Reformation Day

 

    October 31 is a special day.  No, I am not referring to the way that children dress up and walk door to door, begging for candy.  For over 500 years now, Christians remember October 31 as "Reformation Day."  On October 31, 1517 a man named Martin Luther dared to post a document of 95 "theses," or tenents of the faith, to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  This was a big deal, because Martin Luther was taking a stand for salvation by grace alone, which defied the doctrine taught by the established church of that time.  This act of defiance triggered the events of the Reformation, which transformed the way commoners had access to the Scriptures and made many foundational doctrines of the Bible clear to the common man.  Martin Luther and others worked to translate the Bible from the Latin into German, and were tortured and even martyred for their teachings and work with the Scripture. This day should be recognized in Christian homes and churches for its vital importance to the free access we have today to read the Bible in our own language, even owning multiple copies! Prior to the Reformation, access to the Scriptures was reserved for only the Latin-reading priests who filtered everything through the warped doctrines of the established church of the time.  It really should be, and is, a big deal to us!

    From Martin Luther's 95 Theses came what Biblical scholars call "The 5 Solas."  Basically it is a condensed version of the most sacred truths that we can hold as we look at what Scripture says regarding our salvation and our attitude toward everything.  These are the foundational building blocks of our faith, and we celebrate these on Reformation Day. They are:

• Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
• Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
• Sola gratia (Grace Alone)
• Sola fide ( Faith Alone)
• Soli Deo gloria (Glory to God Only)

    You see, prior to the Reformation the heresies taught by the church included selling forgiveness in the form of "indulgences." In other words, people were taught that to obtain forgiveness, they had to go to the priest and pay a specified amount in order to gain forgiveness, and perhaps make it to Heaven.  Since they did not have access to the Scripture, they relied on the priests to tell them what Scripture taught. This "new" teaching of Martin Luther and his colleagues was revolutionary! The new-to-them idea that Scripture was the authority, teaching salvation as a free gift, that was only attained through faith in Christ's atoning work on the cross shook the world at that time.  

    These foundational truths are critical to our approach to God, salvation, and how we live our lives.  

    Martin Luther said, as he defended his 95 Thesis, 

“My conscience is held captive by the Word of God.”

    Our churches need more people whose minds are held captive by the Word of God! While we can benefit and grow from the writings and teachings of many, we must know our Scripture to be able to weigh their teachings against the Bible (Sola Scriptura).

    Once we realize the only accepted written authority, we can rest in the teaching of Scripture that tells us our salvation rests in Christ alone (Solus Christus) and it is given by His grace alone (Sola Gratia).  Only through faith (not works or payments) can we enter into that salvation (Sola fide).  This is all accomplished to bring all the praise and glory to God alone (Soli Deo gloria)! 

    I pray this Reformation Day brings a renewed understanding and thanksgiving for the beautiful gospel, the Christians who sacrificed their lives to bring our Bibles to us, and the simplicity of the basic doctrines of our faith.

Soli Deo gloria!

💓Heather Sparks💓