+ Reformation Sunday (observed) – October 26^th, 2025 +

Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

“A Reformation Conversation”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s sermon is something a little different. It’s an imaginary dialogue between God the Father and one of his baptized sinner/saints. Imagine you picked up the phone and are listening in. And keep these words in mind…

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness – Romans 4:5

• For the first time, I think see it. Your Son died for me and my sin. You took my verdict.
• I did.
• So what I can do to show you how grateful I am.
• You’re not ready for that.
• Oh, I am. Just tell me what to do. I feel like a runner on the starting blocks. I’m ready to do something really religious!
• You imagine that I’m impressed by your man-made religious stuff. I’m not. I hate that.
• You hate religion? But you’re God! I thought you liked religion.
• I told you. I hate your made up religions. Those are your ideas. Not mine. You’ve forgotten what St. Anselm said: “You have not yet considered the depth of your sin.”
• But I have. I really have. I know it’s really deep. Teach me sanctification.
• I told you. You’re not ready for that yet. You just imagine you are. You’re arrogant and you don’t know it.
• What do you mean? I am
• You’re not. If you were, you wouldn’t be talking like that.
• Well, what then?
• Just sit there. Sit there for a good long while.
• And do what?
• Consider the shed blood of Jesus. Consider that his blood was enough. Think about the fact that it isn’t your anything that has saved you.
• Can’t I just, as you said, think about my sin and the depth of it?
• That’s a start. But you like doing that. You like it too much.
• That makes no sense. What’re you saying?
• I’m saying that you like atoning for yourself by feeling guilty.
• What else is there?
• There’s Jesus Christ – but you don’t consider him. You’re not used to gifts. You don’t think enough about them. Gifts make you nervous. You don’t know what to do, so you jump around trying to impress me. I’m not impressable.
• I’m confused.
• You are.
• Are you saying that I find a thousand ways to avoid your graciousness to me in the cross of Jesus?
• I am.
• Are you saying that I try to buy your gifts, try to pay for them so I don’t think about them being gifts? Because I’m afraid that if they are gifts, it’s really too good to be true.
• That’s what I’m saying.
• You mean I don’t like letting you freely justify me? I resist what’s really free…justification?
• You like what’s inside of you. And you shouldn’t. You don’t see that it’s your enemy. Remember, I’m not impressed that way. I love you. I’m your Father. I chose to bring you into the world. And that’s no accident.
• So… You adopted me, right?
• That’s right. I adopted you. You delight me. You delight me because of the blood that’s outside you. Because of a verdict based on Me – not on anything inside of you.
• You mean Christ’s righteousness imputed to me?
• Yes, that’s what I mean.
• Well, I’m going to worship you every day.
• I don’t need your daily worship. I don’t need your daily anything. I am not your mother.
• Well, do you want me to remember your greatness? Your glory every day?
• That’s a start. But even pagans recognize my greatness.
• Well, what then?
• Remember the inheritance. Think about my generosity to you in the blood of Jesus.
• But that’s so free. It scares me to think about that.
• I know. That’s why you want to skip ahead to sanctification so quickly. You like thinking about your gratitude. You like thinking about you. Your obedience might impress your mother, but not me. I want you free.
• That sounds like some kind of “free lunch” and there’s no free lunch.
• My Son’s Cross is the only “free lunch” that has ever been.
• Can I tell you something?
• The Lord’s Supper scares me. I go. But it scares me.
• Why do you think that is?
• I wonder if I’m ever really ready to come to it.
• I know.
• Well, why is that?
• I told you why. My gifts make you nervous. You like thinking about you.
• This is driving me crazy!
• No, it’s not. Right now, I’m driving you sane. The sanity is in seeing the free blood of Jesus – on the cross and in the cup. For you. The insanity is your inclining to your own devotion and obedience.
• Why is this so hard to understand?
• Because you’re child of Adam.
• I know. But I’m not stupid. I have degrees! I’m a child of Adam with a master’s degree!
• It’s not a matter of intelligence. It’s a matter of sin.
• So, what’s the answer?
• I’ve been telling you the answer all along. The answer is the gift. Jesus’ blood. The answer you’re looking for is in someone other than yourself. Your self-religiousness is your enemy. You don’t hate it enough. And you should. I do.
