Sermons for the Month

We Agree!
DATE: October 31, 1999
SERVICE: Reformation
TEXT: Romans 3:19-28
“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

When visiting Augsburg, Germany, a Lutheran or Roman Catholic tourist especially will be ushered into the Church of St. Anne. Now you won't find any references to St. Anne in the Bible. But if you were to investigate some writings known as the Pseudopicgrapha, writings written early in the life of the ancient church, you would find reference to a woman by the name of Anne the mother of Mary who in turn was the mother of Jesus. This church was named, therefore, according to Roman Catholic tradition, after Jesus' grandmother, Anne.
The building itself dates back to the 14th century. At that time everyone was Roman Catholic so it was natural for the church to be named after some Roman Catholic saint. Following the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, however, it was transformed into a Lutheran church. Then after the Thirty Years' War this same church, the Church of St. Anne, once again returned to being a Roman Catholic parish. Today, however, the Church of Anne is both a Roman Catholic and a Lutheran Church.
When a visitor enters the church, he or she will find not one but two altars at opposite ends of the building. The one is quite ornate and beautiful. It has a picture of the Pope next to it. The other is quite plain and austere. Next to it hangs a very famous picture of Martin Luther as a young teacher. But what is even more fascinating are the backs of the pews. They swivel allowing someone to face either one direction or the other like old railroad coaches once did. When the church is being used by the Roman Catholic parish, the backs are swung to the right to allow the congregation to face the Roman Catholic altar on the left. When the church is being used by the Lutheran parish, the backs are swung to the left allowing the congregations to face the Lutheran Altar on the right.
Today in Augsburg, these two parishes will have much to celebrate as representatives of the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation will gather there and elsewhere to sign an historic document that acknowledges agreement on one of the most divisive issues of the 16th century split between Protestants and Roman Catholics -- the understanding that we are saved by God's grace alone through the death and resurrection of our common Lord, Jesus Christ.
This morning at all the services of both St. Hilary Roman Catholic and Faith Lutheran Churches, Father Yahner and I will be signing at each service our own copies of the Joint Declaration on Justification, a declaration that is being signed today in Augsburg by Lutheran World Federation General Secretary Ishmael Noko and Bishop Christian Krause of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick (Germany), LWF president, plus the LWF's five vice presidents including Rev. H George Anderson, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Our local Bishop Marcus Miller will be among those witnessing the signing. For those unfamiliar with the LWF, it represents 58 of the 61.5 million Lutherans around the world and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will be signing for the Vatican.
Father Gordon Yahner and I wanted to affirm this historic occasion between our two denominations, so we are racing between our two churches services this morning -- his congregation's four masses on Sunday plus his Saturday night mass and our three services this morning. (Someone suggested we should wear our running shoes this morning.) Later this week, I will be presenting one of the copies to our Bishop and having other framed -- as is St. Hilary -- for our congregation.
Now just why all this hubbub? What is the doctrine of Justification? And now I am going to get rather heavy so bear with me.
In the 16th century Martin Luther began a debate in the Roman Catholic Church over this doctrine that ultimately led not only to his excommunication but also the formal division of the Christian Church into Protestant and Roman Catholic. As this process unfolded, many things were said, hurtful things, by both sides toward the other. Emotions ran high and eventually even a war broke out. However, in recent years, in spite of the hostility and suspicion that some still have rooted in the 16th century, many good people, both Roman Catholic and Lutheran began working on initiating a reversal to this continuing division and suspicion between our two churches. Talks began years ago between our two churches to determine whether the conclusions reached in the 16th century during the then emotional heat of battle were based on truth or misunderstanding.
So what was the argument all about? What is the doctrine of Justification? Paul says it best in Romans that the good news "the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith" (Romans 1:16-17) and that God grants "justification" (Romans 3:21-31) to all who believe. He proclaims Christ as "our righteousness", that in Christ's death and resurrection all dimensions of his saving work have their roots for he is "our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). All human beings are in need of God's forgiveness, "since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 2:23; cf. Romans 1:18-3:22; 11:32; Galatians 3:22). In other words, we don't have to ever worry about being alienated from God again. Because of the love of Jesus for us, in spite of whatever may befall us due to our own or humanity's egotism, God will never cut us off from His love.
In Paul's letters, this righteousness, God's righteousness, is power for those who have faith (Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21). God reconciles us through Christ Jesus "whom God put forward" says Paul, "as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith" (Romans 3:25; see 3:21-28). "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--not the result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Justification is the forgiveness of sins (cf. Romans 3:23-25; Acts 13:39; Luke 18:14), liberation from the dominating power of sin and death (Romans 5:12-21) and from the death sentence of the law's condemnation (Galatians 3:10-14). Justification is acceptance into communion with God: already now, but then fully in God's coming kingdom (Romans 5:1-2). It unites us with Christ and with his death and resurrection (Romans 6:5). It occurs in the reception of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and incorporation into the one body (Romans 8:1-2, 9-11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). All this is from God alone, for Christ's sake, by grace, through faith in "the Gospel of God's Son" (Romans 1:1-3).
