Reformation Sunday
REFORMATION DAY SERMON-Ponge Lutheran
25th October 2026
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
Texts:
John 8:31–36
Romans 3:19–28
Revelation 14:6–7
Psalms 46
Greetings and doxology
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, from Jesus
Christ, from Jesus Christ who loves us, and has freed us from our sins by his precious
blood and has made us heirs together with him in his kingdom -to him be glory and
power forever and ever. Amen
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, we celebrate Reformation Day. We remember how God used Martin Luther to
bring the church back to the truth of the gospel: we are saved by God's grace through
faith in Jesus Christ, not by our own good works.
Our message today is divided into three very important parts: Jesus Christ sets us free,
the righteous shall live by faith, and an everlasting gospel which must be preached.
1. Jesus Christ Sets Us Free
In John 8:31–36, Jesus says:
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Jesus spoke these words to the Jews who thought they were already free. They had many
entitlements which they clinged to: they were descendants of Abraham, and they believed
their religious identity made them right with God unlike others.
But Jesus was speaking about a deeper slavery: slavery to sin.
Brothers and sisters, we need to make a clear distinction when it comes to matters of
faith; we may be free in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities, but still be
prisoners of sin. We may be troubled by guilt, fear, hatred, greed, and the fear of death.
We may think that attending church, doing good works, or living a good life is enough to
make us right with God. But our good works cannot remove our sins.
Only Jesus can set us free.
This was also Martin Luther's struggle. He was a monk who prayed, fasted, confessed his
sins, and tried hard to please God. Yet he still feared God's judgment. He wondered how
a sinful person like himself could stand before a holy God.
The answer came when he understood the gospel: our hope is not in how good we are,
but in how good and gracious God is to us through Jesus Christ.
Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us forgiveness and new life.
That is the freedom of the Reformation. We do not work to earn God's love. We obey
Him because He has first loved us.
2. The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
Our second text is Romans 3:28. Paul says:
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
To be justified means to be declared righteous before God.
We cannot earn this by keeping the law perfectly, because we are all sinners. The law
shows us our sin, but it cannot save us from sin.
God saves us through Jesus Christ. We receive His gift through faith.
But where did Luther find this truth so clearly?
He was studying Paul's letter to the Romans when he came to Romans 1:17:
“The just shall live by faith.”
These words come from the prophet Habakkuk.
Habakkuk lived in a time of great injustice. He saw wicked people oppressing others,
while innocent people suffered. He wondered why God did not punish the wicked
immediately.
He cried out to God, asking why evil continued and why God seemed silent.
Do we not ask the same questions today?
Why do dishonest people sometimes prosper? Why do corrupt people seem to succeed?
Why do innocent people suffer while those who do wrong appear to enjoy life?
Habakkuk learned that God's justice does not always come at the time we expect. God
called him to trust His promises:
“The just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)
This means that we must trust God even when we do not understand what He is doing.
God does not promise that every faithful person will become rich or that every wicked
person will be punished immediately. But He promises that evil will not have the final
victory. God will judge the world, and His purposes will stand.
Faith looks beyond what we see today. It trusts God's promises and looks forward to His
final victory.
For Luther, Romans 1:17 became a turning
For Luther, Romans 1:17 became a turning point. He came to understand that God's
righteousness is not only the standard by which sinners are judged; through the gospel,
God gives righteousness to those who trust in Christ.
Luther realized that he could not save himself. He needed the righteousness of Jesus.
This understanding helped bring about the Reformation.
Brothers and sisters, this is still our message today. We are not saved because we are
better than other people. We are saved because Jesus Christ has done for us what we
could never do for ourselves.
Good works are important, but they do not buy our salvation. We do good works because
we have received God's grace.
We are saved by grace, through faith, because of Jesus Christ.
3. The Everlasting Gospel Must Be Proclaimed
Our third text is Revelation 14:6–7.
John sees an angel proclaiming the everlasting gospel to every nation, tribe, language,
and people.
The message says:
“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.”
Here we see two important truths: God's judgment is coming, and His gospel must be
proclaimed to the world.
Habakkuk wondered when God would judge evil. Revelation reminds us that God's
judgment will come at His appointed time.
Therefore, we must not lose hope when we see wickedness around us. Neither should we
join in the wickedness of the world. We must remain faithful to God, trusting His
promises.
The everlasting gospel also reminds us that salvation belongs to God. We cannot boast in
our goodness, our church membership, or our religious achievements. All glory belongs
to God, who saves us through Jesus Christ.
This is why the Reformation still matters today. We must continue to teach the truth of
God's Word and point people to Jesus as the only Saviour.
Our calling is not simply to remember what Martin Luther did hundreds of years ago. Our
calling is to live by the gospel every day, to stand for the truth, to love our neighbours,
and to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: Free in Christ, Living by Faith
Dear brothers and sisters, let us remember three things today.
First, Jesus Christ sets us free from the slavery and condemnation of sin.
Second, we are justified by faith, not by our own good works.
Third, we must trust God's promises, even when the world seems unfair, and proclaim
His everlasting gospel.
Like Habakkuk, we may sometimes wonder why God allows the wicked to prosper. Like
Luther, we may struggle with guilt and fear. But the answer is the same: trust in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
We may not understand everything happening in this world. We may not see justice come
as quickly as we desire. But we know that Christ has died for our sins, risen from the
dead, and promised eternal life to those who belong to Him.
Let us therefore stand firm in God's Word. Let us not trust in our own righteousness, but
in the righteousness of Christ.
And let us remember the words that helped Luther rediscover the heart of the gospel:
“The just shall live by faith.”
May God keep us faithful until the day when sin, suffering, and injustice will be no more,
and we shall enjoy the fullness of His salvation forever.
For Jesus Himself has promised:
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Amen.