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Reformation Sunday 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
Rev. 14:6-7, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36
October 26, 2025
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Text and Audio: immanuelhamiltonchurch.com click “sermons”
Text: pastorjud.org
Audio: pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio: bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship
Sometime when they are between 18 and 36 months old children begin to tell their parents, “me do it”, or “I do it myself.” That helpless baby from a few months before is now asserting some independence. Independence grows and grows and, God-willing, by age 18 or so, your little bundle of joy will be ready to go out and live on his or her own even though no one is ever truly independent.
Adults also like to be independent and get things done on their own. “Me do it.” You learn that you if you want something, you have to work for it. You get what you deserve. You find out that if you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself. A lot of adults are living out their best toddler selves, “I do it myself.” And they are quite proud of everything that they have been able to accomplish and this comes very naturally; this is the way of the world.
But then you get to deal with God who tells you, Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV) 8 … my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s way is not the world’s way.
God has given you His law. His law shows you what to do and what not to do. It curbs your behavior, it is a mirror to your life, and it is a guide for how to live. When confronted by God’s law you are tempted to deal with it using the ways of the world. When it comes to God’s law you naturally try to turn it into a do-it-yourself activity. If you are the least bit honest you know you have a sin problem and yet, by nature, you want to manage your sin problem by yourself. When you stray from God’s way and follow your own way you try to find strategies to manage that. When it comes to selfishness, and anger, and not forgiving others, and gossiping, and being intimate outside of marriage, and going to the dark side of the internet, and indulging sinful desires rather than resisting them, you want to deal with these sins yourself. You make excuses, “I’m just being myself. I’m just weak. It’s no big deal. Everyone is doing it.” You try to justify yourself, “We all sin. It was just a mistake -- everyone makes mistakes. It’s not hurting anyone.” Or you just redefine sin and lower the bar of what it means to obey God’s law until the bar is lying on the ground. And then you get out a shovel to bury the bar below the surface as you try to pretend you are following God’s law. When you try to make excuses for sin, or justify your sin, or redefine sin, you end up saying an awful lot of words -- but all those words are empty and useless.
Romans 3:19 (ESV) 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” You want to make excuses for your sin? Shhhhh. You want to try to justify yourself? Shhhhh. You want to try to redefine sin? Shhhhh.
Everyone is under the law of God: either hearing and knowing God’s law, or having God’s law written on your heart. The law of God stops every mouth. God’s law holds everyone accountable. You are a sinner and you cannot save yourself. This is not a do-it-yourself project and this seriously annoys your natural, independent self. You want to say something in your defense…shhhh. You cannot do it. Romans 3:20 (ESV) 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
This is aggravating to your inner, independent, toddler self, saying, “me do it,” but it prepares you for incredible Good News. Romans 3:21 (ESV) 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it”—
The righteousness of God has been manifested. His righteousness revealed, disclosed, made known. What does this mean? Does it mean that now we can see that God is righteous? God is righteous, but that is not what this is saying: Romans 3:22 (ESV) 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. …”
What is manifested is that God’s righteousness is delivered to sinners through faith in Jesus Christ. What is manifested is your righteousness. God’s righteousness is delivered to you apart from the law. You cannot save yourself. You cannot do it. You cannot help do it. It is done completely by Jesus. You cannot save yourself. No one can save their own self. Romans 3:22–25 (ESV) 22 … For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. …” All fall short of the glory of God – and -- God’s righteousness is given through faith in Jesus to those who believe. Jesus is a propitiation by His blood. This means Jesus appeases God the Father. The Father’s wrath is turned away from you and your sin, and turned onto Jesus on the cross. Jesus drinks the cup of God’s wrath down to the dregs. Jesus’ suffering and death as the perfect sacrifice for sins appeases God’s justice. We know this was accepted as a full propitiation, a complete appeasement, because Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. Jesus did it all for you. You are justified by Jesus’ grace as a gift.
Your natural self so much wants to be part of your own salvation but -- praise the Lord -- that is not how it works. If you have any part of your salvation you will always be in doubt, because the answer to the questions, “am I good enough, am I doing enough, am I sorry enough?” is always, no.
With Christmas approaching there can be awkwardness about gift giving and gift receiving. Do you buy a gift for your sister’s new boyfriend? Probably not…but…what if he buy something for you. Adults do not want to receive a gift from someone who they did not give a gift to. You want to keep things even. But that is not God’s way. God gives you a gift and you can give nothing in return. This is not the way of the world and it can make you uncomfortable, and, I fear, this is why there is such a desire in so many churches to want to add something Jesus’ work to try to pay Jesus back, to be able to help Jesus, to be able to do it yourself, even a little bit. But God does not need your help.
Now, while toddlers like to assert their independence, they are very much powerless, helpless, dependent little people. They need their parents. They cannot do it themselves. They receive everything they need from others and they cannot repay them. They are totally dependent. That is also how you are with God. When the disciples were trying to keep little children away from Jesus…Luke 18:16–17 (ESV) 16 [He] called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Your natural self so much wants to be part of your own salvation but -- praise the Lord -- that is not how it works. If you have any part of your salvation you will always be in doubt, because the answer to the questions, “am I good enough, am I doing enough, am I sorry enough?” is always, no. In the desperate, futile attempt to be a part of your own salvation there is always more to do, more to give, more to sacrifice.
You are helpless -- and -- Jesus has saved you. It is truly beautiful, awesome, overwhelming Good News that Jesus has done it all for you and has given you that gift. You have the peace which is beyond understanding knowing you have been declared righteous by the Son of God because... John 8:36 (ESV) 36 … if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus pours out His forgiveness upon you in the waters of baptism, in His Words of absolution, in His own Body and Blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. You are His.
This Reformation Day, and every day, remember the truth. You are truly free in Christ. Let the joy and gladness of complete forgiveness and freedom inspire you each day as you struggle against sin and temptation in this dark world, and as you love and serve others with love and service that flows from the joy of freedom. The Son has set you free. You are free indeed. Amen.