Romans 3:21-22 But now a righteousness from God apart from law, has been
made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who
believe.

 Today is Reformation Sunday, a Sunday that always makes me just a bit
queasy.  I say that because all too often, if the Pastor is not careful,
the impression can be given that "Luther" and "Lutheranism" is what the
Reformation is about rather than the gospel of Jesus.  But today I will
dare to risk such accusations as I share with you an important history
related to the faith.
 I want to speak with you about Luther's Tower Discovery.  This
"discovery" happened in 1515 as a result of Luther's study of the
Scriptures.  But rather than me tell you the story, I'll let Luther speak
in his own words.
 "In the meantime in the same year I had begun again to lecture on the
Psalter, believing that with my classroom experience in lecturing on the
Psalms and the Letters of Paul to the Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, I
was better prepared.  All the while I was absorbed with the passionate
desire to get better acquainted with the author of Romans.  Not that I
did not succeed, as I had resolved, in penetrating more deeply into the
subject in my investigation, but I stumbled over the words (chapter 1:17)
concerning 'the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel.'  For the
concept 'God's righteousness' was repulsive to me, as I was accustomed to
interpret it according to scholastic philosophy, namely, as the 'formal
or active' righteousness, in which God proves himself righteous in that
he punishes the sinner as an unrighteous person...until, after days and
nights of wrestling with the problem, God finally took pity on me, so
that I was able to comprehend the inner connection between the two
expressions, 'the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel' and
'The just shall live by faith.'
 Then I began to comprehend the 'righteousness of God' through which the
righteous are saved by God's grace, namely, through faith; that the
'righteousness of God' which is revealed through the Gospel was to be
understood in a passive sense in which God through mercy justifies man by
faith, as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'  Now I felt
exactly as though I had been born again, and I believed that I had
entered Paradise through widely opened doors.  I then went through the
Holy Scriptures as far as I could recall them from memory, and found in
other parts the same sense: the 'work of God' is that which he works in
us, the 'strength of God' is that through which He makes us strong, the
'wisdom of God' that through which He makes us wise, and so the 'power of
God,' the 'blessing of God,' and the 'honor of God,' are likewise to be
interpreted.
 As violently as I had formerly hated the expression 'righteousness of
God,' so I was now as violently compelled to embrace the new conception
of grace and, thus, for me, the expression of the Apostle really opened
the Gates of Paradise."  (Luther and His Times: Schwiebert, 285-6).
 I share this account with you because this understanding that Luther
gained on the Scriptures became the driving force of his life.  Traceable
from this time is a clear change in his approach and understanding of
God's Word, in other words, his whole theology and understanding of God
was transformed.  No longer was the Bible a book that revealed a
powerful, vindictive and punishing God but rather Luther saw that the
Bible revealed a powerful, loving and forgiving God.  It is this
experience of Luther, this opening of his eyes to see the grace of God
and to grasp the gospel of salvation that lead to the Reformation.
 Yet the importance of this is not that the Lutheran church was founded.
The importance of this is that the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus is
once again restored to the Christian church.  Law can now be law and
gospel can be gospel.  Sin can be revealed and exposed, grace and mercy
can be proclaimed and declared.  What God revealed in his Word could now
be shown to be the hope, the comfort, the revelation of salvation from
beginning to end.  It is this gospel that makes or breaks the Christian
church on earth.
 I mention all of this because Luther's Tower Discovery had a direct
impact on our understanding of the words before us.  Now, through his
rediscovery of the hope of God in Jesus we can rejoice and be glad in the
words before us.  Let then look at these words and discover for ourselves
their reformation truth.  Our theme will be: RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH.
 1st. Righteousness is not of the law.  2nd. Righteousness is our gift in
Jesus.
 Seriously, before Luther's grasp of these words these were never
considered to be words of comfort and encouragement at all.  These words
were considered part of the premier revelation of God's strict
enforcement of the perfection He was and we were not.  Righteousness was
defined as "the perfection of God that demanded punishment for every
sinner."  Even the section that we highlighted was considered a section
that showed that Jesus came not to save but rather to show that sinners
had better not mess around with God.
