I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against

conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can

do no other, so help me God. Amen.
Martin Luther
With the above words Martin Luther stood his ground. These same words still echo throughout the Protestant
church and remind us of Martins bold faith, his convictions and beliefs, and how the Gospel can truly shape the
life of a would be disciple. Faith was more than a passive experience for Martin Lutherfor to be passive meant
ignoring the stench of false doctrine and teaching in his day. Have we come to a point in the life of the church
that the reformation no longer has prominence or voice?
The new false teachings of this age can smell differently, appear harmless, yet beloved it is just as tantalizing and
dangerous as it was in Luthers day. As Lutheran Christians we stand and confess that we believe in a God that
comes to us in Word and Sacrament. Through the Word we hear both Law and Gospelsomething that must be
reflected in the preaching of our pastors and evident in our daily lives of dying to sin and rising to new life in Je-
sus. We cannot be passive in our faith for to be passive means that we easily become lulled into accepting the ris-
ing trends society may offer.
Primary to understanding who we are is to define terms which have painted the scene of who we are since the
dawning of the Reformation. We know that the Law is Gods great guidance offered in the commandments.
When we here you should not it is the Law speaking. The Gospel speaks for us when we stand condemned for
that which we have done or left undone. It is the voice of Jesus declaring that truly we will be with Him in para-
dise despite the greatness of our sins. We stand forgiven because of Christs merits on the cross.
CFW Walther, Pastor and first president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod offered these words in a ser-
mon:
The hearing, reading and studying of God's word is indispensable to awaken, become converted and become a
Christian. But it is just as necessary to remain a Christian as it is to be converted. Once a man is awakened from
his spiritual sleep and death, he is in great danger of sinking back into it again. God's word must awaken him time
and again and keep him awake. If someone has come to the knowledge of his sin and the danger of his soul, he is
in great danger of becoming blind again. God's word must therefore constantly remind him of his sins and the
danger to his soul. If someone experiences the comfort of the forgiveness of his sins, he is in constant danger of
losing this comfort. God's word must therefore constantly fill him over and over again with divine comfort. If
someone is on the right way of faith and sanctification, he is in great danger of going astray. God's word must
constantly guide him on the right road and bring him back again when he strays in weakness. (5th Sunday after
Easter, 1849)
Beloved may our church, the North American Lutheran Church, be ever in the status of reformation. God pro-
tect us from being passive in our faith and lax in our response to the cries of those hunger and thirsty for the hope
of the Gospel. God bless you in this season of Reformation. Rev. Kris L. Snyder