It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors in Wittenberg, Germany and began what is known today as the Protestant Reformation, or simply, the Reformation.

During this time, the nailing of notices on the church door was a way of public communication and proclamation. As a devout Augustinian Catholic Monk, he was inspired to write his 95 Thesis in protest to the various corruptions and injustices he witnessed in the Pope and in the Catholic Church. One of which was the Pope’s solicitation and collection of money from the poorest of the poor to build St Basilica’s Cathedral, all while the Pope was one of the wealthiest men alive. The foremost corruptions included the “selling of indulgences” as a means of forgiving people of their sins, and the preaching of good works as a necessary means of salvation.

To further clarify “indulgences,” it was a corrupt means in which the priests profited from the rich by inferring that they could “buy their way into heaven” and provide “absolution for their sins” by the giving of large sums of money to the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, these “indulgences” inferred a condemnation of the poor as they couldn’t possibly have enough money to “buy their way into heaven.”

No doubt, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses caused quite a stir, as speaking publicly in this way against the Catholic Church was very much frowned upon at this time in history. Luther was subsequently excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 and went into hiding. Now during this time it’s interesting to note that the Bible was primarily only available in Latin. While in hiding, Martin Luther paved the way for the people of Germany to understand what the Bible actually said by translating the New Testament from Latin into German, which took him approximately 10 years to complete. For the first time in history, the Bible was made available for people to read in their own language. At this same in history, the printing press was created which made it possible for many copies of the Bible to be made available. Thanks to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, the Bible was translated into English and spread during this period as well.

Simply put, Martin Luther’s original intention was to reform the Catholic Church however instead of reforming the Catholic Church, the church divided. Those who agreed with Martin Luther became known as Protestants. Those who disagreed with him remained as Catholics.

As an adult I find Martin Luther and the facts about the Reformation quite interesting. I actually don’t recall hearing or learning about him or the Reformation when I was young. Nor did I realize that Martin Luther was of Calvinist persuasion until I became an adult. I also didn’t know about the differences in Calvinism and Arminianism when I was young. Basically Calvinism teaches that God is sovereign and in control of our salvation, also known as election. Whereas, Arminianism teaches that we choose our salvation, also known as free will. Perhaps more importantly I also believe that we’re not saved by our precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to us (Martyn Lloyd Jones.) There are many great theologians on both sides of the Calvinism and Arminianism school of thought.

In the past few years however, I find myself more drawn to Calvinism or Reformed Theology, as it’s more commonly called today. I believe that God is sovereign over everything and is in ultimate control, including our salvation. I also prefer Baptist churches that are not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as I have found the liberal, progressive, and corrupt leadership in the SBC to be intolerable. Perhaps the subject of a future writing.

So, I’m thankful for Martin Luther, and for his brave writing and posting of the 95 Theses. I’m thankful for his diligence in translating the Bible, and for the birthing of the Reformation; the foundation of Protestantism. Martin Luther established the fact that the Bible is to be the central source of authority for Christ followers, and that salvation is reached through faith, not deeds.

Martin Luther’s teachings also birthed the beginning of what we know today as the 5 Solas: sola fide, sola scriptura, solus christus, sola gratia and soli deo Gloria!

By Scripture alone.

By Faith alone.

By Grace alone.

Through Christ alone.

To the Glory of God alone!

So, I agree with Martin Luther; I am a Protestant.

I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and that,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. John 6:44

And,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

I repeat,

Ye must be born again. John 3:7

And that,

Salvation cannot, nor could it ever, be obtained through indulgences, sacraments, or good works.

“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 2:8

Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the grace of God alone. It is a gift of God.

We are saved as a result of what Christ achieved on the cross, as it was on the cross that He paid the penalty for both my sin and yours. On the cross He made a way of salvation for all who turn to him in repentance and faith.

It was over 2000 years ago, on a hill called Calvary, that Jesus and two thieves were each nailed to a cross. One thief turned toward Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

And Jesus, the Man on the middle cross, replied,

“…Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

I repeat, “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 2:8