Happy Reformation Day
502 years ago today, a certain German monk invited debate over, among other things, the idea that the building of basilicas and the painting of chapel ceilings should not be funded by the lie that the forgiveness of sins can be bought with money.
From the 95 Theses:
27. They preach vanity who say that the soul flies out of Purgatory as soon as the money thrown into the chest rattles.
28. What is sure, is, that as soon as the penny rattles in the chest, gain and avarice are on the way of increase; but the intercession of the church depends only on the will of God Himself.
Romans 1:17 was the verse that changed everything for Luther and started him down the path that would lead to the Reformation: "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
Luther wrote after studying this verse, “There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely, by faith. And this is the meaning. The righteousness of God is revealed by the Gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which the merciful God justifies us by faith. Here, I felt that I was altogether born again and the very gates of paradise opened up before me.”
The forgiveness of our sin is neither something we purchase nor something we earn. It is the free gift of God and nothing else:
"Salvation belongs to the Lord; may Your blessing be on Your people." - Psalm 3:8
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Epehsians 2:8-9
92. Away then with all those prophets who say to the community of Christ, "Peace, peace", and there is no peace.
93. But blessed be all those prophets who say to the community of Christ, "The cross, the cross," and there is no cross.
94. Christians should be exhorted to endeavor to follow Christ their Head through Cross, Death, and Hell,
95. And thus hope with confidence to enter Heaven through many miseries, rather than in false security
Happy Halloween & Reformation Day, everyone.
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