1517 THE REFORMATION – THE THEOLOGICAL BATTLE FOR FREEDOM
Dear Members in Christ,
1517 The Reformation – the theological battle for freedom
The Reformation of 1517 brought to the Christian world many important changes which are still seen as the dominant force in the life of conservative, Bible-believing churches today. Chief among these was the change in the theological perspective taught and implemented by men such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and others. This change in theology enabled the church to throw off its cloak of ignorance which has plagued the Christian world since the fifth century. It began with one man’s struggle to understand a passage of God’s Word. That man was Martin Luther, and the passage was Romans 1:17,
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
Luther’s chief struggle was with the phrase “the righteousness of God”. Elsewhere in the Bible, the righteousness of God brought to Luther’s attention the awful holiness of God. He was fixated upon the understanding of God’s hatred for sinners. He was obsessed with seeking the works of righteousness that would grant him the release from guilt and fear for the punishment from his vindictive God.
Dearly beloved, as we are in the month of October, we remember the event of 1517. We celebrate Reformation Sunday on the last Lord’s Day of October. We are glad for the reformation theology which teaches us of salvation by grace through faith in the atonement work of our Lord Jesus Christ. No more do we struggle with guilt and fear, for the Lord Jesus has redeemed us by paying the price in full. Let us examine how this doctrine of salvation by grace through faith came to be the cornerstone of reform theology. We explore the struggles in the life of Martin Luther, and gratefully, we thank God for the Reformed doctrine of salvation by grace through faith.
A. Luther’s stint in the Augustinian Monastery
There are many interesting aspects of Martin Luther’s life. However, to examine his understanding of salvation, we have to zoom in to a period in the life of Martin Luther, in particular, his stay in the Augustinian Monastery. After what was to him a life changing encounter in an almost deadly thunder storm, Martin Luther committed his life to God. In those days, the way to do this was to enter a monastery. So, on the 17th July 1505, he knocked on the austere door of the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt. There he committed his life to the strict regime of the Augustinian monks.
This was a life of great humility and discipline. Monks walked the grounds of the monastery with their eyes on the ground. The monks were deprived of many of the luxuries and ease which we take for granted in the present day. For example, silence was compulsory, and fellow monks were not allowed to engage in casual banter or social chatter. There were times of fasting, and when food was served, the portions were barely generous. On top of that, there were prayers at regular intervals during the day, cleaning and work duties and of course not much sleep.
Brothers and sisters, as Bible-believing Christians, we know the Scriptures which teaches us, “by the works of the law shall not flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16. Thank God for this revelation through His precious Word. What we know as basic doctrines in the present day was a struggle against ignorance in Luther’s days. Martin Luther had to break through the darkness and finally see the light of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. Martin Luther’s revelation to the truth of salvation
At the Augustinian Monastery, Martin Luther struggled against doctrines and practices in what seems to be an inner conflict. He was serious about his training in the monastic order, but he began to notice inconsistencies between what he knew as doctrines versus the practices of the church.
One aspect of Martin Luther’s stay in the monastery was his fixation with the confession of his sins. He would spend hours confessing his sins, and after that, he would spend more time recalling sins that he has not confessed. He stuck to a strict regime, always wanted to do more fasting, more prayers, more suffering. But the more he worked for his salvation, the more he felt despair. Once on a trip to Rome, he climbed a stairs on his knees, chanting a prayer on each step, convinced that this was the means to obtain grace. Brothers and sisters, Martin Luther was no fool. His was a very disciplined legal mind, and in his mind, he sought to find justice of God. His answer came to be the Reformation rally call.
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
Beloved, we thank God for this revelation. That by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we obtain salvation so rich and free. Thank God for the 1517 Reformation, by which we can discard the cloak of ignorance and darkness, and truly savour the grace of God and His abundant mercy to all the saints. May God be praised. Amen.
In His Service,
Rev. Lim Seh Beng, Pastor