It was the age of Christopher Columbus, Michelangelo, and Copernicus. It was also when God’s Word had become clouded and free forgiveness in Christ was not being preached.

The Christian church at the beginning of the sixteenth century was badly in need of reform. The Roman Catholic Church was not communicating God’s gospel to the world. The Bible was generally only available in Latin, so only priests and scholars could read and understand it. And even then, the Bible was used less than the writings and traditions of the early church fathers.

The Roman Catholic Church was more active in political endeavors and building projects than in spiritual endeavors and the building up of souls. Relics, like supposed bones of the apostles or splinters of the cross, were honored more than was Jesus Christ. The Pope sold indulgences, letters promising forgiveness from him, instead of offering free forgiveness through Christ. The church taught that salvation came through keeping the law. The good news of great joy in Christ Jesus was buried under the bad news of more sins, more money, more sacrifices, and more rules. This was a very dark time for Christianity. The real message of Scripture, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin, was not being communicated to the world.

A reformation was needed. God saw that need. And he acted. Just as God raised up prophets of old to reform people’s religious lives; just as God called the Apostle Paul to let the light of the gospel shine in the hearts of people; so now God would raise up a man to reform the Christian Church. This man would be a reformer, who like the prophets and apostles of old, would not seek recognition for himself, but only for Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That reformer was Martin Luther.

Martin Luther captured the religious climate prior to the Reformation in the words of his hymn, "O Lord, Look Down from Heaven." Luther wrote these words in 1523, when the Reformation was going strong. We sing Martin Luther’s Reformation hymn, #205.

Martin Luther was born in the town of Eisleben, Germany, on November 10, 1483. The next day he was baptized. His parents were devout German peasants. Luther was a student with exeptional gifts. He planned for a career in law. But his plans ended abruptly. As intelligent as young Luther was, he was still a frightened man looking for answers. He was frightened because the Roman Catholic Church has correctly taught him that he is a sinner, and that a holy God cannot let sin go unpunished. But when you’re a sinner, how do you make peace with a sinless God who hates sin?

Desperate and scared, Luther looked for ways to earn God’s mercy. But raw fear continued to shape his relationship with God. When he was 22, he was caught in a terrifying thunderstorm. Luther prayed to St. Anne to save him and in return for escaping God’s wrath, he would become a monk.

Luther entered the Monastary in Erfurt. There he engaged in further studies and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1507. A year later he accepted a call to teach at the University of Wittenburg.

Searching for answers for his troubled conscience, Luther immersed himself in Scripture as he prepared to teach his theology classes at the University of Wittenberg. Luther began to see a serious conflict between the doctrines of the Catholic Church and the doctrines of God’s Scriptures. He couldn’t justify his church’s teaching that salvation depended on the keeping of the law when he read the passages:

Acts 15:10-11 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Ecclesiastes 8:12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.

Habakkuk 2:4 "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith--

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Luther recalled his spiritual turmoil in verses 2 and 3 of his hymn, "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice," #377.

#3: Luther Discovers Jesus Christ as His Savior -- Paul’s Epistle to the Romans Relieved Luther’s Spiritual Turmoil

Two sections of Scripture that opened up a clear understanding for Luther were Romans 1:16-17 and Romans 3:19-28.

Romans 1:16-17 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹⁷ For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. ²¹ But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. ²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

The impact of these Scripture sections upon Luther is best shown by Luther’s own comments on them: "I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, ‘the justice of God,’ because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assauge him. Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmered against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant.

"Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by his faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through the grace and sheer mercy God justifies through faith. Threreupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through the open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the ‘justice of God’ had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven …"

Luther’s discovery of this Bible truth and assurance in Christ is also seen in the joy he exhibits in verses 4-7 of his hymn, "Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice."

#4: The Reformation—A Matter of Obedience to God -- The Lutheran Reformation Begins

Martin Luther tested, weighed, and compared the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church to the clear truths of Scripture. What finally brought Luther’s Reformation to a head was the arrival of a monk named John Tetzel in the vicinity of Wittenberg. In order to raise money to finish building St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, Pope Leo X sent Tetzel throughout Germany to sell indulgences. Indulgences are pieces of paper that reduce a soul’s time in purgatory, a place where (according to the Roman Catholic Church) people’s souls go to suffer for their sins before they can enter heaven. To his horror, Luther learned that many simple Christians of his congregation thought they could buy forgiveness of sins with money. Tetzel even had a catchy jingle for selling his indulgences: "When the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

This greatly disturbed Luther. So on October 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses (or statements of debate) on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. He wanted other pastors and teachers to read them and discuss and debate them with him on the basis of the Bible. The 95 Theses quickly caught on. The printers produced them and copies were spread from all over Germany and to other parts of Europe. At the time, Luther has no way of knowing the firestorm that this date is going to unleash. The Reformation of the Christian Church had begun.