 Now it is true, the Word of God does reveal sin.  That's known as the
Law of God.  Our verses do indeed speak of the work of the law when they
said, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are
under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world
held accountable to God.  Therefore no man will be declared righteous in
his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become
conscious of sin."
 Now as we look at this section there are some very clear things taught
about the law of God.  First, it is clearly taught that the whole world
is accountable to God.  Doesn't matter if you believe in God or not, you
are still accountable to God, still measured by the perfect and holy law
of God.  Second, it is made clear that no man is going to become
righteous by observing the law.  In other words, no man can become
perfect, the price of getting into heaven, through the law.  This section
is clearly showing that we do disobey God.  It may be in thought, word or
deed, but we do disobey.  Verse 22b repeats that lesson in the words,
"There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God."  We are not, ARE NOT, getting to heaven based on our behavior,
based on whether or not we have obeyed God.  None of us can obey God to
the measure that God demands.
 Finally we learn the purpose of the law in this section.  It said,
"rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."  Here is the law's
purpose, to expose the truth and show the world the reality of life.  It
is not an "I'm okay, you're okay" world.  We have a serious problem in
our world called sin.  Sin hurts and destroys.  Sin is the cause of every
bad and evil thing in this world: adulteries, murders, lies, colds,
cancers, erosion, bad weather, death and everything hurtful or harmful.
What the law does is show us our miserable condition.  What the law does
is show us the truth and reality of life.  Sin is here and sin will sting
you just as its master desires, sting you in order to destroy your
relationship with God or keep you from that relationship in the first
place.  The law was meant to reveal sin and never ever to save from sin.
 Saving from sin is where the gospel comes in.  Listen to the glory of
our verses.  "But now a righteousness from God apart from law, has been
made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who
believe...we...are justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement
through faith in his blood...so as to be just and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus."
 Now, I've got to tell you it is real hard for me to see these words in
any way except as the wonderful proclamation of Jesus as the one who has
taken care of sin.  We no longer translate: "a righteousness of God" but
"a righteousness from God."  This is not describing a God of perfection
who demands the punishment of sin but rather a God of perfection who
gives the sinner the righteousness they need for salvation.  That
righteousness comes to us in Jesus.  He is the atoning sacrifice, the
redemption and the justification that brings righteousness.
 Just look closer at those terms.  Atoning sacrifice is a reference to
the fact that Jesus suffered the pangs of hell for us.  Jesus paid for
our sins just as God's Word had foretold and foreshadowed in the Old
Testament rituals of sacrifice.  The word redemption means that we are
bought back, our ransom has been paid in Jesus.  When sin came into the
world Satan snatched us away by getting Adam and Eve to disobey God.
Jesus paid to get us back is what the word redemption says.  It speaks of
God's action and love.
 Then there is the term "justify" or "justification."  Justify is a word
that means "to be declared innocent of charges."  It is not what we do
but rather the very action of God as He sent his Son Jesus to be our
redeemer.  To highlight this word and its marvel we also find our text
saying this, "He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-he did
it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and
the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
 What I have never understood is how what this text is saying could be
misunderstood in light of these words.  These words directly point to
God's act of judging.  But God didn't just punish away the sinner.  God
has mercy.  The Old Testament people, those before Jesus, were not
punished for their sins.  God's justice showed mercy.  And those after
Jesus are not punished because in Jesus they are declared innocent of all
charges.  These words give an accurate portrayal of what God did.  God
was overlooking sin.  God was declaring people "innocent" or righteous
because of what His Son Jesus would do and eventually did do.  He did
that right from the very beginning.  A mean, vengeful, punishing God?  I
can only see a gracious and loving God.  A gracious God who in light of
His perfect justice that demands payment of sin provided that payment in
Jesus.
 The end result is that we now know that in Jesus we are forgiven.  God
has acted for our good.  God has sent His Son.  God has caused his Gospel
message of grace to be clearly and freely proclaimed.  It is this
wonderful and life changing message that the Reformation is all about.
It is this wonderful and life changing message that this church is all
about.
 May the wonder and joy of Jesus then be yours.  May you be filled with
the Reformation message of the wonder of Jesus who has brought God's
grace and mercy to light.  Righteousness is ours in Jesus.  Amen.