Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Philippians 1,9-11.3,8-11. Commemoration of the Reformation

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

Philippians 1,9-11. 3,8-11 5213

22. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 067

Frumentius and Aedesius, Apostles of Ethiopia, 4th c.

27. Oktober 2013

1. O Merciful God and Everlasting Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who in the fulness of time did send forth Your Only-begotten Son, who has declared unto us what He saw and heard in Your presence: most heartily do we praise and thank You, so that You have rekindled among us the light of Your Holy Word.... Preserve us from all false teachers, hypocrites and enemies of Your Word who seek to overthrow Your Church purchased at so great a cost by Your Dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; at all times send us faithful bishops, ministers and teachers who will lead us into the knowledge and confession of the heavenly mysteries and finally into the glorious righteousness of Your everlasting reign (Löhe 149-50). Amen.

2. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, being filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.... Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 1,9-11. 3,8-11)

3. If you had to summarize the Lutheran Reformation in one sentence, it would be this: we are freely justified before God for Christ’s sake through faith (AC 4), for this is the heart and soul of the gospel, but in Luther’s day this gospel had become obscured and a theology of glory (theologia gloriae) had taken hold. The theology of glory comes in several variants, but we want to highlight only three particular ones this morning: moralism, mysticism and rationalism. Moralism is seeking improvements to one’s behavior and understanding that this improvement is the gospel. The Pharisees are a good example of moralists. Mysticism is seeking religious experiences (old or contemporary) in order to ascend to God and feel His presence. Quakers are a good example of mystics. Rationalism is trying to ascend to God through speculative philosophy. Immanuel Kant is a good example of a rationalist.

4. The glories of moralism, mysticism and rationalism were rampant in the Medieval Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s answer was to replace these theologies of glory with the theology of the cross (theologia cruets). The Reformation worked to return the Catholic Church to the Biblical focus of Christ crucified and risen as the cornerstone of the gospel, but we have arrived full circle as twenty-first century Western culture is rife with many theologies of glory that seek to derail us from the path of the theology of glory. Moralism is especially rife in American Christianity, and the more our culture removes itself from its long-held Christian foundation the more American Christianity will seek to impose moralism inside and outside the Church so as to ensure the safe-keeping of the gospel and its effect in our lives. Mystical worship is found among a large segment of the Church. How many people argue that they do not need to be in Church on Sunday to worship God because they are spiritual and therefore they can worship God anywhere they please and in whatever manner suits them? Rational thought has sought to overthrow Christian faith since the dawning of the Enlightenment. Some Christians pit reason and faith against each other, arguing that the two spheres should not intersect with each other. The end result is that rational thought often takes preeminence as it diminishes and devalues the importance of faith.

5. All these theologies of glory erode away the true and pure gospel entrusted to the Church by Christ and His apostles. Luther realized this in his day as he began his doctoral studies in the Holy Scriptures. His Ninety-five Theses were the beginning of a debate to rescue the gospel for the Church and Christians. Perhaps the most important thesis that Luther posted on the Schloßkirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg in 1517 reads: The true treasure of the Church is the most holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God

(Ninety-Five Theses § 62). As Luther and the Reformers continued their work, the doctrine of justification became the cornerstone in reforming Medieval Catholicism.

6. The Apostle Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Philippians that »we do not have a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith so that we may know Him and the power of Christ’s resurrection.« This righteousness that comes through Christ is the pure, true gospel of the Church. No other religion has this gospel that is grounded on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus. The one holy catholic and apostolic Church alone has the word of salvation.

7. Therefore, the devil uses every means at his disposal to thwart or warp this gospel. Thus the Church must safeguard this gospel each generation lest it be obscured and countless people wallow in the uncertainty of God’s disposition toward them. The devil, the world and our own sinful flesh work to create doubt in regards to God’s favor toward us. The gospel is the promise of absolute certainty (absolute Gewißheit) that God the Father looks upon us with His love and favor. This promise overrules any negative word spoken by the devil, the world or our sinful flesh. God’s word in Jesus is His final word, and it is a word of redemption.

8. No theology of glory, no matter how enthusiastically pursued and practiced, can outshine the glory and certainty we have in the theology of the cross. Moralism, mysticism and rationalism are mere shadows that are chased away when the bright light of the suffering and crucified Christ for His fallen creation shines forth in all its brilliance. Any manmade attempt, be it secular or religious, that attempts to soothe our sinful consciences is a deathly hallow in comparison to the glorious empty tomb of Jesus.

9. Do you want certainty that you are righteous before God? Moralism and its works-righteousness will not give you this certainty, but the works and merits of Christ will assure you of your righteous standing in God’s sight. Christ’s work of crucifixion and resurrection are all the certainty you need to know that you are justified before God. Paul declares: »Righteousness will be reckoned to those who believe in God the Father who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, our Jesus who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ« (Romans 4,24-5,1). Do you want the bliss of worshipping the Triune God? Mysticism with its inner spirituality and meditation will not ultimately give you this joyous feeling, but the Gottesdienst (Divine Service) where the Holy Spirit feeds your spirit and soul with the Word and Sacraments will always assure you of your forgiveness and fill you with great joy and peace. Luke writes: »And the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers« (Acts 2,42). Do you want the knowledge of salvation? Rationalism, not matter how well-reasoned, will not enlighten you to the mind of God, but the knowledge of Christ will be your everlasting enlightenment. Paul proclaims: »Christ is the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, for in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge« (Colossians 2,2-3).

10 The gospel of Christ Jesus crucified and risen for you and your sinfulness justifies you: all your sins have been paid for and you are now righteous before God the Father. The gospel sanctifies you: the Holy Spirit daily works in you to create good works by which your neighbors are blessed. The gospel is revealed by faith and received by faith. You are saved. You are righteous. You are sanctified. Christ has made it so. The gospel proclaims it. Believe it, for the gospel is the power of God the Son working in your life through the Holy Scriptures, Holy Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Absolution. The gospel is yours by grace and it is free all on account of Christ. You can be certain of it, for Christ alone is your righteousness. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds; keep Your gospel pure in our midst so that only trust in You for our redemption unto life everlasting. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, November 4, 2013

Philippians 1,9-11.3,8-11. Commemoration of the Reformation

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