Martin Luther: Simul Justus Et Peccator

This past Sunday, our pastor emphasized Martin Luther and the doctrines of the Reformation, as this month marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Often skeptics accuse Luther of Antisemitism and of giving fuel to the Nazi holocaust as they used his words to insight gross inhumanity to the Jews at that time period in history. During the sermon, our pastor didn't gloss over Luther's sin, but he highlighted that this is exactly why Christians (and Luther) needed the doctrine that Luther spent his life teaching and clarifying: Justification by faith alone. Jesus died for Christians too. We are simul justus et peccator. We all stand accused by our adversary, and often by our own consciences.Until we are taken home to glory, we will struggle and fail, being at once justified and sinners. But we have a faithful Savior, who gave us His life and died the death that we deserve.  In Him we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We stand upon the great doctrine of justification with great assurance and full conviction, that Jesus has satisfied for all our sins. One day we will be presented faultless before the throne, not in our righteousness, but in the righteousness of the Lamb, along with Luther and the great cloud of witnesses who were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.