The leadership of the Catholic Church knew that it had to do something about Martin Luther. The Catholic Church was in turmoil. More and more people flocked to Luther. People stopped buying indulgences. The church was losing money. There was division within Germany. In 1521, Emperor Charles V held a diet (a meeting) in the German city of Worms. There sat the Holy Roman Emperor, surrounded by representatives of the Roman church, rulers, bishops, and territorial princes – all there to put an end to this Reformation. And standing in the middle of all of them was Luther, a simple monk and a miner’s son.

Luther thought he was there to debate what he had written. That wasn’t the case. He was told to say nothing but "I recant," that is, take back everything he had written that contradicted the (false) teaching of the church. After a day to think the matter over, Luther was again told that all he could say was "I recant everything." But he bravely replied: "Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear distinct grounds of reasoning, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me! Amen."

These words of Martin Luther did not come easy; nor did they come hastily. He could only make such a strong statement of faith because he trusted in his God who was his refuge and strength.

Psalm 46:1-11 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, ³ though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. ⁵ God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. ⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. ⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. ⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46 became the basis for his most famous Reformation hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," #201.

Luther was condemned and declared a heretic and outlaw and free to be killed. But this didn’t stop him. For his protection, upon leaving the Diet at Worms, Luther was kidnapped by Elector Frederick’s men and secretly taken to the Wartburg Castle. While in seclusion at the Wartburg, Luther began and completed the translation of the New Testament from Greek into German. Now the common people could read the Bible in their own language!

Unitl his death, Luther continued to emphasize the importance of the Word of God. Upon publication of the New Testament in 1522, the Reformation gathered even more momentum. In 1529 Luther published his Small Catechism, a summary of Christian teaching for both children and adults that we still use in our classrooms today. In 1530 the Lutheran princes and theologians gave the world the Augsburg Confession, a series of 28 declarations of the Christian faith that to this day is considered the chief confession by all Lutherans. In 1534 he published the entire Bible in German, having completed his translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew. He wrote many theological tracts, books, and hymns. A modern abbreviated set of Luther’s Works numbers 55 volumes, and each volume averages more than 400 pages.

Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546, at the age of 62, in his birthtown of Eisleben, in the knowledge and hope of Jesus Christ, the Savior that he had reintroduced to the world. Martin Luther’s Reformation placed the Bible back into the hands of the people – into your hands, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31) Martin Luther was God’s gift to the church.

Martin Luther always emphasized the importance of the Word of God. He once said of his accomplishments, "I did nothing; the Word did and achieved everything."

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

We join in singing a hymn written by Luther in which he prayed that we too might remain steadfast in God’s Word: hymn #203 -- "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word."

Ephesians 2:1-9 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

What does Paul’s writing about grace and God’s grace rediscovered in Luther’s Reformation mean for us today? There was a large downtown church where both wealthy people and converted thieves worshiped and knelt side by side at the communion rail. One New Year’s Day service the pastor saw a former burglar, who had been converted, kneeling beside a judge – the judge who had sent him to jail for seven years.

After the service, the judge was walking home with the pastor and said, "Did you notice who was kneeling beside me at the Communion rail this morning? What a miracle of grace." The pastor nodded in agreement. "Yes, what a marvelous miracle of grace for that convict to be converted." The judge replied, "I wasn’t referring to him. I was thinking of myself." Surprised, the pastor replied: "I don't understand." The judge said, "It didn’t cost that burglar much to be converted when he came out of jail. He had nothing but a history of crime behind him, and when he saw Jesus as his Savior he knew there was salvation and hope and joy for him. And he knew how much he needed that help. But look at me. I was taught from earliest infancy to live as a gentleman; that I was to say my prayers, go to church, and so on. I went through law school, earned my degrees, and eventually became a judge. Pastor, nothing but the grace of God could have caused me to admit that I was a sinner on the same level with that burglar. It took much more grace to forgive me for all my pride and self deception, to get me to admit that I was no better in the eyes of God than that convict that I sent to prison."

Our sin makes us all equal. We are no better than anybody else. Whether we are murders and rapists or judges and pastors or normal everyday people, we are all sinners and deserving of God’s judgment. We are in need of God’s mercy, his unfailing love, and his great compassion. We are not able to get rid of our sins by anything we can do on our own. We are not saved by any kind of cooperative effort with God. We are not saved by works or keeping of laws or worshiping relics or purchasing indulgences.

We are saved by "God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus", saved "by grace," "it was a gift of God," "not by works." Christ did everything for us sinners so that we might be declared "not guilty" of our sins in God’s eyes. But our salvation was not cheap. The price was the sacrifice of the Son of God. Through Christ’s sacrifice we are saved freely, unconditionally, with no strings attached, nothing left for us to do. Christ has done it all for us. Now we are made equal, whether we are thieves and judges, all through God’s grace. We are Lutheran Christians because we believe we are saved by grace alone – freely and unconditionally.

We sing hymn #384 v1-3 -- "By Grace I’m Saved."