Happy Reformation Day!

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on indulgences.  Indulgences were religious relics, such as the straw from Jesus’ manger that one could buy from the church and earn a temporary relief from purgatory, either for themselves or for a loved one who has already died.  This practice had been adopted by the church to replace the act of penance in the lives of their members.  No longer did they have to pray or go to confessions, they could just buy an indulgence and earn the forgiveness of their sin.  The church benefited from this practice, because it brought in a great source of income that they could use for their own personal advancement.  In fact, to help raise funds to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Johanne Tetzel, a Dominican priest, began selling indulgences in Germany.  He promoted the sales of the indulgences by playing on the spiritual needs of the people, offering them a false hope of forgiveness if they would only purchase some indulgences to help the building project.  Martin Luther, of course, saw this as a great violation of the Gospel.  Salvation and forgiveness is not earned by buying indulgences or helping the church out with “building projects.”  Salvation came by grace through faith alone.  Martin Luther’s theology was based upon Paul’s words in Romans 1:17 – “The righteous shall live by faith.”  The righteous does not live by buying indulgences or earning God’s grace through works of the law.  If there was any place for earning God’s grace, it would not be grace, because grace is unmerited favor.  We would gain the glory from our own salvation if we could somehow work hard enough to gain it.  As a result of the abuses that Martin Luther saw happening in his homeland of Germany, he reacted to the church by placing his Ninety-five theses on indulgences on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany.  These Theses are seen to be the official beginning of the Protestant Reformation.  Martin Luther’s protestations led others around Europe to rise up and speak against the abuses and the theological errors of the Catholic church.  If you belong to a church that is not a part of the Catholic church, it is all because of what God had done through the work of men like Martin Luther.  We need to thank God for men like these who are willing to stand up for the purity of the gospel.

It is important to note that Luther did not want to leave the Catholic church, but rather reform the church.  The tension between him and the other church leaders, however, were too high and he was forced to leave the Catholic church.

To view a list of the 95 these, click here.