Happy Reformation Day 2017

Happy Reformation Day (500^th Anniversary year)

As others are knocking on doors offering a “trick or treat?” we could remember how the courage and faith of Martin Luther, 500 years ago, caused him to nail his message to a door, changing the world.

I wonder if you knew that the 31^st of October is also, along with ‘Halloween’, Reformation Day.

It was on 31^st October 1517 that Martin Luther wrote his letter of ‘protest’ against the Catholic Church, which has become known as The 95 Theses.

In order to pay for the rebuilding St Peter's in Rome, The Pope used the practice of selling of 'indulgences'. Buying indulgences was about reducing the amount of time that you or one you loved, would spend in Purgatory. 

Indulgence sellers like Johann Tetzel with an entourage would go from place to place preaching and selling certificates of indulgence, even using such advertising jingles such as, 

"As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

Luther objected to such theological error and abuse of spiritual power. 

The Protestant Reformation also reflected the theological journey that Luther had made toward embracing salvation by faith alone.

Martin Luther and righteousness as a gift

We owe a huge debt to Martin Luther for making a stand and helping the church to embrace salvation by grace through faith alone.

After a thunderstorm in 1505 struck the fear of God into him, the young 21-year-old Martin Luther became a monk.

Luther became more and more fearful of God’s holy wrath. He was struck with impending judgement when he read texts like Romans 1:17, ‘For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”’ Luther initially understood these words as meaning that one had to become righteous in order to live the life of faith and thus be acceptable to God.

Luther remarked, "I hated that word, 'the righteousness of God,' by which I had been taught according to the custom and use of all teachers ... [that] God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner."

Things changed whilst teaching on the Psalms and studying Romans during 1513-15:14, "At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I ... began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith… Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open."

On the 31^st October 1517, Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg. The Thesis was copied, translated, and ‘modern’ printing technology spread the message and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

You too can know that you are accepted by God; not by your efforts of righteousness, but by putting your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for your sin, you obtain the gift of His (Jesus perfect) righteousness.

Maybe as others are knocking on doors offering a “trick or treat?” we could remember how the courage and faith of Martin Luther caused him to nail his message to a door. Let’s, like him, in a day of compromise, continue to protest for the truth of the gospel (Sole fide) and the authority of Scripture (sola scriptura).

Follow the link for a more in depth look at the Reformation: 

Overview of the Reformation by Ryan Reeves