Yesterday at church in the late afternoon during our SPLASH activities, I had occasion to meet with Paul Davis, our Director of Faith Formation (photo). Being new to the Lutheran tradition, I’m always full of “theological” questions, so when an opportunity presented itself for a “one-on-one” with someone who knows the Lutheran perspective well, I took advantage of it.
We were discussing Lutheran worship practices but somehow got off on what salvation is all about. We were considering what it means to “become a Christian” – whether it’s a “decision”, a “baptism” an “actualization,” a “transformation,” or what.
“It’s really simple, but it’s also complex” Paul offered. “It’s God’s grace.”
“That’s all?” I asked (former “evangelical” vestiges starting to appear as raised eyebrows). “Don’t I have to do something? Like at least make a decision? Or be baptized?” I entreated.
“Let me read you a story from Mark chapter two,” he said.
He read, “When he (Jesus) returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around so that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
“That,” said Paul, “is the ‘good news’ (or Gospel) we are commissioned to take to all the world.”
He went on to explain. “When someone asks me ‘when’ I was saved, I tell them it was 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross and was resurrected.” The paralytic in the full house said or did nothing, yet Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
This is the essense of the Lutheran perspective on the Christian faith. We are “saved by grace (alone), through faith” was Martin Luther’s mantra. Of course church praxis includes the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, confirmation, and regular liturgical worship to provide sustenance for living the Christian life as a follower of Christ.
But at its roots, our salvation is the “good news” of the Gospel: “Your sins are forgiven.”
Thanks be to God
We were discussing Lutheran worship practices but somehow got off on what salvation is all about. We were considering what it means to “become a Christian” – whether it’s a “decision”, a “baptism” an “actualization,” a “transformation,” or what.
“It’s really simple, but it’s also complex” Paul offered. “It’s God’s grace.”
“That’s all?” I asked (former “evangelical” vestiges starting to appear as raised eyebrows). “Don’t I have to do something? Like at least make a decision? Or be baptized?” I entreated.
“Let me read you a story from Mark chapter two,” he said.
He read, “When he (Jesus) returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around so that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
“That,” said Paul, “is the ‘good news’ (or Gospel) we are commissioned to take to all the world.”
He went on to explain. “When someone asks me ‘when’ I was saved, I tell them it was 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross and was resurrected.” The paralytic in the full house said or did nothing, yet Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
This is the essense of the Lutheran perspective on the Christian faith. We are “saved by grace (alone), through faith” was Martin Luther’s mantra. Of course church praxis includes the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, confirmation, and regular liturgical worship to provide sustenance for living the Christian life as a follower of Christ.
But at its roots, our salvation is the “good news” of the Gospel: “Your sins are forgiven.”
Thanks be to God
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