Martin Luther (1483-1546)
READ: Romans 5
God calls His people to stand up
boldly for truth. Martin Luther rose to the call. Luther is perhaps the most
well-known figure of Christian history, being the recognized instigator of the
Reformation. The Reformation was a time in history when many men and women
stepped up in order to initiate change, particularly in the Catholic Church.
Corruption in the Church was rampant – one particular perversion was the
selling of indulgences, basically church leaders selling the forgiveness of
sins. As in Wycliffe’s day, the Bible was still illegal for the common
layperson to read. The church was on a quest for wealth and power and was
hurting many ignorant people in its wake. This and many other things disturbed
Luther who compiled a list of 95 corrections that needed to be made in the
church and nailed it to the door of the church in Wittenberg. His actions were
not well-received. He was eventually deemed a heretic and excommunicated from
the Catholic Church.
Martin Luther was not a perfect
man. While his theology was very scriptural on some points, he was very off on
others, such as his hatred towards the Jews. He experienced much demonic
opposition and struggled under the weight of his own sin and weaknesses. But
God spoke to him, rekindling the good news that man is saved by grace, through faith and not by works. This was
a remarkable truth next to the indoctrination of the Catholic Church which
taught people to buy forgiveness! In
his courage to stand up for the truth of salvation, Martin Luther set off the
first domino in a line that has continued through the ages. “For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
