Reformation Day Observed (2025)

John 8:31-36

My Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is reformation day and we have the opportunity to rejoice in the wonderful proclamation of the Gospel that goes out into the world. For we have been freed of the awful slavery to legalism that plagued the church and had us focus not on Christ and Him crucified, but laid the burden of salvation back on our shoulders and demanded that we always had more to do in order to be saved, when the Scriptures are wonderfully clear that is not the purpose of the Law. The Law was not added that it might save you, but rather to reveal your sin.

The Chains of Sin

Why such bitterness towards God?

If you speak with people there is anger, frustration, and hatred towards God. This is because when they hear the Word of God it is because they find themselves in a bind. For they hear the law, and the admit that the Law is right, the Law is good, and the Law is true, so why such bitterness? Because no matter how hard they try they cannot break free, and even though we cannot keep the Law, at the same time

We deny our slavery.

It can’t be that bad, that we are trapped in our sins, without the ability to free ourselves. There has to be some way for us to be free of this horrible condition, if we just live the right life, say the right things, do enough work, then can’t we cleanse ourselves from this horrible condition. But whoever practices sin is a slave to sin, and

Our church is full of sinners.

This is our natural state that has been passed down and that we have inherited and brought us nothing but death and misery. This surprise the world for they look at us and they think according to the Law. If works make you a better person, why go to a church that is full of sinners? What makes this hard to handle is the

The Pride of Man

We are fools to deny it.

That we are sinners that we have failed, that we have fallen short, like our parents confronted us about the rules we had broken and they already knew the answer. But we deny, no it wasn’t me, we try to redefine the terms, we try to move the goal posts so that we can still appear to be good people that we aren’t really enslaved. Look at how far this pride takes people in our gospel lesson,

The Jews have never been enslaved.

Jesus operates with far greater patience than I would have, in truth I would have been struck dumb that someone could be so bold, so foolish, to make that claim. They aren’t even in control of Israel when they say that, The Romans have ruled their nation for decades at this point. What about Egypt? What about Babylon?

We don’t want to admit this.

It means we are weak, we have failed, and instead of being good have committed evil. We don’t want to admit we’re slaves to our sins, to greed, to lust, to alcohol, to our work, to our gossip, our cursing, that we are bound and cannot free ourselves. We say we can stop whenever we want, but why don’t we stop when God commands it? There are our chains, there’s our slavery, and

If we can’t see our chains, why seek freedom?

If we can convince ourselves that there is no slavery like the Jews who had gotten so used to the Roman Soldiers they didn’t even realize they were enslaved, then what do you need to be free? If you and I can convince ourselves that we are living in a paradise right now, that our sins aren’t destroying us, dragging us down to hell, but are actually helping us, then why would we seek freedom? It is so good to be a slave to our sins. I hope you see how foolish this is, for what slave does not desire freedom, and would rather be called a son. So

The Son Set You Free

Jesus saved you.

When we use the word Redeem, when we say Jesus shed His blood for you, what that means is that Jesus there on Calvary paid the debt that kept you enslaved. He satisfied the wrath of God for your sake so that you might have to fear the judgment that would condemn you to that spiritual debtor’s prison, hell, but that you might be restored to God’s grace. For

Jesus has made you God’s child.

Not a slave, but a son, who can cry out to your Father in heaven and asking for help and forgiveness. For what right does a sinner have to petition the Holy and Righteous God, why should he hear their cries? But since you have been made a child of God, your Father hears your prayers, and your cries.

This is why we joyfully say, I am baptized.

For what is Baptism? You are born from above, it is the new birth of water and the spirit, the washing of regeneration that takes dead sinners and brings them to life by the power of the Spirit and at that moment, God looked down upon us and gave his divine name to you. In a world seeking their identity and purpose, we can say, I am baptized. Since we are God’s children, we heed his word.

Abiding In the Word

The Reformation was about the Word.

The church and Christians had become deformed as it had strayed from the word, but the Reformation was about Re-forming the church around the Word of God, and we continue that to this very day, hoping and urging all Christians to abide by God’s Word, that we might be Christ’s disciples. For

The Bible is where God speaks.

This is why we have been known as a people of the Word who are focused on what God has said. Whenever people stop looking to the Scriptures they start turning to other sources, personal visions, experiences, and philosophies. Why would those things take the place of your Father’s voice? You are God’s child and it is the Word that nourishes us, there is nothing that should replace it. Because

Without the Word, we would perish.

For without the Word, we would believe our slavery to sin was not only normal, but all there was and ever would be. We would die in our sins without any hope of being free, but by the Word God promised to send Christ for your sake, that your hope might rest in Him, and not in your own works.

The World In Need

As disciples, we share the Word.

For that is how we learned, and where we gained knowledge of God’s promises to us. For how can anyone believe or hope in promises that they have not heard? So we share this joyful promise with our neighbors that they too might believe and join with us in the hope of salvation.

What if people refuse to listen?

It shouldn’t surprise us that they do, for how often did we set God’s Word aside, but someone was patient with us and in love kept pointing us back to God’s holy word. Bring that message to them as well for Christ died for them and wanted them to have this great and wonderful gift.

Do we want people to be slaves?

I hope not, for we know the misery that comes being under our sins, and do not wish to continue in that horrible state. This is what grants to us boldness and encouragement to evangelize, that they don’t have to be bound by their sins and their guilt and let it weigh them down unto hell itself. For Christ came that they might have life and have it to the fullest that they might be the children of God, not slaves.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, a blessed Reformation day. The reformation is not done, but it continues on that we might call all Christians ourselves included to make sure that our Faith is formed in accordance with God’s Holy Word and that we might be God’s people. Not slaves to sin, but the truth offspring of Abraham who share in the faith that Abraham had, that counted him as righteous, that God keeps His promises and sent a Savior through whom all the nations would be blessed.