Author: Al

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Reformation 09 Prelude

Reformation Sunday 09 at Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI, 10-25-09

Arrangements by Terry Herald.

Instrumentalists:

Piano, Lindsay Papke

Flute, Barbara Ogar

Oboe, Anne Lemke

Cello, Tim Niocolia

Guitar, Terry Herald

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This We Believe

Text: Romans 3:28
Date: Pentecost XXI + Reformation Sunday + 10/25/09
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

When the Apostle Paul wrote, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom. 3:28), he was speaking, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the whole Church of Jesus Christ. Now, on Reformation Day it’s too easy especially for Lutherans to attempt to confiscate or kid-nap these apostolic words to serve as a protest against other Christian denominations as if the Apostle were saying, “For we LUTHERANS hold this-and-that” over-against the Papacy on the far right or the Reformed on the far left. As true as that may be, there were no Lutherans or so-called “denominations” when Paul wrote those words. There were those already, however, who were allowing the innate legalism of our common, fallen, sinful nature and spiritual blindness to get in the way of the Gospel. The “we” in “we hold that one is justified by faith” are all those who hold to the pure, central Biblical doctrine of the Gospel of salvation, the justification of the sinner by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, apart from works of the law. This is no new teaching of the 16th century but the apostolic Gospel from the beginning. Continue reading “This We Believe”