The Reformation Gospel
November 1, 2022
Dear CPC Family,
Yesterday, among other things, was Reformation Day. Perhaps this didn’t register as you handed out candy (hopefully the trifecta: Twix, Reese’s cups, and Hershey bars) or helped your children or grandchildren receive candy. But it’s never too late to remember Reformation Day and, more importantly, to rejoice in the Reformation Gospel.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17)
On October 31, 1517 a little known monk and professor–Martin Luther–nailed 95 points for debate to the social media of his day: the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. The Gospel was the heart of Luther’s message.
For years before, Luther desperately sought peace with God. But his quest for peace was always frustrated. For one thing, Luther knew the depth of his sin. For another, the medieval church’s prescription for attaining righteousness before God always seemed just out of reach. Luther’s own righteous efforts were like a treadmill: constant effort but never getting anywhere. This spiritual turmoil drove Luther to the Bible.
As he studied Scripture, he came to Romans 1 and the message of a righteousness that comes not by what we do but by who we trust; not by works, but by faith. It’s true righteousness that comes from the outside–from Jesus himself–rather than something we work up inside ourselves.
Finally understanding the message of the Bible, Luther’s burden was removed, his turmoil calmed, and the peace he longed for was his at last. As he described it, “the very gates of paradise opened up before me.”
That same Reformation Gospel brings us relief today. The gospel really is good news. It’s not a demand we must fulfill. Instead, it’s the announcement of what God in Christ has done for us.
Do you seek peace with God? It comes to you as a gift and is received by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. In the words of Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When we say that CPC is a Gospel-centered church, this is what we mean. We want those who are far from God to hear this message and be brought near. We want Christians to be refreshed daily by the good news of God’s free grace in Christ. Because we love this message so much, we are constantly on guard against anything that dilutes the gospel in our lives or our church.
Take time this week to reflect on the Scripture passages above and the Reformation-era quotes below–and rejoice in the freedom and new life that is ours in Jesus Christ!
Martin Luther: “So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!” (From Luther’s 1530 letter to Jerome Weller)
John Calvin: Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel, all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free.It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe. (From John Calvin’s 1534 preface to Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament)
Heidelberg Catechism (Question 60): Q. How are you righteous before God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.—if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.
Corona Presbyterian Church, let’s rejoice together in the Reformation Gospel!
In the Father’s Love,
Pastor Andrew