Church
October 31 is Reformation Day
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I love this time of year! The leaves are falling. Football. Cooler temperatures. It is a magical time of year supplying joys for everyone. For the nature lover, leaves are changing. For the sports fan, time for the World Series, NFL and college football. For the kids, the prospect of baskets of candy, pumpkin carvings, and costumes.
In a season in which costume parties and fall festivals abound, Protestant churches all over the world have a much greater reason to celebrate. It is, after all, our birthday! October 31st is, for Protestants, Reformation Day!
Perhaps a short glimpse at history will be helpful. In the year 1517, an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther was assigned a task by the church. He was to study the newly compiled Greek text of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, what we know of as simply the book of Romans. It was through this intense study of God’s Word that he came to understand that many of the accepted practices of the Church were outside of the precepts and commands of God’s Word. He then drafted 95 theses, 95 questions of debate, issues he had with the common “Christian” practices of his day. These 95 questions, he nailed to the castle/cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany (again a common practice of his day to make announcements and arouse discussion). His students used that wonderful invention the Guttenberg Printing Press, to spread Luther’s theses around Germany and the Protestant Reformation was born.
Luther of course did not want to break away from the Church. His desire was to “reform” it, to help bring it back in line with the Word of God. But when the church refused to budge from its unbiblical ways, the movement to reform the church became a movement to protest the teachings of the church based in Rome. Today, the result of that movement is the innumerable churches throughout the world who refer to themselves as being “Protestant,” or “Reformed.”
This time of year is special to us in the Protestant or Reformed Church. It is our birthday! We celebrate God’s faithfulness in preserving His church. We celebrate God’s sovereignty in holding His Word together and always having a remnant who is faithful to the teaching of God’s Word. Who believes that God’s Word, Scripture, alone is the final authority in all things (Sola Scriptura). Who believes that salvation is by God’s grace alone (Sola Gratia). Who believe that salvation is by faith alone (Sola Fide). Who believe that the object of that faith is Christ alone (Solus Christus). And who believe that all things, especially the salvation of souls, is accomplished in such a way that God and God alone can receive all glory (Soli Deo Gloria).
These beliefs are the foundation and the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation. This is the birthday song we sing!
In a season in which costume parties and fall festivals abound, Protestant churches all over the world have a much greater reason to celebrate. It is, after all, our birthday! October 31st is, for Protestants, Reformation Day!
Perhaps a short glimpse at history will be helpful. In the year 1517, an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther was assigned a task by the church. He was to study the newly compiled Greek text of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, what we know of as simply the book of Romans. It was through this intense study of God’s Word that he came to understand that many of the accepted practices of the Church were outside of the precepts and commands of God’s Word. He then drafted 95 theses, 95 questions of debate, issues he had with the common “Christian” practices of his day. These 95 questions, he nailed to the castle/cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany (again a common practice of his day to make announcements and arouse discussion). His students used that wonderful invention the Guttenberg Printing Press, to spread Luther’s theses around Germany and the Protestant Reformation was born.
Luther of course did not want to break away from the Church. His desire was to “reform” it, to help bring it back in line with the Word of God. But when the church refused to budge from its unbiblical ways, the movement to reform the church became a movement to protest the teachings of the church based in Rome. Today, the result of that movement is the innumerable churches throughout the world who refer to themselves as being “Protestant,” or “Reformed.”
This time of year is special to us in the Protestant or Reformed Church. It is our birthday! We celebrate God’s faithfulness in preserving His church. We celebrate God’s sovereignty in holding His Word together and always having a remnant who is faithful to the teaching of God’s Word. Who believes that God’s Word, Scripture, alone is the final authority in all things (Sola Scriptura). Who believes that salvation is by God’s grace alone (Sola Gratia). Who believe that salvation is by faith alone (Sola Fide). Who believe that the object of that faith is Christ alone (Solus Christus). And who believe that all things, especially the salvation of souls, is accomplished in such a way that God and God alone can receive all glory (Soli Deo Gloria).
These beliefs are the foundation and the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation. This is the birthday song we sing!
Nicholas Paul LeBlanc
Pastor, Central Bible Church
Pastor, Central Bible Church
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