"Rescue Of Martin Luther, Valentina And Us”

In Jesus Holy Name October 29, 2023

Romans 3:22-25a Reformation Redeemer

“Rescue of Martin Luther, Valentina and Us”

Rescue. The news media loves to tell us stories about rescue, whether from a deep cave in central Turkey or from a burning car. Today our news media reminds us that there is hope and concern regarding the rescue of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza strip. Armies are waiting to pounce. Negotiations are being tried. Will people be set free? It is a waiting time filled with tension.

There are serious world problems whether in the Far East, Ukraine the Mid -East and in America’s streets and college campuses. Thomas Sowell a brilliant African American intellectual in 1987 wrote “A Conflict of Visions”. He offers a simple and powerful explanation of why people disagree about politics. We disagree because we have different understanding of the Human Nature.” A must read to understand our world today. All of these problems are explained by the “human” desire for power and dedication to false religions. At the root of all the problems we have, can be stated in one sentence, it goes like this: God is righteous and we are not. God is holy and we are not. Evil exists in the world.

This is our human predicament. Something is wrong between us and God, and deep in our hearts we know this to be true. Something has gone badly wrong in the world, we know things aren’t the way they ought to be. In the gospel of Matthew (24) Jesus warned that there would be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise against nations.

What is to be done about the great gulf that stands between us and God? How can we be rescued? When Adam and Eve gave in to the suggestion of the serpent and tasted the forbidden fruit they were overwhelmed by guilt. They went into hiding. They scurried into the bushes filled with guilt and fear. Their perfect world collapsed like an accordion. On their own they could not bridge the gap. It was their Creator who rescued them. (phrase from Max Lucado Anxious for Nothing)

The greatest human need is to be loved, to be accepted. We need to know that another human being loves us and accept us. A hug is always reassuring. That’s why we spend so much time hugging our children. If children are not hugged and loved…. The result will be a hole in their heart, something will always be missing…

This great human need for acceptance, also applies to our relationship with God. We want to know. “How can I be sure I have been accepted by God?” How can I have peace with God?

This was Luther’s soul search….He was overwhelmed with the burden of his sin, his guilt left him separated from God. During the years 1505 – 1508 Luther entered the Augustinian monastery in order to please God by living a monastic life, dedicated to serving God. He tried everything the Church of his day offered: prayers, monastic vows of poverty, religious pilgrimage to Rome and even flagellation, all in an attempt to find peace and acceptance with God.

But the more he sought to live a holy life the more he realized that his sin was overwhelming, his guilt unbearable. He knew that within his body there existed both a Dr. Jykell and a Mr. Hyde. He was alienated from God, cast out of God’s presence like Adam and Eve. You can catch a feel of his emotional struggle in the words of the hymn he wrote: “Dear Christians One and All Rejoice”.

“Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay,

Death brooded darkly over me.

Sin was my torment night and day ….

My life became a living hell.”

God rescued Martin Luther. His heart was set free. Luther wrote: “Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want.” There it is…. We have free will to choose.

“You see, just at the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…..since we have been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

Christians in all denominations are forever indebted to Martin Luther. God used Martin Luther to rescue Christianity from false doctrine. His work, His books, His translation of the bible, His hymns brought Christianity out of the Dark Ages. The truth of the words of Jesus had been lost. God knew our human state, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve. Death became a reality in the world… No one escapes. That makes people worry about how to please a righteous and holy God. When we break God’s commandments, guilt overwhelms. Guilt sucks the life out of our souls. I love this passage in Hebrews 2:14. (read) Grace rescues and restores.