Presentation Of The Augsburg Confession
Beloved. This year is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 500 years ago on 31 October 1517, Luther unwittingly began the Reformation as he nailed the 95 Theses to the church door. The Reformation was not just the 95 Theses but, by God’s grace, it continued and there were other important events along the way. There was the assembly at the city of Worms in 1521 where Luther, as a lowly monk and university professor, was called to retract his teaching. But in the face of extraordinary pressure he was immovable: “Here I stand. I can do none other.” Nine years later, the Gospel, brought by the Reformation, had taken hold. Much of the bible had been translated into German; new hymns and catechisms had been written. By 1530 many people had held firmly to the Gospel. This not only attracted the attention of the Roman Church but also of Charles V, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, which contained most of central Europe. At that time, Europe was threatened by the Moslem Turks and Charles was hoping to forge a united front to stop the military advances of the Moslem Turk. Since religious differences arose because some princes and leaders had embraced Lutheran teaching, Charles was hoping that by calling an assembly of princes and representatives from the whole empire in the city of Augsburg, the religious differences would be worked out and unity would be restored.
The Lutherans were required to give a statement of what they believed—a confession of faith, at this assembly in Augsburg—therefore the name “The Augsburg Confession.” This is what makes the Augsburg Confession so significant: it is the first statement of what it means to believe as a Lutheran.
For safety reasons, Luther was unable to attend. But he was in communication with the author of the Augsburg Confession, his fellow professor, named Philip Melanchton and Luther was fully agreed with the doctrine confessed. At 3PM on 25 June 1530, the Augsburg Confession was read aloud in German. Central to the Augsburg Confession are the two chief pillars of Lutheranism—the Scriptures, as the Word of God, are the source of all doctrine in the Church; and, second, the main message of the Bible is that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. The Augsburg Confession is made up of 28 articles. The first 21 articles deal with doctrinal matters and present what we as Lutherans teach, believe and confess. They included things like: the holy Trinity, original sin, that Jesus is both true God and true man, justification, the Church, the Sacraments, faith and works, Jesus’ return, etc. Articles 22-28 deal with abuses that had crept into the Church which the Lutherans corrected. Our Lutheran fathers made it clear in the Augsburg Confession that what we teach is nothing new; instead, it is the same the ancient church had taught and that our doctrine is truly catholic, i.e. universal. Not only does the Augsburg Confession state the truth that we believe, but it also states the false teaching that we reject.
The assembly at Augsburg on 25 June 1530 before empire and church gave a forum for public confession of the faith. What is vital to remember is that this was not some squabble between theologians and fine points of theology; this was not some monk being called upon to renounce some teaching; instead, we do well to remember that not only was Philip Melanchton, the author of the Augsburg Confession a layman, but in Augsburg it was laymen—the German princes—who risked everything—life and land—to defend the faith. The point? All Christians are called upon to confess their faith—be it in a formal setting like the princes in Augsburg, or informally as we tell others the Good News about Jesus. We commemorate the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession because the true faith still needs to be confessed: the Word of God and its faithful interpretation are under attack on every side, our society around us tries to tell us that truth changes and is relative. In the face of all this, in an age and culture that is becoming increasingly hostile to Christ, His Church, His word, we can be strengthened from the example of the faithful confessors at Augsburg. They were willing to risk everything rather than deny the truth.
Confessing the faith is an absolute necessity. Luther makes the comment: “…if the truth were with us, if it becomes a private and personal matter, it is no longer truth, which is, wants to be, and should be altogether common to all” [XI, 431]. That’s exactly the condition we find ourselves in today. People/ government will not gripe too much as long as you keep your faith and religion within the four walls of your church that hour a week. That’s what many define as “freedom of religion” but you dare not live out that faith in your daily life; you are not to let that faith form your conscience, who you are day in/ day out and affect how you live your life. But truth is truth and must be believed and lived. If we don’t live it—we obviously do not think it is true. Truth has to be told and lived. It is, wants to be, and should be altogether common to all”. That’s why we remember the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession—so that we find encouragement to confess the truth and to give God thanks that He preserved the truth down to us and called us.
As we consider confession of faith, we do well to think of Psalm 119, the longest psalm. In it we have verses that take on meaning in light of the events in Augsburg in 1530: I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame and Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.
