Freed From -- Freed For

John 8:31-36

Today we celebrate the Reformation. We celebrate the work of Martin Luther as he on this day in 1517 posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. Today we celebrate the past, the present, and the future. We celebrate where we have been, where we are now, and where we hope to go.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the meaning for Reformation is, “a 16th century religious movement marked ultimately by rejection or modification of some Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and establishment of the Protestant churches.” The Reformation is over. This word in its capitalized form refers to the 16th century movement. Under the leadership of many influential reformers, several doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church were rejected. As a result, Protestant churches were established. So, in this sense the Reformation is over.

However, I do not think that reformation is over. The definition for reform is to amend, change, or improve. As we work towards ecumenical agreements, ordain women, and look at the sexuality statement, we cannot deny that we are a church that is ever changing and continuing to make amendments. If the reformation were over we would continue to be a denomination that looked exactly like it looked in the 16th century. That is not the case. We, as Protestants, have not become stagnant. We, as Lutherans, are part of a church that continues to reform.

Luther knew the truth and the truth set him free. The Son made him free and he was free, indeed. So, he acted. He acted for freedom. He acted for reform. In Luther’s work titled “Freedom of a Christian,” he explained the doctrine of justification. He said, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” Let me repeat that, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” This doctrine of justification is two-fold. In this, Christians are given the ability to live in freedom and servanthood.

Jesus sets us free from, and Jesus sets us free for. Jesus sets us free from “sin, death and the power of the devil,” to quote Martin Luther. Jesus defeats all those things that would separate us from God.
Jesus also sets us free for – for a life that reflects his life and strives for the positive impact on people’s lives that Jesus achieved in his life. The incredible gift given to us by our Lord is that we are freed from having to try to earn God’s favor; we have that as a gift. We can now steward that freedom through a life dedicated to praising God and serving those people with whom we travel on our journey through life. We don’t have to count the cost of being a servant to those around us. We can simply serve them because our place in God’s household has been secured.

A steward is, by definition, one who cares for that which belongs to another. Our freedom is not our own, it comes from God. What a joy to have the gift of freedom. What a privilege to live a life in which we care for that freedom through caring for others.

Another way that we can think about this two-fold freedom is to think about the beams of the cross: vertical and horizontal. The vertical beam refers to God’s relationship with us. We are freed from. We are the slaves. We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. Jesus paid the price of freeing us from our bondage to our sin. Jesus paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity’s place, enduring the judgment that we deserved for sin. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for humanity. In response to that ransom we are redeemed for good works. We are freed for good works, not because we must, but because we are able.

The horizontal beam refers to our relationship with each other. We are freed for service. We are called to shine the light of Christ into the dark places of our world. We are called to live in justice, love, kindness, and service to all people. Often this servant way of life calls us to make personal sacrifices, sacrifices of our finances, our time, and our talents. We are called to live in relationship with the rest of the world, which is not always easy. Despite the difficulty we might face, we are called to mission, God’s mission.

This year as Pastor Omholt and I began teaching the confirmation class, we started with Martin Luther. As we talked about Luther’s 95 Theses and the Reformation, I asked the class how the church has been reformed in their lifetime. Now, I ask that same question of you: How has the Lutheran church been reformed in your lifetime?

Maybe you remember the Lutheran church prior to the formation of the ELCA, back in the day of the ALC, the LCA, and the AELC, prior to 1988. Or maybe you can recall a time when churches were divided by race. Some of you can likely recall a time when women were not permitted to be pastors and when women were not allowed to be acolytes, crucifers, and other worship assistants. Maybe you can recall a time in the church when communion was not typically offered weekly. Most of us can recall a time when homosexuals did not feel welcome in the church and were not allowed to be ordained. These are all products of a reforming church. These are all products of a free church.

The next question I asked the class was how would they like to see the church reformed in the future. Again, I will pose the same question to you: How would you like to see the Lutheran church be reformed in the future? Maybe there needs to be more biblical education. Maybe we need to increase our evangelism efforts. Maybe we need to be more involved in inter-faith dialog. I am not certain how the church needs to be reformed in the future, but I am certain that we need to continue to be a church body that is open and willing to be reformed.

We know the truth. The truth has made us free. The Son has made us free. We are free, indeed. May we live as people who have been freed from sin and freed for service to our neighbors. May we walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther, who has showed us how to reform the church. May we, together, be the reformers of the church in the years to come. Amen.