Reformation 2026 - Year 509
The following was compiled by the late Pastor A. C. Holmgren and published in October 1985
Reformation Teachings
This month we commemorate the 468th anniversary of the reformation. As we give thanks to God for this mighty work of His Spirit, let us review some of the basic teachings of Martin Luther.
JUSTIFICATION- A PRONOUNCEMENT, NOT A PROCESS:
“St Paul teaches everywhere that justification does not result from works but from faith alone, that it does not come in installations but all at once. For the “testament” comprises everything: justification, salvation, the inheritance, and our most prized possession. Through faith it is enjoyed all at once, in order to make it perfectly clear that no work but faith alone affords such blessings of God as justification and salvation, and that faith makes us children and heirs at once and not in piecemeal manner, as good works must be performed. As children and heirs we then freely perform all manner of good works without any menial spirit which presumes us to become pious and meritorious by such service. Merit is unnecessary. Faith gives everything gratuitously, gives more indeed than anyone can merit.” (What Luther Says, Volume II, Paragraph 2217)
WHAT IS TRUE REPENTANCE:
“Touching repentance, they teach that such as have fallen(sinned) after baptism may find remission of sins any time they come to repentance, and that the church should give absolution unto such as return to repentance.”
“Now, true repentance consists properly of these two parts: one is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin: the other is faith, which is born of the gospel, or of absolution, and believes that, for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors. The good works are bound to follow, which are the fruits of repentance.” (Augsburg Confession, Article XII)
HOW DO WE RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS?
“The Lord our God made forgiveness of sins contingent on no work that we might perform, but on the great work which Christ accomplished when He died for the world, and for our benefit arose from the dead. The application of His work He makes through the Word which He entrusted to the Apostles, to the ministers of the gospel, yea, to every Christian, authorizing them to declare unto all who seek it the remission of sins.”
“Thus we have pointed out to us the only way in which we can surely find remission of sins, and in the Word we are sure to find this remission. If we seek it not there, our sins will be retained, do what we may; for….there is no remission except in the Word of Christ. This Word, however, has been entrusted to the Apostles and all Christians, and they are to apply it; he who seeks any other remedy for the ills of sin, shall not find it, no matter what he may do to accomplish that end.”
“Whosoever now desires remission of sins, let him go to his minister or to some other fellow Christian who has God’s Word, he will surely find consolation there.” (Luther House Postil. 1st Sunday after Easter, Weimar Edition 52,173)
HOW CAN WE APPROPRIATE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST?
“How and by what means may we appropriate such righteousness. So that we may receive the treasure acquired by Christ?”
“God has ordained that no one shall come to the knowledge of Christ, nor obtain the forgiveness acquired by Him, nor receive the Holy Ghost, without the use of external and public means; but God has embraced this treasure in the oral word or public ministry, and will not perform His work in a corner or mysteriously in the heart, but will have it heralded and distributed openly among the people. Therefore this part also, namely the external word of preaching belongs to Christianity as a channel or means through which we attain unto the forgiveness of sins, or the righteousness of Christ, with which Christ reveals and offers us His grace or lays it into our bosom, and without which no one would ever come to the knowledge of this treasure. Therefore I have always taught that the oral word must precede everything else, must be comprehended with the ear, if the Holy Ghost is to enter the heart, who through the Word enlightens it and works faith. Consequently faith does not come except through the hearing and oral preaching of the gospel.” (Luther Church Postil. 19th Sunday after Trinity, Lenker Edition 14, 2246)
WHERE SHALL WE FIND CHRIST AND HIS GRACE?
“Therefore, he who would find Christ must first find the church. How should we know where Christ and His faith were if we did not know where His believers are? And he who would know anything of Christ must not trust himself nor build a bridge to heaven by his own reason, but he must go to the church, attend and ask her.”
“Now the church is not wood and stone, but the company of believing people; one must hold to them, and see how they believe, live and teach; they surely have Christ in their midst. For outside of the christian there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation.” (Luther, Church Postil, Christmas Day Gospel Sermon, Weimar Edition 10, 1,1 140,Lenker Edition 10, 1696
AS THE FATHER HATH SENT ME, EVEN SO SEND I YOU.
“With these words, Jesus takes away from His disciples first their carnal mind, which they still possessed after His resurrection, that He would, like a temporal King and Lord, rule and reign with external and carnal power. Therefor He says: You have now seen what kind of an office I have filled upon the earth, for which I was sent by my Father, that I should establish a spiritual kingdom against that of the devil, sin and death, and thereby to bring them that believe on me to eternal life. Thus I have now done, and finished it as far as my person is concerned, and have not taken upon myself anything of a worldly character and rule. Yea, I have also been put to death by the world because of this my office and service, and I am separated from it, but now through my resurrection I have entered into that glory where I shall reign forever over all creatures at the right hand of my Father. Therefore I send you also forth in like manner to be my messengers, not to engage in temporal affairs, but to conduct the same office as I have hitherto filled, namely, to preach the Word you have heard and received from me, an office through which people are delivered from sin and death, who experience sin and death, and wish to be delivered from them.”
“Therefore Jesus says ‘Whosoever sins ye remit’. This ‘whosoever’ means nothing else than that all are included. Jews, Gentiles, great and small, wise and ignorant, holy or unholy; that no one shall enter heaven and come to eternal life, except he receive it from you, that is, through the office which you have received.”
“Now in order to exercise and accomplish the end of this authority and government, special power is required that is not human but divine. He does not give them swords and weapons, neither does He equip them with armor and worldly power, but He breathes on them and says: ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost’; namely, they are to know that such an office and work cannot be carried on in their own strength, but in His power, but in His power through the Holy Spirit, Who is given for this purpose by Christ, that although the message seems weak, and nothing more than weak breath out of the mouth of man, yet such power shall be exercised through it, that sin, God’s wrath, death, and hell must yield to it.”
“But for the absolution to be right and efficacious, it must spring from the command of Christ, which is as follows: I declare thee free from all thy sins, not in my own name, nor in the name of any saint, nor for the sake of any human merit, but in the name of Christ, and by the authority of His command, who has commissioned me to say to you that all your sins but He himself by His own mouth forgives thee thy sins are forgiven, hence not I but He himself by His own mouth forgives thee thy sins, and thou art under obligation to receive this and believe it firmly, not as the word of man, but as if thou hadst heard it from the lips of the Lord Christ himself.”
“Therefore, although this power to forgive sins belongs to God only, we should nevertheless know that He exercises and imparts this power through this external office, to which Christ has called His apostles and commands them to proclaim in His name the forgiveness of sins to all who desire it. Sins are forgiven not by human will and power, but by the command of Christ.” (Luther Gospel Sermons, 1st Sunday after Easter, Lenker Edition)
Submitted by Pastor Stan