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Romans 3:19-28
'One Little Word'
Divine Service
Reformation Sunday (Observed)
October 30th, 2005
Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO
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“But now a righteousness form God, apart from law, has been made know.” [Romans 3:21]
Dear People of God,
One little word.
Tho' devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpower us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
Felling the devil, cutting him down, casting him out, the defeat of the devil by our Lord Jesus on the Cross, by His death, by His blood, by the forgiveness of our sins, that is what the Reformation is about. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, one little word: Jesus, dead for sinners, dead for you, dead for me.
Jesus takes God's wrath in your place and gives you perfection, holiness, forgiveness of all sins, life, salvation, freedom. “The truth,” says Jesus, “will set you free.” And the truth is not a thing, an idea, a concept. The Truth is a person. “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life,” says Jesus. He is the Truth, and He sets us free with one little word. We who were in bondage to sin and death, we who were God's enemies and the target of God's wrath, we are set free and forgiven, by one little word.
“Under the law,” that's how Paul describes our condition before the Gospel came. “We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” [Romans 3:19] Every mouth is stopped, shut, there is not a single word to be said. There is no defending ourselves under the law, no arguing our case before God, no justifying ourselves with our actions, no speaking at all, there is silence with the law before God's judgment. “Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”
But then, into the midst of the silence of God's judgment, breaking through the darkness of God's wrath, comes one little word, the word of the Gospel, the word of spilt blood, crucified body, the word of sins forgiven, and the silence of God's judgment is broken by the glorious and heavenly song of rejoicing and joy. One little word is spoken, the word of God's mercy, God's grace, His forgiveness and the righteousness of faith, one little word, and the tower of death is toppled, the kingdom of the devil is overthrown, sin is cast away, forgotten, forgiven, thrown in to the sea and set aside, as far as the east is away for the west. One little word.
“But now a righteousness form God, apart from law, has been made know, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.” [Romans 3:21-24]
The Lord Jesus, through His death, destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ad set free those who were their entire lifetime in bondage because of the fear of death. [see Hebrews 2:14,15] Set free, delivered, rescued, saved, all by one little word, by the little word of the Gospel.
One little word does all this. One little word destroys death. One little word casts down the devil and over throws his kingdom. One little word wipes away sin and brings the righteousness of Christ. One little word lifts you out of the darkness of despair, out of the mire of guilt, out of the cramped confines of your swollen conscience, pulls you out of fear into hope and light and light. One little word... the Gospel.
And so dear people, hear now that one little word, hear and believe, and rejoice:
Jesus died for you, in your place, and He forgives you all of your sins. Amen.
May this one little word be your comfort, your peace, your life, your hope, both in life and death. Amen.
And now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Wolfmueller