October 31 is the 499th anniversary of the Reformation, observed this Sunday. The blessing of the Reformation is the return of a distracted church to the truth of Christianity that eternal salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, through faith in Christ our Lord. Here’s a brief summary:
- In the late 15thcentury the Catholic Church was afflicted by internal corruption.
- The sale of “indulgences,” raised money to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
- Indulgences made people believe deceased loved ones could be released from purgatory.
- The sales slogan was: “When a coin in the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory springs.”
- Onto this scene arrived a troubled man named Martin Luther.
- Luther saw God as a God of justice and was tormented by fears over unresolved sin and guilt.
- In a thunderstorm during which his traveling companion was killed by a bolt of lightning, Luther exclaimed, “Save me, St. Anne. I will become a monk!”
- He survived, became a monk, but could find no peace with God through his own effort.
- Luther’s discovery of God’s grace came from Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
- Also Romans 1:16-17: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…The righteous shall live by faith.”
- What happened next was an act of courage, motivated by the truth Luther had discovered.
- He boldly spoke truth to power by posting his 95 theses, intended as an invitation for debate on topics of faith and church practice.
- Pressure was placed on him to retract his criticism of church belief and practice.
- He refused to do so and was threatened with excommunication from the Catholic Church.
- Asked to retract his words, Luther stated: “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”
- Ultimately, Luther was excommunicated for refusing to retract his newfound beliefs.
- Thus began what is known as the Protestant Reformation.
My Reformation question, to you and to myself, is this: If we were to conclude that a teaching or practice of the church was not based on clear passages of Scripture or was mandated by the church but not commanded by Holy Scripture or was not allowed by the church but not forbidden by Scripture, would we have the courage to speak our conviction?
Thank God for the Reformation courage Luther displayed in doing just that nearly 500 years ago!