God's Truth Abideth Still--493 years after Luther did his deed!

This week I planned to make a quick trip to Barnes and Noble to get a new edition of J. I. Packer's book Knowing God (my copy was very old with tiny print). While quickly surveying the shelves to complete my mission, my eyes landed on Nancy Pearcey's new book Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Minds, Morals, and Meaning. A two second glance through her book made me break focus from the mission, and I decided I just had to have it.  A few moments later I found yet another book I also "needed." All that to say, I walked out of B and N with three books. Obviously, I need a better dose of self control. For an impulse buy, I must say I did well! Pearcey's book is amazing! It is proving a very timely book to be reading as Reformation Sunday approaches.  It is on October 31st as the rest of the world prepares for Halloween, costumes and candy,  that I bring to mind Luther's nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral launching the Protestant Reformation. My mind  can't help but consider the Reformers and their willingness to sacrifice all for the sake of the Gospel. As I ponder this great event in history, I end up marveling at God's very active and gracious hand in the affairs of His world, and it strikes me just how desperately the American Church needs some Reformers. We have gulped down the lies of our postmodern culture and have often relegated the Christian worldview to just another option on the smorgasbord of worldviews. We somehow act as though it's ok for me to believe one thing, you to believe another, and Joe in Timbukto to believe yet another. We frequently just shrug off belief differences with the all time greatest postmodern term of all: "Whatever..."  However, God's Word is not just an option. It is Truth. All options aren't equally valid as our postmodern world would have us believe. The Reformers knew this, and they sought to proclaim the Truth loudly and fearlessly in order to trample out the lies that were pervading their culture. Many were burned at the stake because they chose to take a stand for Truth.  J. Gresham Machen once wrote, "False ideas are the greatest obstacle to the reception of the Gospel." All to often I fail to use Truth to reveal the  false ideas in me and in the world around me. At times it is because I don't want to offend someone, but often it is just because I have forgotten the war between Truth and lies, Life and death, Light and darkness. I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I am warned to be vigilant, yet often I just skip through life as happy as can be unaware (and perhaps even at times willfully ignorant) of the danger of false ideas. As Reformation Sunday approaches, may we revive our allegiance to that Truth for which the Reformers willingly laid down their lives.  May we look to Scripture alone as our guide. May we remind ourselves that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17) It is through the study of Scripture that God, in His grace, revealed to Martin Luther the Truth of the Gospel and as a result Luther embraced justification by faith alone in Christ alone.  May we, 493 years later, cling to the same Savior that opened the eyes of Luther. May we, just as Luther, Knox, Calvin, Hus, Zwingli, Cranmer and other Reformers did, proclaim the Gospel of grace to a sinful, twisted and broken world. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live be faith." (Romans 1:16-17) "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2)


When I think of God existing outside of time and space, I often think of Him hearing His church in unison singing hymns, Psalms and reciting creeds. How exciting it is to imagine my singing along with Luther's and J. S. Bach's reaching the Father's ear in diverse langauges yet in perfect unison as we sing this great Reformed hymn. I hope you get to sing it along with us tomorrow. Soli Deo Gloria!

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.