Remembering the Reformation

Weekly Update – November 4th, 2021

As always, we had a wonderful time this past Sunday night with our trunk or treat.  We estimate that we had around 300 people attend.   I am thankful that, as a church, we are able to not only provide a safe alternative for children and their families in Grandview, but that we also had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of our neighbors.  In addition to our trunk or treat, last Sunday also marked the anniversary of the protestant reformation.  Over 500 years ago, a monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 grievances against the Catholic Church on the door of a church in Wittenburg, Germany, essentially ringing the bell for the rebellion that saved the faith.  God has always preserved his church and October 31^st, 1517 was evidence of his kind providence to continue allowing his truth to go forth. 

I think it is safe to say that none of us would be where we are without the protestant reformation. In addition to the faith, there may never have been a recovery of believer’s baptism, religious liberty, the priesthood of all believers, the authority of the scriptures and so on, if this event had never happened.  As true as this is though, why do I highlight this event every single year?  Let me give you 4 reasons why I highlight this event and why the protestant reformation is worth remembering and celebrating every single year. 

First, the reformation shows us how important justification by faith is.  The Catholic Church essentially lost the truth of the gospel message.  The way of sacraments replaced the way of faith alone in Christ. As I said on Sunday, the Catholic church affirmed that Jesus was necessary, but they implicitly claimed that he wasn’t enough. According to the church, in addition to faith in Jesus, someone was said to be saved from eternal hell by doing penance, purchasing an indulgence or being baptized as an infant.  But, the good news of the gospel is that Jesus is enough and that faith alone in him does save.  Therefore, to understand the gospel, the message of Jesus Christ taking the guilty stamp placed upon us and covering us with his perfect life needs to ring loud and clear.  The reformation recovered this truth. 

Second, the reformation shows us how important the authority of scripture is.  What we believe about the scriptures will influence and direct everything in our Christian lives.  In accordance with 2 Timothy 3:16, the recovery of the scriptures being “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness” was absolutely essential.  Believing in the authority of the word of God has implications that will reflect in what we believe about our discipleship, where we go for counsel, how important the preached word of God is to us, how we live and function together as a church and what priority the Bible has in our lives.  More specifically, the recovery of the scriptures led to a proper understanding of grace, faith and Christ. 

Third, the reformation shows us that truth is worth dying for.  What we believe about Christ is not up for negotiation.  It is not as though we concede one little point of salvation and believe that Christ and something else achieves our forgiveness.  As soon as you give in at one point, you lose the entirety of the gospel.  Men and women leading up to the recovery of the church before the reformation and since the reformation have lost their lives because they believed that the Bible was true.  If the reformation teaches us anything, let it be this:  give your life to the truth and be willing to live and die for it. 

Last, the reformation shows us that all of life is about the glory of God.  The reformation led to the recovery of God’s word, grace, faith, and Christ which ultimately led to a recovery of God’s glory.  We are not supreme in this world, nor can any of our actions save us.  It is only through the grace of God, shown through Christ alone, applied to us by faith, as told to us by the scriptures.  God is holy and righteous, man is sinful and unclean, Christ is righteous and perfect and it is only through God covering us with his son Jesus Christ that we can be brought into a relationship with him.  God is not hoping that we will discover him or sitting in heaven with arms out wide ready to accept us in any way we want to come.  He sent his son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of our sins so that we might be made right with him.  In this truth, no one can boast.  All glory belongs to God and God alone. 

God never forgets his church.  He knows and loves his church.  He sent his son to live and die for his church.  All this is evidenced by his preservation of the truth through his church.  As another year passes and we remember the reformation, let us never forget how important it is that we stand for what we believe.  God has and will continue to use ordinary people like me and you to build his church and he promises that the gates of hell will never prevail against us. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson