Reformation Sunday
What is truth?
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
Joh 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."
Joh 18:38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.
Joh 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Freedom is a an illusory term here. Absolute freedom does not exist. The truth offered here is that membership in the Kingdom of God entitles the members of Jesus' body, the church, to freedom from the weight and guilt of sin. Freed from those shackles they are empowered to respond in love; to become Christ's witnesses and the agents of his love on earth.
This is the new covenant alluded to in Jeremiah. God's people are no longer subject to the punishments meted out to breakers of the law, they have internalized the law with a code that is far more restrictive than the letter of the law but being internalized makes them free.
Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear
Our passage from Romans is a very loaded text.
"In Adam we have all been one
One huge rebellious man"
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So all are saints and sinners. No one has a right to boast even of their humility, for before God all are equal. Justified by Grace through Faith.
Someone called Luther made this the cornerstone of his message.
What is truth?
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
Joh 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."
Joh 18:38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.
Joh 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Freedom is a an illusory term here. Absolute freedom does not exist. The truth offered here is that membership in the Kingdom of God entitles the members of Jesus' body, the church, to freedom from the weight and guilt of sin. Freed from those shackles they are empowered to respond in love; to become Christ's witnesses and the agents of his love on earth.
This is the new covenant alluded to in Jeremiah. God's people are no longer subject to the punishments meted out to breakers of the law, they have internalized the law with a code that is far more restrictive than the letter of the law but being internalized makes them free.
Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear
Our passage from Romans is a very loaded text.
"In Adam we have all been one
One huge rebellious man"
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So all are saints and sinners. No one has a right to boast even of their humility, for before God all are equal. Justified by Grace through Faith.
Someone called Luther made this the cornerstone of his message.
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