500 years ago, October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five
Theses to the Castle Church Door in Wittenberg. This was one of the most pivotal events in Western history. Luther could not stand by any longer while the church (of which he was a part) was mired and bogged down with corruption and deception. His protest was against indulgences that were granted by the church to lessen the punishment due from God, either to themselves or their loved ones in purgatory. In the decades leading up to Luther's protest, indulgences had become increasingly commercialized and corrupt. Luther argued that indulgences were against biblical teaching and it was the Bible, not the Pope or the Church, which had final authority. In time, he translated the Bible into his native German, making it accessible to the mass of ordinary people. Previously the Bible was seldom read or understood beyond a few elite priests.
The reformation had massive effects on the church and brought about a revival of genuine Christianity that has been surging forward for 500 years. Here are some of the wonderful effects we are living in today because of the reformation:
1. A call to reform the church around scripture. The church must continually call itself back to the Word of God as it's standard of truth and righteousness. Sola Scriptura!
2. A call to come to God by faith alone through grace alone. Man's religion continually attempts to put works in place of Jesus righteousness as our way to God. Human effort counts for nothing when it comes to being made right with God. It is only by faith in Jesus that we can be made right with God. Because of this man cannot glory in his own salvation. There is no place for human pride in the gospel. God alone gets the glory, God alone is the Saviour. Sola Fide! Sola Gratia! Sola Deo Gloria!
3. A call for the church to put it's focus back on Jesus and away from human hierarchy and pomp. Jesus is the head of the church, not the pope or anyone else. What we need is simply Jesus, He Himself is the gospel and when we know Him we know life and joy and peace. The church must be ever guarding against distractions from the primacy and presence of Jesus. Sola Christus!
At it's core, the reformation was not really anything new, it was a recovery of something old and true. It was the recovery of the gospel, the good news of salvation as proclaimed by Jesus Christ and His apostles. I am thankful for God raising up Martin Luther and many others in his day to restore the church to the truths of God's Word and as a result lead millions to know Jesus personally for themselves. Here are three things we can do on the reformations 500th Birthday.
1. Continually reform ourselves around God's Word. We all need to be reminded to come again and again to the Word of God and reform our lives and our churches around it rather than the traditions and ideas of man. (One of the wonderful effects of the reformation was to make the pulpit and preaching of God's Word central to the church and it's gatherings. Another one is the making of the Bible available to every person to read, learn and grow in.)
2. Continually bring ourselves before the wonderful realities of the gospel - God's grace and personal faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. Let us love and share the gospel and be a gospel proclaiming people.
3. Continually offer ourselves to be used by God to call God's church to reformation just like Martin Luther did until Jesus returns.
For 500 years God's church has been a continually reforming church. Not becoming something it's never been before, but returning to the gospel and our original mission, to the centrality of Jesus and His Word. To the mission of sharing God's love and the message of the cross to the ends of the earth.
May God help us carry on this legacy. Happy 500th Birthday!
The reformation had massive effects on the church and brought about a revival of genuine Christianity that has been surging forward for 500 years. Here are some of the wonderful effects we are living in today because of the reformation:
1. A call to reform the church around scripture. The church must continually call itself back to the Word of God as it's standard of truth and righteousness. Sola Scriptura!
2. A call to come to God by faith alone through grace alone. Man's religion continually attempts to put works in place of Jesus righteousness as our way to God. Human effort counts for nothing when it comes to being made right with God. It is only by faith in Jesus that we can be made right with God. Because of this man cannot glory in his own salvation. There is no place for human pride in the gospel. God alone gets the glory, God alone is the Saviour. Sola Fide! Sola Gratia! Sola Deo Gloria!
3. A call for the church to put it's focus back on Jesus and away from human hierarchy and pomp. Jesus is the head of the church, not the pope or anyone else. What we need is simply Jesus, He Himself is the gospel and when we know Him we know life and joy and peace. The church must be ever guarding against distractions from the primacy and presence of Jesus. Sola Christus!
At it's core, the reformation was not really anything new, it was a recovery of something old and true. It was the recovery of the gospel, the good news of salvation as proclaimed by Jesus Christ and His apostles. I am thankful for God raising up Martin Luther and many others in his day to restore the church to the truths of God's Word and as a result lead millions to know Jesus personally for themselves. Here are three things we can do on the reformations 500th Birthday.
1. Continually reform ourselves around God's Word. We all need to be reminded to come again and again to the Word of God and reform our lives and our churches around it rather than the traditions and ideas of man. (One of the wonderful effects of the reformation was to make the pulpit and preaching of God's Word central to the church and it's gatherings. Another one is the making of the Bible available to every person to read, learn and grow in.)
2. Continually bring ourselves before the wonderful realities of the gospel - God's grace and personal faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. Let us love and share the gospel and be a gospel proclaiming people.
3. Continually offer ourselves to be used by God to call God's church to reformation just like Martin Luther did until Jesus returns.
For 500 years God's church has been a continually reforming church. Not becoming something it's never been before, but returning to the gospel and our original mission, to the centrality of Jesus and His Word. To the mission of sharing God's love and the message of the cross to the ends of the earth.
May God help us carry on this legacy. Happy 500th Birthday!
