Don't Forget the Reformation

Soon the Trick or Treaters will have collected their treasures and the multi-million dollar industry of Halloween will close its doors for another year. Many folks will look past Thanksgiving Day and move quickly towards Christmas.

Not so fast! Before you start shopping for your Turkey and dancing with the Wal-Mart Santa Claus look back, one more time, to October 31st.

Perhaps you missed it, most people do. October 31st is Reformation Day. This is the day that many Christians pause to remember the Reformation of the 16th century when a young Monk took hammer and nail and placed his 95 theses on the door of the church at Wittenburg, Germany.

This was not an act of rebellion. You see, the church door, was a place where many announcements might be pinned and public discussion or debate offered. Martin Luther had no idea what a firestorm was about to be released as he sought to address concerns in the church in a manner that was very acceptable at the time. Nowadays if you were to nail anything to a church door then you would probably be in a heap of trouble. But that was not the case in Luther’s day.

October 31st, 1517 marked not a new invention or even new discovery of theological truth. It is best characterized as a re-discovery of ancient biblical truths that had been lost in the stack of church traditions and abuses of power. Luther made his discoveries by reading the Bible.

Luther’s discovery was that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, to God alone be the glory. Salvation is not attained by human effort. It cannot be paid for by writing a check to the church. No one can be released from their judgment by rolling coins in an offering plate. Sin cannot be atoned for by the works of man. Salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life comes from Christ alone.

Luther came to understood more clearly the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. He also began to understand that human leaders often err but the Scripture never does. His life was radically transformed and he became the leader in a revival and reformation that evangelical Christians across the globe celebrate each day and especially remember on October 31st.

Stephen Nichols in his book, “The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World” writes, “Martin Luther, the mallet-wielding monk, could keep silent no longer. He and his list of Ninety-Five Theses triggered a Reformation that would sweep across his native German lands, across Europe, and eventually across the entire world. The world would never be the same. Luther’s act gave birth to the Protestant church, now nearly 600 million members strong. Luther’s act also brought the world out of medieval times and into the modern age. No wonder historians like the date of October 31, 1517.”

October 31, 1517 was indeed the most visible beginning of the Reformation that would continue for two hundred years and whose ripples still dance along the shores of every continent in the world.

How much do you know about the Reformation? Let me issue you a challenge. Before October rolls around again and you decorate your house with Pumpkins and spider-webs, read a couple of books on one of the greatest events in church history. I would recommend Nichols book as a good primer to whet your appetite for an event that is worth remembering on October 31st and every other day.
Ray Rhodes is Pastor of Grace Community Church in Dawsonville and President of Nourished in the Word Ministries. His latest book, “Family Worship for the Christmas Season” is now available.