Confession—like our fathers did in Augsburg—must have a foundation, and that foundation is faith worked by the Holy Spirit. Our psalm: I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame! Notice that beautiful word, cling. That is faith. Clinging to the Lord’s testimonies—the truth that He has revealed to us in Holy Scripture—means to hold on to them with our whole heart, with a fervent love and longing. We would only cling to them/ hold fervently to them if we believe them to be true and reliable. Faith holds to the testimonies/ revealed word of the Lord as truth even when it looks like the opposite. When we feel nothing but our sin, faith clings to the word of forgiveness in Christ; when it looks like God has turned His back on us or has even become our enemy, faith clings to the word that nothing separates us from His love for us in Christ Jesus; when we see nothing but bread and wine, faith clings to the words: This is My body…This is My blood…given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. The very fact that we cling to your testimonies means that the Lord, in grace, by His Holy Spirit, has given us the gift of faith that understands and believes His word. It is precisely this Spirit worked faith that is the foundation of and leads us boldly to confess it before all.
The faithful confessor’s desire and prayer is to remain in the simplicity of true faith and obedience so nothing can remove him/her from it. That love of truth/ the Lord’s word and will cannot leave him/her unaffected; truth cannot be a matter of indifference. Psalm 119: I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. The love of the Lord’s word, His teaching, instruction awakens a righteous anger and abhorrence to everything that is contrary to it. Truth/ the Lord’s word must be confessed and error must be refuted—that’s confession. Faith is its foundation.
There is in the heart of the faithful confessor the greatest pleasure and delight in studying the Lord’s word more and more, in getting to know the Lord better, in wanting to do His will. That’s the daily expression of confession—living our lives according to our Lord’s will, striving to do His holy Ten Commandments. Our psalm: For I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. To do the Lord’s will, to delight in, to want to do the Lord’s will, that is faith, the foundation of confession. Why? Because we love the Lord’s commandments—He gave them to us—and we love Him and everything about Him. And why do we love the Lord and everything about Him? –Because by faith we know Him rightly as our dear, loving God and Savior. We don’t turn away from Him and hate His commandments. Instead, by faith we know Jesus came and kept perfectly for us all God’s commandments—they can’t condemn us—and the more we delight in/ study the commandments, the more we see what Jesus did for us and the more we appreciate His work and love Him. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in us who leads and strengthens us to do them. Where there’s the Holy Spirit, there’s faith; where there is faith, there is confession of that faith.
The foundation of confession is faith. The Holy Spirit works and preserves that faith in us. How does He do it? He works through the word and sacraments to create and strengthen us in the faith. He does all the creating and preserving, but there is work for us to do here. We dare never think that once we’re Christians we’re set and that’s it/ that now we can take it easy. Instead what do we read in our psalm? I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways; and Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Notice the word meditate? Daily be engaged in the word of God. Ponder the word of God. Mull over in your heart that in the Sacrament you are receiving Jesus. Carry God’s word in your heart and lips. Think about God’s word and penetrate more deeply its divine meaning. Think deeply and explore the word because there’s always something left to understand. At the very least, use the few seconds we give you after the sermon to begin to let the word you heard penetrate your heart so it’s not like water off a duck’s back. And keep coming back to it throughout the day and week. The wonderful thing when we ponder the word is that the Holy Spirit is at work in the word strengthening faith, deepening it, making connections for us in the various points of doctrine and faith. And when we meditate on the word, it won’t be so elusive or hidden when we need it to defend or confess the faith. Remember: confession is faith living itself out in our lives. And as we do live lives of confession, we should expect opposition. Again our psalm: Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes, and The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. There will be ridicule, slander, persecution as we live lives of faith and confession. Just because you are a Christian and strive to do the Lord’s will, don’t expect an easy time of it; expect the opposite: plotting against me and the insolent utterly deride me. But precisely because of the opposition to your living a life confessing your faith, you can be richly blessed. How? Listen to the psalmist who is plotted against and derided: your servant will meditate on your statutes and I do not turn away from your law. We are blessed richly as we keep going back to God’s word, where His Spirit and strength are. God’s word—not the ideas of people/ ways of the world—becomes our counselor and instruct us. Mockery causes us to cling more closely to the word, to go to the word, to ponder the Lord’s word and work and to draw comfort from them. Here is our strength for and comfort in confession. For the glorious thing is that God protects and greatly comfort us by His word. Our text: You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. In the midst of life’s battles—especially as we are confessing the faith in word and deed—God’s word assures and gives us God’s grace and so it is our joy and peace. It upholds us by God’s strength. Our text: Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. Our lives of confessing our faith, though difficult and trying, are lives of great joy in the Lord. Through His word and sacrament the Lord revives our hearts which are anxious, fearful, burdened and fills them with the comfort of His word of grace.
We have the truth. We are called upon to confess the truth. And the Lord will be with us, bless us and strengthen us in it. For this He has given us His holy word and sacrament. INJ Amen.