A significant occasion - The Reformation

It was on the 31^{st of} October 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg and so the Protestant Church marks Reformation Sunday on the closest Sunday to this date. Martin was arguing against the sale of indulgences and a number of other key issues that he strongly disagreed with. Of course, the Reformation didn't happen in a vacuum, and it had its genesis in many convergent ideas and issues. 

As Luther studied and lectured on the Psalms and the Book of Romans, he experienced great anxiety about his salvation and so wrestled with what we now know as ‘justification by grace, through faith.” Luther never intended to break with the Roman Catholic Church, as he served the church as a monk, priest, and professor of theology. Indeed, it was his devout faith and desire for truth, that drove him to conclude, as historian and theologian Dr. Alister McGrath writes, that “the church . . . had misunderstood the gospel, the essence of Christianity.”

I feel it is important for us to remember the Reformation for a few simple reasons:

1. It sparked the renewal of the church in so many spheres, birthing the Protestant movement. 

2. It gave the opportunity for the Bible to be translated into every language.

3. It helped to decentralise the church and moved it out into the 'highways and byways.'

4. It reminded those in power that the church equally belongs to the people and not just to the educated.

5. It challenges us all to not grow complacent in our faith and to seek God's wisdom as we seek to share the Gospel with all people.

Romans 4:1-3 - Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Living in Grace

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What he said

"When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do." - Romans 4

There are so many promises in the Bible of what Jesus SAID to his disciples and to us. We should focus on these things, instead of the empty promises of man. If you have a moment, read through one of the Gospels and notice how many times it reads: "Jesus said...."
 

• Matthew 8:13 - Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

 Matthew 9:12 -On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

•  Matthew 14:27 -But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Living in Grace
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When you feel like a "Nobody"

We have all felt this before - we feel as if the world couldn't care about us at all. We feel a little tattered and worn - we can even feel like we are a "Nobody!" The Good News is that God is in the business of drawing alongside the "nobodies" of this world. God loves us and he desires to make something of our lives.

"We call Abraham “father” not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody." - Romans 4:17 (Message)

So the next time you feel as if things are not going so well, remember that God always makes something out of nothing.

May God bless you with courage today.
 
Living in Grace
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