Some of you might know that I spent the Winter, Spring, and Summer translating a 325 page book on Martin Luther's Theology from German to English for Eerdmans Publishing Company in Grand Rapids. It was authored by a well-known German scholar who has studied the way Martin Luther presented the Gospel.

Since we remember the Reformation on October 31, it is appropriate to think about what Luther did within the church. He did not try to form a new church. His deep study of the Scriptures made him realize that the church was not basing its teachings on the Scriptures alone but on the basis of other ideas that were thought to aid in the process of making someone know their sin and what to do about it. Instead of Christ giving the benefits of eternal life, people were being taught that Jesus could assist them in their quest to be right with God. Luther was driven to despair as he sought to be at peace with God. He never felt that he was good enough.

One can either run away or be crushed by such knowledge. Luther kept searching the Scriptures as he taught the Psalms and Romans and came upon the passage in Romans 3:28: "We hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law." Faith, which is a gift of God, as complete trust in God's mercy, is what God looks for in the heart. Boasting about good deeds is part of a dead nature. It does nothing. God promises life and salvation. He read that Christ MAKES him worthy and perfect.

This German scholar, Oswald Bayer, points out that Luther's greatest insight was that something actually happens to the heart when the promise of God is given. We read the Scriptures to hear his promises and base our life on them. "I will be with you always." "I will never leave you nor forsake you." "By grace you are saved through faith." "This is my body, my blood." "I give eternal life." "Your sins are forgiven." Before Luther's time, people thought that the words just uttered come from someone who thinks faith is there already. Luther realized that the promises of God, when spoken, CREATE the faith relationship and STRENGTHEN it. If you do not hear it, your faith wanes. You can never hold onto faith or own it. It is always there as a gift. Read the Bible to find the promises.

Thus, our Christian life is to hear and to respond to God's words of promise. To hear the story of salvation, to hear about our Lord's dying and rising for us, is the will of the Spirit who gathers us together. If you think you have control of faith, you are losing it. If you see it as a gift that is continually promised, you yearn to hear the "I love you" again. Let us keep hearing that message. "God so loved the world that he gave his only beloved Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life."

In Christ our Lord and Savior,
Pastor Thomas Trapp