“God’s Gifts and How to Use Them, Part 1: The Present Gift of Eternal Life” by the Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig, October 27, 2024, Year B / Pentecost 23 (Proper 25) / Reformation Sunday -  Romans 1:7-17 & 2 Timothy 3:14–17

THEME: The gift of salvation is by God’s grace through faith alone, and it is bigger and more powerful than we think it is.

When you think of a Barbarian, who comes to mind? Maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian? Maybe the Wildlings in Game of Thrones?  For Paul, 2,000 years ago, Barbarians were people who did not speak pure Greek or follow Greek customs. That included those who lived on the outskirts of the Roman Empire who spoke Greek with a peculiar dialect. It also included all those gothic tribes who settled just across the border of the Empire. Their native language was indecipherable to sophisticated Greek ears. To them, it sounded like “bar, bar, bar,” which is where we get the word Barbarian.

‘Barbarian’ was a label, a way of clumping together people who were looked down on as primitive and uncultured at best, and savage and warlike at worst. And yet, Paul makes the remarkable claim that God’s salvation is for them, too. Yes, even the Barbarians. That much alone is astounding. But can you just imagine how that would have gone over for Christians living in Rome, the capital of the Empire and the metropolitan center of Roman civilization? What makes this even more remarkable is that Paul is writing to ask for their help. He has never visited them, and he does not know them, but he needs them. He hopes to get their support to carry the gospel message to the Gentiles in Spain.

But trouble is brewing in Rome. The 5 house churches there are in conflict. They were originally composed of both Jews and Gentiles. But then Emperor Claudius expelled the Jewish Christians from Rome. At the time Paul writes, Claudius has died.  Jews are returning to Rome. This is causing conflict. The Jewish Christians insist on worshiping on Saturday and refraining from meat and wine. Gentile Christians, on the other hand, think the right day to worship is Sunday, the day Christ was raised. They see no problem in eating and drinking whatever they please. The two groups have come to despise each other. So, Paul has to weigh in. He tells them that the Gospel changes our relationships to one another. No matter what their ethnic, cultural, or religious background, Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s gift of salvation calls all Christians to a new life of mutual acceptance, not judgmentalism. So, eat any food you like, he says, so long as you live with faith, hope and love. Because the gospel overcomes all divisions.

That is what Paul means when he writes that the gospel is the “power of God to salvation for all who have faith.” God’s power is resurrection power.  It enables Christians to live new lives together by the power of the Holy Spirit. In short, Paul is reminding the Roman Christians that salvation is bigger and more powerful than we think. It is available for everyone - not only for Jews, but Gentiles, too. And, yes, even for Barbarians. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. Nor should the Roman Christians be. But are they proud that the promise of new life in Jesus Christ extends to Gentiles and Barbarians, too? Do they actually believe that? Or do some people need to be excluded from salvation in order for them to feel good about their own?  WE are saved, but not THEM.

Their behavior reminds me of the old joke about two Puritans walking down the path to church, bemoaning the faithlessness and chaos of the world. One says to the other, “My friend, all the world is crazy and lost except thee and me. And sometimes I wonder about thee.” That is what is going on in Rome. So, Paul has to remind them that no one is entitled to salvation. No one has ever, or will ever, earn  it. Salvation is only available by God’s grace, through faith.  It is a free gift. We only have to accept it.

That was the revelation that Martin Luther made 500 years ago that led to the Protestant Reformation. For years as a young monk, Martin tried his level best to live a life without sin. Every day, he reviewed the ten commandments, the seven deadly sins, and the Sermon on the Mount.  He vowed he would keep them all.  Time and time again, he found that he had violated them, even the first commandment one about having no other gods. On bad days, Martin would spend up to 6 hours confessing his sins. His dreams, waking and sleeping, were haunted by the judgment scenes in Revelation.  He was convinced that God was angry with him and would punish him for eternity.

But Martin was also a New Testament scholar. His specialty was Romans. One day, he reread the verse we just read, and a light bulb went off. The just shall live by faith. It dawned on Martin that salvation is possible only because God has been faithful. The question is will we respond by being faithful to God, trusting his promise of good news? That is the crux of faith.  Our faith is the only thing that makes us right in God’s eyes. God cares not a whit about our religiosity, our history, or our ethnicity.  Nor does God care how hard we try to be holy and righteous. For all of us, the path to salvation is trusting in God’s righteousness, the gospel promise of new life in Jesus Christ.

But wait a minute. Does it not matter, then, what we do? Far from it! Faith and works are not separate. On the contrary, works of obedience flow from faith. Faith is never passive. It is always active in works of love and justice that create hope, that build up one another’s faith, that strengthen the community of the faithful, and serve the needs of our neighbors. That is the power of the Gospel. And it is greater than we think it is. Paul calls that the shape of the new, Spirit-powered life. You and I see it, too. We see it in the mutual acceptance and forbearance of others, especially those who are different. We see it in the harmony and unity of Christian community. We see it in selfless acts of self-giving, serving our neighbors.

That is the power of salvation. Paul is reminding the Romans - and us - that salvation is even more powerful than that. Martin Luther came to understand that, too. Martin was famous – or infamous, depending on whom you ask – because he challenged the prevailing notion that only clerical folks who wear collars like me have holy vocations. Martin rejected that. He said we all have holy vocations. He said, “A cobbler, a smith, a peasant—each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops.  Further, everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office. In this way, many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another.”

What he meant was that our salvation leads all of us to do works of love and justice in all areas of our lives – at home and work, in private and public, in personal and professional life. God is sovereign over all of life. You and I are his instruments. There is no part of our human existence that remains untouched by the power of salvation. That is how God changes the world through our faithfulness. Paul and Martin Luther want us to understand that salvation is bigger, more inclusive, and more powerful than we think.   

But, friends, you and I have some confessing to do. Throughout our history, we Protestants have attempted to place limits on who is saved and who is not. We have allowed ourselves to be divided time and time again over questions of doctrine and practice. We have developed the bad habit of pointing fingers not only at our Roman Catholic friends, but also at our fellow Reformed brothers and sisters.  We have elected ourselves judge over others, when scripture is clear that only God judges. Like the Roman Christians, we have chosen self-righteousness over forbearance. We have chosen condemnation over harmony, and we have chosen schism over unity. More often than not, it is over issues that are not even central to our faith.

Like the Romans, we need to be reminded that salvation comes through God’s grace alone. And it bigger and more powerful than we know. In other words, we need to be not only Reformed, but always reforming. The Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith, is cause for great joy and great justice, for great gratitude and great generosity. Let’s keep that in mind, as we begin this Season of Commitment. To appreciate God’s gift of eternal life, ask yourself a question. Do you speak Greek? Neither do I. Which means we are all Barbarians, friends. The good news is that salvation includes us all, just the same. 

Let’s live into that Gospel-powered life.

May it be so.