Taking the Kingdom of Heaven by Faith

What is the Reformation and what does it have to do with Christians? The Reformation of the Lord’s church isn’t merely a commemoration of Luther’s opposition to Papal injustice on October the 31st, 1517. Nor is it a day to celebrate the history of Lutheran identity and tradition.

The Reformation is about the work of God’s Word among us. Where the Word of God is preached, where Jesus voice continues to be proclaimed into the ears of sinners, there the almighty and most merciful God gathers a church. When the church forgets the gospel, when it tries to find its identity and life outside of the Word, then it withers and dies. It turns into a dried-out husk, a mausoleum to an ancient and forgotten faith. Perhaps they still fill the pews. Perhaps they still think their church is healthy is growing. But unless God speaks his Word from his pulpits and altars, unless he delivers salvation by a promise for Christ’s sake alone, whatever has taken his place can only lead to destruction. It is, of necessity, antichrist.

There’s been plenty of contenders to replace and supplant God’s Word over the years; everything from the pope, to the conclusions of human reason, to the strength of human works. The contenders don’t play nice. What they’re trying to replace must be utterly silenced, stamped out, and thrown into obscurity. It’s as St. Paul says, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Tim. 4:3). The Law suits their passions. Following a great religious leader suits their passions. Mixing old pagan religions with Christianity suits their passions. Moderating what the bible says with what makes sense to reason suits their passions. Silencing the Word so they can come up with something better, something that lets them keep their chosen lifestyles, suits their passions.

Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” So also our Lord warns that his enemies will put his apostles “out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2).

When they storm the gates, when they construct their version of God’s kingdom, what do you think it looks like? A concession to works and the righteousness of works, that’s what. The pharisees had to add circumcision to the gospel, lest the gentiles think that God’s grace is too easy or free. The pope had to add his treasury of merit and purgatory, or else how could the church expect people to behave and strive toward goodness? Even today our modern, liberal forms of religion have only replaced one set of works defined by the ten commandments and replaced it with their own, a creation after their own image reflecting their desires for how goodness could be defined, not actually what it is.

Around the bliss of heaven they’ve constructed a fortress of works and works righteousness. Its foundation is human opinion and spiritual wisdom. They say, unless you become as we are, unless you keep our law, you are excluded form the company of the righteous, the pure, and the holy.

The Lord’s church suffers violence. But don’t let that make you think that means our Lord or his church will be defeated. Jesus says the gates of hell cannot silence the confession upon which the church is built (Matt. 16:18). Jesus says, “take heart, I have overcome the world.”

The world constructs walls of works around heaven’s prize. They say that unless you strive, struggle, and sweat, you’ll never see God’s face. Jesus tears all of this down. The barrier of the law, it’s proclamation of your inadequacy and sin has ended. Between you and God stand nothing but Jesus blood. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14). We are “justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:25).

Therefore, “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom. 3:28).

Jesus, raised from the dead and ascended to heaven, leads you in his wake. “Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men” (Eph. 4:8)

How do you follow your Lord through the breach in the law’s fortress to gain the prized joys of heaven?

St. John says, “this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

How do you obtain this faith? St. Paul writes, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). And again, For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).

Dear saints, when the devil, his demons, and men try to supplant our Lord’s Word from the church which is powerful to save your souls, take heart. God’s Word isn’t so easily silenced and put aside. God’s given his promise that it must endure. “The Word of our God will stand forever” the prophet Isaiah preaches (Is. 40:8).

While it endures, the Lord will reform that which was corrupted with demonic doctrines. He will shine the light of his gospel into the hearts of sinners to save them. He did it for Luther and the church five hundred years ago. He does it even now among the saints of Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Be bold, dear saints. Be undaunted. Let not men keep you from heaven, but gladly storm its gates by faith. Lay hold of God as your Father. Hear his forgiveness and believe. The kingdom ours remaineth.