoning work of Jesus was …for …you.
We gather here today because we put our hope in the name of the Lord Jesus who lived the perfect life for us, who died the sacrificial death for us. He is the Lamb of God who takes the sin of the world. Your sin has been declared to be His and His righteousness has been declared to be yours. The righteousness of Jesus has been imputed, accredited, accounted, and reckoned as your own righteousness. When the Father sees you, He sees Jesus His perfect, sinless Son. This is the promise of God and as it is with all promises we believe it to be true. “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom. 3:28 ESV). Amen.
