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“...The just shall live by faith.”
By: Rev. Joostens

Four hundred eighty-six years ago, for the reformation of His Church, God caused collision between two men and their respective philosophies; one of them armed with an edict of Rome, the other with his Bible. The confrontation of the thinking of these two men had an impact upon the church, the likes of which she had not seen since Pentecost! This month we thankfully recall this historical event we know as “The Great Reformation of the 16th Century.”

While a lowly monk named Martin Luther toiled under the oppressive load of his sinfulness, an improvising Dominican Friar named Johann Tetzel sold indulgences (Papal tickets of satisfaction for sin). It was by the grace of God that their confrontation would be the spark that ignited the fire of reform.

The Roman Church, for her financial gain, had honed the sacrament of penance to perfection. The Sacrament of Penance could alleviate the burden of sin in four steps; (1) contrition, (2) confession to the priest, (3) satisfaction and (4) absolution or the release for the penalty of sin. The third step in the process was often painful and difficult. Tetzel’s innovative salesmanship proposed this difficulty made easy. He seized upon the church’s permission that monies could purchase an indulgence which could be substituted for other forms of satisfaction for oneself or a loved one! The papal letter of indulgence met with great approval. It fed the coffers of the church and provided an easy remedy for the satisfaction of sin. However, the whole matter stirred the soul of Luther. In indignation, Luther nailed 95 theses to the Castle Church door at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. The axe was laid at the tree-root of the Roman doctrine of righteousness by works! It fell mightily!

For his peace of soul, Luther found the words of Paul in Romans 1:17,“...The just shall live by faith.” It was revealed to him from the Scripture that the burden of sin could never be lifted by the church - no matter what her edicts declared - but only by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was “...made...sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! (II Cor. 5:21)

The Scriptures, which set forth the doctrine of justification by faith alone, were returned to their rightful prominence as the only and infallible rule of doctrine and life! The Word of God triumphed!