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sref03
The Word, the Word,
the Word
Text:
John 8:31-36
Date: Reformation Sunday
10/26/03 Sims: superstars
Nancy Pearcey, a World Journalism Institute scholar,
writes, “The most significant change in modern times is a divided
view of truth—which means that challenges to Christianity come in
two different forms. On one side, there’s postmodern relativism,
where nothing is true or false, right or wrong. In the typical public
school classroom today, English teachers have tossed out their red
pencils, as though correct spelling or grammar were nothing but
social constructs imposed by those in power. Postmodern categories
are applied especially to areas like morality and religion, reducing
them to nothing but subjective personal experience or quaint ethnic
customs.” Paradoxically, on the other side of the coin are certain
things considered “public knowledge” that are not open to question
or judgment, such as evolution [David
Limbaugh, “Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War Against Christianity,”
p. 336].
Many today think the Christian faith is only about
“subjective personal experience,” that is, that it contains no objective
truth that is true for all people of all times and places. That’s
partially due, no doubt, to those who habitually present the Christian
faith in that way, as when they ask, “have you accepted Jesus Christ
as your personal Savior?” I suppose some would think and say that
the 16 th century Reformation came about because Martin Luther had
a “born again” experience. And in a sense, he did. But it was no
private, subjective feeling or enthusiasm to be found only in the
private recesses of the reformers heart, mind or soul. It was because
of his re-discovery of the objective truth of God’s Word—even and
especially when it contradicted either human rationalization or
the accepted teachings of the church of his day.
The title of this sermon comes from the memorable piece
Luther wrote against the fanatic opinion not of the Roman Catholic
Church but of those who didn’t think Luther went far enough. While
Luther was in hiding at the Wartburg after being banned by both
pope and emperor, Andreas Karlstadt became the leader of a movement
in Wittenberg to demolish everything connected with the Roman mass,
and to do away with all traditional forms, images, vestments, and
the like. This provoked excesses and Luther returned to preach against
the destructive mob. Among other things, Karlstadt preached against
the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the sacrament of
the altar, demanding a symbolic interpretation. Luther responded
in a writing titled, “Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter
of Images and Sacraments,” 1525. Luther understood that false doctrine
most often gets its nose under the tent when people elevate the
rationalizations of the mind over the plain word of scripture. He
wrote, “Miserable spirit, why don’t you lay hold of the right thing?
…Christ on the cross and all his suffering and his death do not
avail, even if, as you teach, they are ‘acknowledged and meditated
upon’ with the utmost ‘passion, ardor, heartfeltness.’ Something
else must always be there. What is it? The Word, the Word, the Word.
Listen, lying spirit, the Word avails. Even if Christ were given
for us and crucified a thousand times, it would all be in vain if
the Word of God were absent and were not distributed and given to
me with the bidding, this is for you, take what is yours.”
The essence of the Reformation of the 16 th century
is exactly what we need to maintain in the infant years of the 21
st century, namely, the objective truth of the Word of God. Christianity
is the only “religion” that is based on objective, verifiable fact.
All other religions emanate from the fantasy of subjective feelings,
emotions, philosophies, imaginations and enthusiasms. And when the
Church ignores or forgets the objective truth of God’s Word it loses
its vital role as God’s Voice for both the preservation and salvation
of the world. How many religions, even many that call themselves
Christian and even “Lutheran,” haven’t given in to the philosophy
of political correctness going through all sorts of contortions
in order to accommodate society’s agenda that proclaims homosexuality,
cohabitation and sexual sins of all sorts somehow now no longer
to be “sin”? and the abortion of unborn infants somehow no longer
to be considered “murder”? and the mixing together and acceptance
of all sorts of false religious teachings no longer disruptive of
denominational fellowship? The “Reformation” today is in danger
of disappearing into the mist of subjective personal opinion, and
our celebration of it pushed to the margins of merely quaint ethnic
custom unless, that is, “Reformation” means still to confess the
truth of God’s Word especially in the face of all that is false,
misleading and deadly. The Gospel for Reformation Day centers on
the importance of the Word of God as the means of obtaining and
remaining steadfast in saving faith.
It begins by telling us that Jesus was speaking “to
those Jews who had believed on him.” Indeed, in the verse just before
our reading, John tells us, “as he was saying these things, many
believed in him” [John 8:30]. This “believing” was the beginning
of faith being kindled in their hearts; faith not in his miracles,
but in the words he was speaking to them. Therefore he encourages
them to continue in his word.
“If you abide [or continue] in my word, you a truly my disciples.”
All who in any way believe Jesus’ words are his disciples. But only
those are “truly” disciples who once for all become fixed in his
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