Greetings from Faith Lutheran Church in Eldorado.
Martin Luther and other reformers had a strong theology of the word. When talking of the benefits of the righteousness of Christ, the word of God was never optional. Luther distinguished between Christ obtaining salvation for us 2,000 years ago and Christ delivering salvation to us now. The word must impart the forgiveness of sins that has been purchased on the cross. This, however, was not the view held by the medieval church or radical movements during the time of Luther.
The medieval thinking, that Luther grew up with, saw the hierarchy of the church as laying claim to special revelation, not the word for assurance. The radical movement of his day claimed that man must look for an inner voice to speak of Christ to them. Luther saw Adam and Eve with the same problem trusting something apart from the word. Only the word can provide the solid ground needed to assure a person of forgiveness.
The word is not just information about the past -- ancient history. If it was so, then faith would be reduced to a form of intellectual activity. Having a historical knowledge of Jesus is not faith. The message of Jesus is not gospel for the person until it grasps the sinner with the promise that Christ lived, died and rose for you, for me and for us. This promise is not an announcement of what will be fulfilled only in the future; it is a creative word that takes immediate and present effect.
God's word makes things happen, such as, it brought forth the world. It is not lifeless, but living. Some have accused Luther of preaching that God only declares a person righteous, but with no real change in the person. For Luther, God's word that declares one righteous also makes us righteous. It is not a "legal fiction." The word brings about a new reality, a new relationship between the creator and His creation -- man. Just as God's word defined reality in creation, so it defines reality in the re-creation.
This understanding of the word, as living and active, brought Luther to a different view of the sacraments. In his day, they were understood in a "platonic" framework. That is, they were signs of a reality, but in another dimension. Luther believed that God's word, in its sacramental form, brought Christ's benefits into the world.
In baptism, the promise of the word is put on us. It is real and active and life-changing, for it is God's action of His creative word. We put on Christ in baptism.
Luther drew on Romans 10, that the word of promise must be proclaimed. God calls His people to take His word of promise to others. Even though proclaimed by frail humans, it is still God's word with all of the power to re-create fallen humanity as it bestows the righteousness of Christ.
