The Reformation . . .

Do you ever consider the great liberties we have today relative to what we believe about God and how we choose to express that belief? Each one of us ought to do so and to do it with a grateful heart. Many who went before us did not enjoy such liberties, and some of them paid a great price so that we might.

It was on this date, October 31, in the year 1517, that one, Martin Luther, nailed his 95-point challenge to debate on the door of the All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
His theses reflected the growing struggle that thinking men had come to have relative to the teaching and dictates of the Roman Catholic Church. Each of the 95 points challenged one such teaching.

Reports are that Luther and others had begun thinking about and discussing what the Apostle Paul meant in Romans 1:17 . . . “for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” A meaningful perusal of that bold declaration by Paul prompted a bold challenge by Luther and others, who would later be called “Reformers.” Their challenge would be directed toward those who sought to control people through dogma, vain philosophies, and man-made traditions—the very things the Pharisees had used on the people of Israel. Scripture declares that Jesus came to “set the captive free,” and these thinking men began to question why religion was working tirelessly to hold them captive.

Through their studies, discussions, and struggles they developed some terms that served much like battle-cries in this spiritual war in which they found themselves. Here are a few of those terms:

Sensus literalis . . . meaning: The literal sense (meaning) of the “Scripture” . . . and they were confident that they could know it, and even more confident they could depend upon it.

Solo scriptura . . . meaning: with the Scripture alone

Solo Christo . . . meaning: Christ Alone!

Sola gratia . . . meaning: by grace alone

Sola fide . . . meaning: through faith alone

Gloria . . . meaning: to God alone be the glory!

The efforts of Luther and other good, thinking men brought the historical era known as the “Reformation” about. Of course, it was much greater than simply a man-made resistance or a period of religious unrest and civil resistance/disobedience. In truth it was an awakening prompted by the Holy Spirit himself. Things were about to speed up . . . It would just be another
short 100 years until Columbus would discover the new world (100 years sure seems like a long time to a human, but remember that 1,000 years is like a day to God)!

This awakening that came through the Reformation would help drive people by the thousands and thousands across the Atlantic . . . Believers determined to worship God as they felt right and proper, and not as dictated by one wearing a white collar . . . and as ordered by an unseen group of Church officials.

It all began on this date in history . . . a long time ago!

Personally, I believe there are still some thinking folks around today . . . Folks who have quietly been mentally putting question marks down about some new things that are showing up today and being incorporated into Baptist a Life and our corporate worship, under the label of “Normal, progressive, and good.”

Honestly, and frankly, there may well be another awakening ahead of us. It Seems to me . . . that the way Baptists have behaved and worshipped over the past couple of hundred years just can’t have been all that wrong and off course!!! History verifies that God greatly used Baptists in an amazing way through that era, and He typically does not use for His purposes . . . those who are doing wrong.

It Seems to me . . . that we, as modern day Baptists, are being influenced by a modern leadership that keeps waiting on . . . promoting and working toward . . . The Next Big Thing! And I fear there is danger in that for us as a denomination. The Scripture is clear on the subject of the only “Next Big Thing” we are to anticipate . . . and calls it the Second Coming! Regardless of what our leaders may believe, insist upon and promote, the absolute truth is that after the Day of Pentecost, (the indwelling of Believers by the Spirit of the Risen Christ), there is only one big thing for which the Church is encouraged and instructed to look for . . . and that is Jesus coming in great glory!

The simple truth is that much of what is being introduced today only serves to make us look like, behave as, and emulate the world around us. The tragedy is that the Scripture cautions that this very thing will occur as the REAL “Next Big Thing” approaches! Are we asleep at the wheel? God forbid!

 

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