• You hate my religiousness? You’re kidding, right?
• The object of your religiousness is you. Not my gifts. Not Jesus’ blood.
• You mean I worship me?
• That’s what I mean. You are your own golden calf. You love thinking about your lack of religiosity and you love thinking how full of it you are. Either way, you’re your own favorite idol.
• Well, maybe I just need more information.
• You don’t need more information. You’re avoiding me and the free blood by trying to use your intellect.
• That’s not true. I just want to play my part.
• You have no part.
• What does that mean? A salvation without me as a part of it?
• That’s the only kind of salvation there.
• Well, I give up. There’s just no cutting a deal with you.
• Now you’re beginning to see. What you just said is true. I cut the deal with Me along time ago.
• But this whole thing sounds so cold.
• It’s as hot as you will ever hear. You just think it’s cold because you can’t impress me. You imagine that if you can’t impress Me, I don’t love you.
• Well that’s how it is with everyone I’ve met.
• I’m not “everyone”.
• This is so good, I feel giddy!
• I’m not impressed by your giddiness. Now you’re using your excitement to avoid Jesus’ blood.
• Well, if you’re not impressed by my thoughts or feelings, what does impress you?
• My Son’s shed blood impresses Me. And his shed blood is yours. Reckoned to you. You drink it every Sunday.
• So, you’re saying that all of this has to do with You and not me?
• I didn’t say that.
• Well, what’re you saying then?
• You are my beloved child. I made you that. I’m your Father. You do everything you can to avoid the fact that I’m your Father.
• I don’t want to avoid it.
• Yes, you do. And I know that.
• Oh, Father. I’m sorry.
• You are. And I gave that to you too.
• You gave me, “I’m sorry.”
• Is there anything good or true that I don’t get from your generosity?
• But why?
• Remember the blood. The gift. The free inheritance. You need to think more often about the forgiveness of sins.
• I do think about that.
• Yes, but only in a particular way. You wallow in the sin. You imagine forgiveness is based on you somehow. It isn’t. It’s based on Me and on the blood. Your obedience and devotion stink.
• But not everyone in my church does what I do for You.
• You’re still trying to impress me with your devotion. I’m not impressed by that. It’s another way of avoiding the blood and the gift. You just want to talk about you
• But I thought the church was your creation. What is it then?
• It’s the place where the same thing I’m telling you is delivered to you. My Word. My Sacraments. The blood. The gifts.
• But you’re saying it isn’t?
• Not always. And you chose that church because you “liked it.”
• Yes, but how else do you choose a church?
• On the basis of a real Baptism, the imputed righteousness, the Father’s voice in his Word of Law and Gospel, and the blood of Jesus in the Supper.
• So, you mean that my being your child, inheriting the kingdom, being reconciled to You and made Your friend instead of Your enemy, and all the rest has nothing to do with me?
• What do you mean, “almost?”
• Except for your sin. It was your sin I had to deal with. That had everything to do with you. It required blood and death. And your blood and death wasn’t enough. Only the blood of Jesus and his death can and did deal with your sin, and forgive you.
• So you mean I had no part?
• Your sin was your part.
• But my faith, my devotion, my Christian life are not?
• All of those stink too.
• Well, what was redeemable in all of it?
• You are.
• But not on the basis of anything about me?
• Why did you do it then?
• Because I loved you before you were.
• But you’ve said there was nothing in me that was attractive, right?
• Well, why then?
• I told you. I loved you before you even were. Before the foundation of the world. And it cost Me My Son to do it.
• I can’t take any more of this. But when I recover, can we talk again?
• Will you still be like you’ve been just now?
• I do not change. I was the Father from all eternity. I am the Father now. And I will be the Father tomorrow. The Good Father. Unchanging.
• Can I count on it?
• And remember, in the specifics, you can count on the shed blood of Jesus.
• Thanks.
• You’re welcome, child.

A blessed Reformation Sunday to each of you…

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A special note of thanks to Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, a dear father in the faith, professor, and friend, from whom this idea originally came and was only slightly modified here. Until we see one another in the resurrection.