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Martin Luther
J.I. Packer on Understanding the principles that shaped Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Originally preached Dec. 26, 1965
Sermon Description
In this Westminster Puritan Conference address, Dr. J.I. Packer examines the theological mind of Martin Luther and his distinctive approach to church reformation. Rather than focusing on institutional changes, Luther understood reformation as fundamentally a work of God through His Word—a principle that distinguished him from other reformers and shaped the course of Protestant Christianity. Dr. Packer explores Luther's central theological themes: the authority of Scripture, the greatness of sin, the graciousness of Christ, the vitality of faith, and the spiritual nature of the church. The address demonstrates how Luther's evangelical conversion around 1513 transformed him into what contemporaries called "the Elijah of the last time"—a man who recovered the Gospel for Western Europe not through human scheming but by releasing the power of God's Word.
Dr. Packer carefully distinguishes Luther's enduring contributions from his limitations, showing why Luther remains essential reading for those seeking to understand biblical reformation. This message challenges modern Christians to embrace Luther's conviction that reformation must be a work of God through His Word, accomplished not by violence or human wisdom, but through patient dependence on the Spirit-empowered proclamation of Gospel truth.
Sermon Breakdown
- Dr. Packer opens by acknowledging the immense contribution of Martin Luther to the Protestant Reformation, noting how this German monk became a figure of "absorbing interest" whose theological ideas, rather than his practical reforms, have inspired Christians for centuries. The address presents Luther not merely as the father of German reformation, but as the pioneer whose recovery of the Gospel made possible the subsequent work of Calvin, Tyndale, Cranmer, and other reformers throughout Europe.
- Luther's natural brilliance and magnetic personality marked him out even before his evangelical conversion, progressing rapidly through university and becoming Professor of Biblical Exegesis at Wittenberg by age 29, demonstrating that reformation would require both divine grace and exceptional human gifts
- The tower experience around 1513 transformed Luther's understanding when he discovered that "the righteousness of God" in Scripture speaks not of divine judgment but of divine grace—a revelation that brought him from darkness into the light of assurance and made him an "evangelical volcano"
- Luther's theology consistently maintained three characteristics: it was thoroughly exegetical (exposition of Scripture), consciously evangelical (centered on God's grace in Christ), and instinctively polemical (in conflict with worldly and churchly ideas that opposed the Gospel)
- Five central themes dominated Luther's teaching: the authority of biblical Word over tradition and papal authority; the greatness of sin against scholastic notions of human ability; the graciousness of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement; the vitality of faith as trust rather than mere credence; and the spiritual nature of the church as a fellowship of believers rather than an institutional hierarchy
- Luther's doctrine of Scripture emphasized not merely its inspiration but its clarity—the Holy Spirit himself illuminates believers to understand the "literal, ordinary, natural sense" of the text, making theological understanding dependent on humble prayer rather than academic brilliance
- On the atonement, Luther became the first to fully clarify the concept of penal substitutionary satisfaction, powerfully expressing how Christ was "wrapped in our sins" and bore the penalty that sinners deserved, thus demonstrating God's love and providing hope for the hopeless
- Luther's view of reformation was essentially theological rather than institutional—he understood it as God's work of restoring church life through His Word, repeatedly insisting "the Word must do it" and seeing himself merely as one who "let the Word loose"
- The practical reformation in German states produced churches managed by princes with superintendents overseeing congregations, though Luther acknowledged this mixed civil and ecclesiastical authority in ways that contradicted his earlier distinction between the two kingdoms
- Despite shortcomings in church order, Luther established vital principles: reformation must address contradictions to the Gospel; it serves pastoral purposes of building up God's people; the Word must always have primacy; piecemeal improvement is better than none; and violence must never be used to remove even grievous ecclesiastical abuses
- Dr. Packer concludes that Luther's permanent legacy lies not in the "ramshackle reformations" of German states but in his theological clarity on Gospel essentials—teachings on Scripture, sin, Christ, faith, and the church that continue to guide biblical reformation today
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers
Who was Martin Luther and why does he matter for Christians today?
Martin Luther was a 16th-century German monk and theological professor who became the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. His significance lies not primarily in the institutional changes he advised, but in his recovery of the Gospel of grace through his teaching on justification by faith alone. Luther matters today because his theological clarity on the authority of Scripture, the greatness of sin, the work of Christ, and the nature of saving faith continues to shape evangelical Christianity. As Dr. Packer notes, when "the final chapter of church history is written," Luther will stand as one of the greatest preachers of all time—not for organizational genius, but for releasing the power of God's Word to transform lives and churches.
What was Luther's "tower experience" and how did it change him?
Around 1513, while preparing lectures on the Psalms in his tower room at Wittenberg, Luther had a breakthrough in understanding that transformed his life and theology. Meditating on phrases about "the righteousness of God," he suddenly realized this term didn't primarily speak of divine judgment but of divine grace—God's activity in setting sinners right with Himself. This discovery answered his agonizing quest for a gracious God and brought him "into a new world" with the assurance of salvation. From that moment, Luther became what Dr. Packer calls an "evangelical volcano," applying his tremendous intellectual gifts to serving the Gospel and launching a challenge to scholastic theology that would reshape Western Christianity.
What were Luther's main theological contributions?
Dr. Packer identifies five central themes in Luther's theology. First, the authority of the biblical Word of God over church tradition, papal authority, and human interpretations—Scripture is inspired, clear, and self-interpreting when illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Second, the greatness of sin, which Luther emphasized against scholastic ideas of natural human ability, showing that even Christians' best works contain sin. Third, the graciousness of Christ, particularly Luther's groundbreaking clarification that Christ's atonement was penal and substitutionary—He bore the punishment sinners deserved. Fourth, the vitality of faith as living trust that receives Christ, not mere intellectual assent or meritorious work. Fifth, the spiritual nature of the church as essentially an invisible fellowship of believers known to God, not primarily an earthly institution.
What did Luther mean by "the Word must do it"?
Luther repeatedly insisted that reformation is fundamentally God's work through His Word, not human achievement through clever planning or force. By "Word," Luther meant the whole evangelical message concerning Jesus Christ as embodied in Scripture—not merely the text's inspiration, but its content as divine grace concerning the Saviour. He believed that releasing this Word through faithful preaching and teaching would accomplish what no human effort could achieve. Dr. Packer notes that when asked about reformation, Luther would say, "All that I did was to let the word loose. The word did it all." This conviction kept Luther from using violence to remove church abuses and made him emphasize patient dependence on God's Spirit working through Gospel proclamation to transform hearts and churches.
What principles from Luther's approach to reformation remain valuable today?
Dr. Packer identifies several enduring principles despite Luther's practical shortcomings. First, reformation is necessary where church life contradicts the Gospel—Christians cannot escape this obligation. Second, reformation must be carried through pastorally, aiming to realize a church of God's people alive in their knowledge of God, in fellowship with each other, growing in holiness and faithful testimony. Third, the Word must always have primacy—institutions without Spirit-empowered Word are barren, so spreading Gospel truth through preaching, teaching, and education must be central. Fourth, piecemeal improvement is better than none, as congregations cannot bear sudden dramatic changes but must be led slowly from darkness to light. Fifth, violence must never be used to remove even grievous church abuses—instead, Christians must pray, wait on God, and trust the Word to do its work as He moves authorities to action.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust's collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.