sermon illustration

Luther's Tower Discovery - Lutheran (John 3:16)

Source: Historical anecdote103 words

Martin Luther spent years terrified of God. He fasted, confessed for hours, punished his body—trying to earn divine favor. Nothing worked; he only felt more condemned. Then, studying Romans in the tower of the Wittenberg monastery, it struck him: righteousness is GIVEN, not achieved. "The just shall live by faith." He later wrote: "I felt myself reborn and to have entered paradise." John 3:16 was suddenly clear: God GAVE His Son. Salvation is gift, not wage. The gospel isn't "do more, try harder." It's "receive what God has done." Luther's terror became joy. Have you stopped trying to earn what God freely gives?

Scripture References

John 3:16Romans 1:17

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