The date was October 31, 1517. The 33 year old monk Martin Luther headed to the chapel of Wittenberg, Germany. As a professor of biblical theology, Luther wanted the Catholic Church to discuss and debate the issues surrounding indulgences. Like others who wanted to post academic ideas for discussion, Luther nailed his 95 theses to the chapel door.
The Catholic Church of the time had made a practice of selling indulgences. By purchasing an indulgence, the buyer was given a promise that loved ones could have time off of their suffering in purgatory.
What drove Luther to challenge the religious system that controlled Western Europe? Why question indulgences? For Luther, indulgences kept people in bondage and condemnation, and this had been his previous experience.
Earlier in his life, Martin had been saved from a near death experience. In response, he became an Augustinian monk, applying himself to be the best monk possible. Taking seriously confession and obedience, Luther became wracked with guilt. He could never perfectly obey, nor could he find peace even after confessing sins for hours.
Luther’s confessor and spiritual advisor, Johann von Staupitz, was becoming exhausted by the monk’s inability to move past his sin. In a pastorally wise move, Staupitz pointed Luther away from continual introspection and directed him toward the merits of Christ. He taught that true repentance does not involve self-inflicted penances, but trusting in Christ’s atoning death. He directed Martin to study and teach the Bible.
Luther had always feared the righteous God. A righteous God would punish unconfessed sin. And Luther hated that his conscience never found any peace with God. But when he discovered in his studies that the righteous shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17), a liberating truth struck him – God’s righteousness and wrath were appeased by the work of Christ. He was to rely upon the works of Christ to free him from condemnation and death rather than his own.
What began as an academic discussion about indulgences and a pastoral desire to help appease guilty consciences became the pivotal moment in Western culture. Luther had concluded that it was not one’s ability to work your way to God, but your confession of inability that would free the soul and give the sinner a right standing before God. Justification by faith alone became the rally cry for Luther.
Within weeks of Martin posting the 95 theses on the chapel door, friends took the academic Latin work and translated it into German. Soon it spread throughout Germany, and within two months Europe was buzzing with Reformation news.
There is nothing better to know that our standing before a holy God can be restored. “How can a man be in the right before God?” asked Job (Job 9:2). Luther’s answer came from Paul: “We know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but rather by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16).
Herein lies the good news. You can do nothing to please God by yourself. Before God, we all stand condemned. Our consciences, the devil, and even the evidence of our lives demonstrate that we have not lived perfectly righteous lives. But when we confess our inability to be good and rely upon Him who lived and died for us, in our place, we are declared to be in right standing. Justification not only says “Forgiven” but also “Righteous!”
Five hundred years ago a monk and his mallet launched a revolution that have kept people singing: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! O, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow! No other fount I know – nothing but the blood of Jesus!”
See you Sunday!
~Pastor Andrew
As we gather for Sunday worship, we want you to meet with God and be transformed by the Word. Prepare your heart by reading the passage and listening to the songs for Sunday.