We must look to the cross for our salvation

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” 

– Romans 3:21-28

Last Sunday, we celebrated Reformation Sunday. The Reformation came about after Martin Luther, a Catholic priest and a professor of theology, posted his famous Ninety-five Thesis on the chapel door at Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517.

Luther was concerned that the church was going in the wrong direction, especially with regards to salvation. At the time, the church was teaching that God’s forgiveness of sins could be purchased with money.

This troubled Luther, who was subsequently guided by God’s word. Scripture tells us that salvation does not come through works or good deeds but is a gift of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ who redeemed us from our sin.

There are still many in our world today who continue to try to earn and deserve God’s favor. They seek that which cannot be earned. They seek that which they already have.

In Christ Jesus we all have been justified as righteous in the sight of God. Jesus’ work at Calvary is God’s guarantee of salvation for humanity. No one can take that away from us. We are to look to the cross for our salvation.

The church of the Reformation era felt they could save themselves or that their earthly situation could save them. However, the apostle tells us in the above text, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith”.

While the law shows us our sins, the law cannot make us righteous with God. Only God can make us righteous. This righteousness comes from Jesus Christ to all who believes.

Yes, we must look to the cross for our salvation.

Luther was restless and confused about his God, whom he considered to be angry with him. However, upon reading and studying the word of the apostle, Luther found relief.

For the first time in his life, he realized that his righteousness was a gift from God through Jesus Christ. He had nothing to do with his salvation. He was trying to do what had already been done for him on the cross of Calvary. Christ made him free.

The Israelites of the Old Testament church looked to the coming Messiah for their redemption. The Jews of the New Testament church had to rely upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Jesus Christ, the same Messiah, for salvation.

The church of the Reformation era had to rely upon the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, for redemption.

We who are removed 503 years from the Reformation look to the same Jesus, the Lamb of God, to redeem us. Yes, Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins. Amen.

 • Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, 119 John F. Kennedy Drive, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas; or telephone: 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com; website: https://ift.tt/1mHrNzy. 

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