Ephesians 2: 8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Five hundred and six years ago today, October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther, nailed a piece of paper with 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, he lit the fires of what would become known as The Reformation. It is thought by many historians to be one of the top five most important events in world history. Luther dared to challenge the perverting of scripture as well as the excessive practices and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, which included “indulgences” —the papal requirement that payment be made for the forgiveness of sins. He was quoted as saying, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God,” and that resulted in Luther being rejected, excommunicated, and even threatened with death by the church, specifically the head of the Roman Catholic Church at the time, Pope Leo X. The public rose up and threatened revolt if harm came to Luther.
When the Bible was translated into German, ordinary people were able to own their own copies to read the scriptures for themselves. For the first time, the scriptures were read from the pulpit in their own language rather than Latin. Public singing and praying were encouraged among the congregants. The Truth of the gospel had been reclaimed and proclaimed—“Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”
The Five Solas—“Sola” meaning “alone”—are phrases that summarized the basic theological principles of the Protestant Reformation:
• Sola Fide: Salvation is received through faith alone
• Sola Gratia: Salvation is by God’s grace alone
• Solus Christus: Salvation is based upon Christ alone
• Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone
• Sole Deo Gloria: To God be the glory alone
This is the basis for our Christian faith which gives us the assurance that we are secure in Him. Clothed in the Truth and having that assurance, may we boldly proclaim this great Good News, this gospel of grace, to a desperate and dying world!
Most gracious heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of Your gospel which teaches us that we can have a relationship with You forever by simply placing our faith in Your Son, Jesus. There is not one thing we can do by our own efforts to earn Your favor or earn our salvation. It is by Your grace alone, by our faith alone, in Christ alone. What a blessing that it really is that simple! We give you all the glory for Your incomparable gift! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
A special thanks to Mark Carey for his sermon on this subject in October 2017, which inspired this devotion.
