Reformation Day- A Return To Christ Alone

What if one simple act of courage changed the world?

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. His conviction to return to the simple gospel led to a revolution that pointed a nation, and eventually the world, back to the Word of God and the freedom we find in Christ. Luther saw that man had corrupted what it meant to be a Christian, and that a system of striving and doing had crept in.

The Reformation was really about returning to Scripture as the final authority and rediscovering grace through faith in Christ alone.

It was built on these five Latin phrases:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)
Sola Fide (faith alone)
Sola Gratia (grace alone)
Solus Christus (Christ alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (to God's glory alone)

Everything we have in Christ is a free gift. We did not earn salvation by our own merit, we simply received it. After salvation, we are called to walk out our faith the same way we were saved, by grace through faith.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him.”
—Colossians 2:6

Many man-made systems had crept into the church when the Reformation called people back to this truth:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
—Ephesians 2:8–9

Luther’s faith and conviction to stand for truth, even when it cost him safety and approval, is something we can all relate to today. Whether you are in the public eye, raising a family, or working among those who do not share your beliefs, it takes courage to stand for truth. The same truths proclaimed during the Reformation are the same truths that bring healing to our families, our friends, and our nation.

Martin Luther may have been hated by those who wanted to preserve their systems of control, but to those who were set free by the redeeming message of the gospel of grace, he was loved.

Standing for truth still begins in ordinary hearts and homes.
May the same gospel that stirred a monk’s heart five hundred years ago stir ours today.
May our lives be living testimonies of that grace.