For the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost on 5/25/08, the three assigned readings are Isaiah 49:8-16a; Romans 1:8-17 and Matthew 6:24-34. Chosen to preach about is the definitive passage that initiated the Reformation. It’s Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Verse 17 is important in this regard as it reads, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”
We have been so used to the proper understanding of this verse that it may not occur to us how misunderstood it once was. To realize how this verse was explained to a peasant of the 15th century under Roman Catholic doctrine, the following paraphrase is offered: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is most helpful to those who believe as a power source of grace to receive the righteousness of Christ.”
In other words, faith was not sufficient but needed the additional works of righteousness that were made possible by grace given by God to those who then cooperated with that grace to make their salvation more sure. Martin Luther spent many hours in punishing himself for the lack of his own righteousness even with all the grace that he supposedly was receiving through the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic church.
Only when the Holy Spirit opened his eyes did Luther realize how different is this passage understood when the righteousness of God is not demanded but given as a gift. The Reformation began in earnest as Luther came to the realization that the gospel of Christ was not a power to salvation becauses it provided the grace needed to become more holy. No, the gospel of Christ was the power to provide the righteousness of God Himself because He is so gracious.
The righteousness of God which humans receive through faith alone is not the intrinsic righteousness of God’s inner holiness but the perfect righteous obedience that Jesus accomplished after His taking our human nature. There is a glorious exchange in which Christ gives us His righteousness in exchange for our sin! The sacraments do not offer the possibility of more perfection; they instead provide the perfection and righteousness to stand before God Himself on that day of Judgment.
What a difference Romans 1:16 makes when examined from the viewpoint of living under the Gospel rather than living under the Law. It’s the difference between Christ-righteousness and self-righteousness. It’s the difference between giving God the glory or boasting of our own glory. It’s the difference between Law and Gospel.
Name:Tom Baker