January 2012
Advent: Our Reason to
Hope
A New Beginning!
Happy New Year! With the coming of Advent, we entered
into a new liturgical year that began on November 27,
2011. Now with the coming of January we enter into a new
chronological year, the year AD 2012.
The Bible has a great deal to say
about things that are new. In John 3, we read about the
new birth as Jesus talks with Nicodemus. In II
Corinthians 5:17, Paul penned these words: “Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold all things are become new.” The
apostle John, while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, wrote,
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make
all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these
words are true and faithful” (Revelation 21:5). These
are only three examples of how the Word of God uses the
term “new” to illustrate for us Divine truth.
Over the past six months, I have
been introduced to something that is nearly 500 years
old and yet it has given me a new perspective, a new
appreciation, and a new Church family. To what am I
referring? The theology of Martin Luther, of course!
Even before I entered seminary in 1986 I had read some
of Luther’s works including his Shorter Catechism,
Bondage of the Will, and from his commentary on
Galatians.
While a seminarian, I was required
to read and write a paper on the book Here I Stand: A
Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton. So, in
some ways, a Lutheran understanding of theology was not
completely new to me. However, since coming to Holy
Trinity, I have been reading a number of books on what
Luther and Lutheran theologians have written over the
years. Therefore, I thought this might be a good time to
share some insights with you and at the same time to
underline some of those most basic principles of what it
means to be a Lutheran.
What do we actually mean when we
say, “I am a Lutheran?” Essentially, we are using a
shorthand term that means, “I agree with Martin Luther.”
As a Christian, as a monk, as a theologian, and as a
doctor of theology, Martin Luther was convinced of
certain basic principles that he wholeheartedly embraced
by faith. One of these principles, perhaps the most
basic, was Luther’s view of the Bible.
Is the Bible man’s words or God’s
Word? How one answers this question will establish the
bedrock or most basic foundation upon which one believes
and how one lives. For if one believes that the Bible is
just a book written by men, human authors alone, what
authority does it have over life? However, if the Bible
is God’s Word to man and it is of Divine origin, it has
the full authority of Almighty God – our Creator, our
Redeemer, the author and giver of life itself.
Historically, Lutherans have
believed that the Bible is God’s inspired and inerrant
Word. The Book of Concord refers to the
“unchanging” and “infallible” truth of God’s Word, which
“cannot and will not fail us” (Preface to the Book of
Concord).
In his Large Catechism, Martin
Luther boldly affirmed his faith in the Bible and freely
confessed: “God’s Word cannot err” (LC, IV 57). Through
his writings and belief, Luther still urges people to
believe the Holy Scriptures because “they will not lie
to you” (LC V 76).
This is why the Word of God
permeates every aspect of Lutheran worship. Our liturgy
is filled with direct quotations from Sacred Scripture.
Hymns used in worship, if not directly quoting the
Bible, paraphrase passages and themes displaying a high
view of God’s special revelation to mankind as revealed
in His Word.
As Lutherans we believe that the
Bible, God’s Holy Word, exposes the deepest thoughts and
desires of the human heart (Hebrews 4:12) and at the
same time, it powerfully gives new birth through the
Gospel (I Peter 1:23).
What do we mean when we say, “I am
a Lutheran?” We mean and affirm, “I agree with Martin
Luther.” We agree that the Bible is God’s Word to man.
It is our only rule in all matters of faith and life. It
is our guide and our comfort. It is our hope.
Therefore, with Dr. Martin Luther,
let us agree afresh that we will strive to live all of
life, as God’s grace enables, in a new obedience to His
Holy Word – to the glory of Jesus Christ our Saviour and
Lord!
Blessings!
Pastor Jim
