With all the talk centered on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, I’m discovering how little I know about the importance of Martin Luther’s courageous act when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door, serving as the catalyst for a revolution that forever changed the course of Christian theology.
To realize that before Luther’s statements of protest against the Catholic Church, most did not have access to a Bible and so they had no way of knowing God’s Word for themselves. This fact alone makes me have a deeper appreciation for my Bible—that it truly is God’s love letter to me. Maybe the most impacting result that comes out of this celebration is that it gets believers back into the Word—let’s actually open and read our Bibles!
And, this month on “The Garlow Perspective,” Jim Garlow focuses on Remembering the Reformation with a special series airing October 23-27 & 31. Each feature highlights a Reformer who was killed for not recanting their beliefs. Your listeners will be educated and edified as they hear about the contributions of John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, and the little-known story of Lady Jane Grey, a courageous teenager burned at the stake.
On the program for October 31st, Jim shares . . .
We often focus on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther is said to have nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. And well we should. But Luther had four great passions that explain the great changes he made!
- Sola scriptura, “by Scripture alone.”
- Sola Christus, “by Christ alone.”
- Sola gratia, “by grace alone.”
- And Sola fide, “through faith alone.”
As God’s hand of grace and mercy moved through difficult events and times, these became the hallmark of virtually every Protestant group that followed Martin Luther. His “theology” corrected the church, putting it in place to bless the rest of culture—to be God’s instrument in saving civilization.
May it also serve as a reminder to us of God’s hand of grace and mercy in these difficult events and times.
Happy Reformation Day, indeed!
