In 1517, a thirty-four year-old named Martin
Luther penned a document attacking the Roman Catholic Church’s dishonest
practice of selling indulgences to absolve a person of their sin (as well as
raise funds for the church). His “95 Theses” (or “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”) focused on two
central beliefs.
They were that the Bible is the central religious authority and that people achieve
salvation only through faith and not by their works. (His “95 Theses” was matter-of-factly hung on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church
for further academic discussion.)
“God does not love sinners because they are attractive. Sinners are
attractive to God because He loves them.” (Martin Luther) These two major viewpoints would spark the Protestant Reformation. Although these ideas had been made known before, Martin Luther made them known at a moment in history ready for religious reformation. The Protestantism that soon emerged was shaped by Luther’s ideas. His writings changed the course of religious and cultural history in the West.
Just like Martin Luther sparked the
Protestant Reformation with his “95 Theses,” a spark of recognition occurs in
an individual when sin is confronted by the gospel. The Gospel calls for both repentance and
grace.
Anyone who attends church knows
there are challenges every congregation needs to approach. We all need to step
outside our comfort zone because that’s where the true joy of life is.
“In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we
are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all
the others.” (Romans
12:5, ERV)
“For where God built a church, there the devil would also build a
chapel.” (Martin Luther)
Being open in a Christ-centered relationship results in a better Christian disciple
Being open in a Christ-centered relationship results in a better Christian disciple
“You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your
sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” (Proverbs
28:13, GNT)
“A Christian is never in a state of completion, but always in a
process of becoming.”
(Martin Luther)
“Legend
says Martin Luther was inspired to launch the Protestant Reformation while
seated comfortably on the chamber pot. That cannot be confirmed, but in 2004
archeologists discovered Luther's lavatory (which was remarkably modern for its
day) featuring a heated-floor system and a primitive drain.”[i]
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