Title: Reformation 2
Contents
At noon on October 31, 1517, 492 years ago, Martin Luther wrote and pasted the famous 95 Theses on the front door of the church in Wittenberg, and the Reformation began. Of course, with Luther's courageous action in the background of the political incompetence of the time and the strengthening of the religious authority, the Reformation began as the whole of Germany vortexed in an instant.
Four years later, on April 17, 1521, Luther was summoned by Charles V, then German Emperor, to appear at the Parliament of Worms. On that day, when the right to escape from life was granted, Luther was forced to do some things by the emperor. It was a demand that the refusal of the 95 clauses written on the door of the church be withdrawn / and that all books published / be incinerated / that if we admit our mistakes and apologize / we will be forgiven. Luther resolutely rejected those demands, saying, "The writings I have written so far are testimonies of the Holy Spirit and are confessions of faith written with clear reason, so I cannot cancel or give up. This request is not mine, it is God's request, and the church's request, so God will help me. Amen"" And then, he proudly testified on the spot and came out. If we condense the 95 articles that Luther wrote at that time, it can be summarized into the following three points.
1. Repentance
Repentance is the most basic element in our life of faith. This repentance is essential to renewing, reflecting, and constantly renewing one's faith. That's why Luther said in the first of the 95 articles, ""Repentance must encompass the whole Christian life." For us believers, without this life of repentance, our faith keeps getting stronger. Then, that faith becomes a formal faith, and it is easy to degenerate into a faith whose vitality is exhausted. In the 1500's, in the Middle Ages, the church began to degenerate as it seized secular power in one hand. We must prevent our faith from becoming a habit. When faith becomes a habit, it loses its vitality. There is no change in life, no content, no concrete life, so only the shell and form remain. Faith must be renewed and changed every day, followed by a life that plows the heart.
2. Maintaining the essence of faith
Medieval Christianity was centered on the Pope, so the essence of that belief was changed. After emphasizing too much good deeds and artificial things, I ended up selling indulgences. It was then that Luther emphasized the essence of faith. Three things were emphasized then. One is ""by the Bible alone"" (Sloa Scriptura), the second is ""by faith alone" (Sola Fide), and the third is ""by grace alone"" (Sola Gratia). Luther said in Article 62, "The true treasure of the church is the glory and grace of God." How clear is your confession of faith?
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder.
Faith without faith, prayer without faith, church without faith, good deeds without faith, these are nothing but shells. So, a person or a church must have a living faith to protect themselves from the world like today and keep their faith, so that they can draw closer to God and the church will survive as a saved church.
3. Whole Life Transformation
Martin Luther demanded a constantly changed life. I asked for a change in life first, emphasizing to those who knew that they would be forgiven and forgiven if they bought indulgences while living their life as they please. So, Luther proposed the following virtues of change in the 95 Articles.
“The church is not to be stagnant, not formalized, but love brotherly love, love between neighbors, grieve for the sins of the people of the world, have compassion for the plight of the world, and pray that the whole world will be reformed, not just in one particular field. It should be a church that prays for.” Luther said this was the work of the church. Therefore, the church must be sensitive to changes in the world and also to changes in society. If you can't read the world, the church is left with only going to the museum.
Regardless of whether it is a church or an individual, there must be an effort to constantly change and be renewed. Without it, you will become a believer like a Pharisee who has a form but no content, no tears, no emotion, no joy. This insensitivity is a curse.
So Luther emphasized three things in that time when he was living in such a senseless time. It was to live a life of repentance, not to lose the essence of faith, and to live a life of change.
The Reformation is a historical fact that happened 492 years ago, but it must continue as long as there are saints and churches on this earth.