The justified -- you and I and those next door -- are to live by a faith that comes from the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17) not the market place, a faith that is active through love (Galatians 5:6) not self-interest. But since the justified are attacked from within by our own doubts in God and from without by other powers and desires (Romans 8:35-39; Galatians 5:16-21) and so fall into sin (1 John 1:8, 10), we must constantly hear God's promises over and over again, confess our sins (1 John 1:9), participate in Christ's body and blood, and be exhorted to live righteously in accord with the will of God. That is why the Apostle says to the us: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). But the good news remains: "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1), and in whom Christ lives (Galatians 2:20). Christ's "act of righteousness [on the cross] leads to [our] justification and life for all" (Romans 5:18).
Opposing interpretations and applications of this biblical message in the sixteenth century was a principal cause of the division of the Western church and led as well to our condemning one another. A common understanding of justification has therefore been fundamental and indispensable if we were ever to begin overcoming this division between our two churches. By appropriating insights of recent biblical studies and drawing on modern investigations of the history of theology and dogma, our recent dialogues between our two churches have led to a notable agreement concerning justification, with the result that this Joint Declaration is able to formulate a consensus on basic truths concerning the doctrine of justification. In light of this consensus, it is now agreed the corresponding condemnations of the sixteenth century no longer apply our partner today.
All this means the Lutheran churches of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church have together listened to the good news proclaimed in Holy Scripture. This common listening, together with the theological conversations of recent years, has led to a shared understanding of what is now a shared belief in the work of Jesus for salvation. This encompasses a consensus in the basic truths. In spite of on what we still differ, this is one understanding about which we do NOT disagree.
In faith our two churches now together hold the conviction that justification is the work of the God. The Father sent his Son into the world to save sinners. The foundation and presupposition of justification is the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. Justification thus means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.
All people are called by God to salvation in Christ. Through Christ alone are we justified, when we receive this salvation in faith. Faith is itself God's gift through the Holy Spirit who works through Word and Sacrament in the community of believers and who, at the same time, leads believers into that renewal of life which God will bring to completion in eternal life.
We also share the conviction that the message of justification directs us in a special way towards the heart of the New Testament witness to God's saving action in Christ: it tells us that as sinners our new life is solely due to the forgiving and renewing mercy that God imparts as a gift and we receive in faith, and never can merit in any way.
This joint declaration Father Yahner and I witnessed this morning was developed by Lutheran and Roman Catholic representatives. It is based on many years of intense U.S. and international ecumenical dialogues on justification and other topics. The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America endorsed this statement at its 1997 Churchwide Assembly. While the document does mean that we are in "full communion" with the Roman Catholic Church, it does address mutual understandings on justification. For the first time since the 16th century we now have a statement that provides a solid theological foundation for future study between our two churches.
The statement does not claim to have resolved all points related to the Lutheran and Roman Catholic understandings of justification. It does declare, however, that the remaining differences on justification are not church dividing.
The first version of this statement was sent to the participating churches in 1995. Responses were received by early 1996. Those responses were studied by the Lutheran Institute for Ecumenical Research at Strasbourg, France, together with Roman Catholic responses. A revised text was prepared in the summer of 1996 by an international group of Lutheran and Roman Catholic theologians. The revised text was presented for consideration by the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in September 1996. At that time, the LWF council basically affirmed the text, but decided to ask for further modification at several points. Those changes were made in January 1997 and the 1997 text was authorized by the LWF executive committee in February 1997 for distribution to member churches.
The Lutheran World Federation council meeting September 24-October 1, 1996 asked that member churches respond by June 1, 1998, to this document. The council also agreed: to inform the LWF ninth assembly in July 1997 of the statement, Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, and its development; to urge the assembly to encourage further reception of the statement; and to ask the assembly "to give thanks for our continuing progress toward a common confession of the Gospel of justification."
By embracing the statement, Roman Catholics and Lutherans now declare that the mutual "anathemas" (condemnations) drawn up in the sixteenth century on the teaching of justification no longer apply to these churches. This declaration represents a major ecumenical step on the eve of a new millennium.
In the words of the statement, gratitude to God can be expressed "for this decisive step forward on the way to overcoming" past divisions and for seeking to reflect more visible unity. To the glory of God, I for one am thankful.
AMEN