Every year in the 31st of October, we remember one of the
most momentous events in human history.
This was an event that shook the known world and changed the
course of human events. This event had nothing to do
with war or politics or money. No, this event was far more
important because this event was connected to the rediscovery of
the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the 31st of October 1517, the Protestant Reformation began.
508 years ago, a German Roman Catholic monk by the name of
Doctor Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door at
Wittenberg in Saxony, Germany. These 95 theses were 95 truthful
propositions about to return to the Word of God against the
selling of indulgences and the doctrine of purgatory.
Martin Luther was born in the 10th of November 1483 in
Estlieben in Germany. His father was called Hans, He
was a miner, he owned an iron ore mine.
His mother was called Margaret, and at the age of 7 a young
Martin entered school at Mansfield.
At 14 he went N to Magdeburg. In 1498, age 15, he returned to
Esley Ben Saxony and began to study Grammar, Rhetoric and
Logic in 15 O1. At the age of 18, he went to the
University in Irford to study law to become a lawyer.
His law degree was in Rhetoric and Logic and Grammar.
In 15 O 5 something terrible happened.
His best friend died. Martin Luther also died himself
through a very serious illness. And in the same year, on his way
home from Esley Ben to Erfurt, he was caught up in a
thunderstorm. He feared for his life.
He cried out St Anne to save him.
That was the only mediator he knew.
She was the patron St of miners. He offered if she saved him,
he'd become a monk. His life was spared and Martin
Luther kept his word. In 15 O five he joined the
Augustinian monastery at Erfurt. The same year he also became the
University professor for Biblical Studies at the
University of Wittenberg. There he began to study the book
of Romans. There he focused on the belief
in God and began to ponder God's righteous, holy nature.
Between the year of 1510 and 1517, Martin Luther became
convinced of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
He stood up for the sole authority of the Word of God.
He understood that he was accountable solely to God.
He believed that grace was mediated by Christ alone and not
by the church. So in the 31st of October 1517,
Martin Luther kneeled his 95 Theses to the church door at
Wittenberg. This was a protest against the
seal of indulgences. John Tetzel had come to Saxony,
Germany. He had offered people pardons on
behalf of the Pope. They were raising money to build
Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. And these paper pardons exempted
people from punishment for future sins they exempted people
from punishment for present sins.
They exempted people from punishment in time and
purgatory, and the John Tetzel even said that even loved ones
in purgatory could be released on the basis of buying a paper
pardon on their behalf. His little rhyme was such
whenever the coin in the coffer rings, then the soul from
purgatory springs. Martin Luther, of course, was
furious. He was troubled about this, and
he wrote out his 95 theses in Latin, posted them in the church
toward Wittenberg, wanting the scholars to enter into a debate.
But you know what Martin Luther didn't understand?
Someone took them, translated them into German, and they were
then printed on the newly discovered printing pass the
Guttenberg printing press, and they went all over Germany and
eventually that hammer blow of the hammer kneeling, the kneel
to the door, eventually come to the ears of Rome and to the
Pope. This was a rediscovery of an old
message. It was not a rebellion, but a
call to return to the Word of God, to the Word that is able to
make men and women mis unto salvation.
Not a new message, but a rediscovery of an old message.
A message that was true from the beginning.
Did you know that in the year 1510, Martin Luther was in Roman
pilgrimage? He was climbing the stairs
there, the scale of Santa. He was there attempting to gain
merit, less time and purgatory, less punishment for his sin.
And as he climbed those stairs, the word of God that he had
studied came to his mind. It thundered into his ears, and
this is what it said, That just shall live by faith.
He discovered that in Romans 116 and 17, the reference to the
righteousness of God was not a reference about God's holy
nature at all. It was not about God's righteous
nature, but a gospel righteousness that was revealed
in the gospel, a righteousness rooted in the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ, who had earned a perfect righteousness
by his sinless life and his atoning death.
He fulfilled the precepts of the law.
He fulfilled the penalty of the law.
And in this basis the righteous life of Christ that was earned
is put to the account of all who rest upon Christ and receive him
alone for salvation. Martin Luther in a moment
understood that this righteousness was not to be
achieved by merit, but to be received by a mediator.
And that mediator was Christ. He realised the gospel doesn't
tell us to claim our way to God, but that the gospel has come to
us in the Word that was made flesh.
Six of the most important words that people could hear.
Is this the just shall live by faith?
And this was the very text that I presented today on Reformation
Day down in front of the City Hall in Belfast.
I thank Brian and I thank Simon who came and stood with us in
the gospel. You can see me preaching from
the picture. And I trust and pray that God
will bless His word to the folks that would listen.
We shared our thoughts about the importance of this word, how
it's about being right with God and entering into a right
relationship with God, how to find peace with God, how to know
the way to heaven. And we also talked about the
instruction from the text, how that it deals solely with the
subject of justification by faith alone.
We then closed with the intention of the text.
And that is to do with life. And people can have life and
life abundantly, eternal life, but only through faith in Jesus
Christ. It was great to be out in the
open air today. It was great to be in our city
of Belfast and we pray for the people there.
That the Lord would send light and send truth into the hearts
of not just hundreds, but thousands and men of No Fear and
thought and time for God would come to a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Amen.