Wednesday: Luther’s Appeal for Reformation
When we think of the word reformation , our minds are naturally drawn to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther.
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Until then, western Christianity was for the most part locked in tradition. The tenets of the church overshadowed the teachings of Jesus. Tradition became more quoted than Scripture. Multitudes were dominated by fear. They had little or no assurance of salvation. Confused and bewildered, they struggled to believe that God really longed to save them.
It was at this crucial point of religious history that God raised up Martin Luther, among others, to lead His people into a thorough reformation. Luther had struggled with the guilt of his own sins for years until the light of the gospel broke through.
Read the following passages from Romans. Why did they make such a powerful impact on Luther’s life? Why are they so vital in leading us to a revival of faith and reformation? Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21-25; 5:6-11; 8:1-4.
“Sinners can be justified by God only when He pardons their sins, remits the punishment they deserve, and treats them as though they were really just and had not sinned, receiving them into divine favor and treating them as if they were righteous. They are justified alone through the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Father accepts the Son, and through the atoning sacrifice of His Son accepts the sinner.”-Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 194.
Understanding grace is life transforming. It is the very essence of Christianity. God’s unmerited, undeserved grace is the cornerstone of our faith. Through the life, death, resurrection, and priestly ministry of Jesus, the gift of eternal life is ours. Receiving it by faith, we have the assurance of salvation.
Revival has to do with appreciating the gift of grace every day. There is nothing more spiritually uplifting than the daily rejoicing in the goodness and grace of God. Reformation is simply living out that grace in all that we do.
Dwell on the great hope that salvation is found in what Christ has done for you. Why must that truth be the foundation of any revival and reformation in your life?
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This is the practical essence of Revival. The author has written it well.
"Revival has to do with appreciating the gift of grace every day. There is nothing more spiritually uplifting than the daily rejoicing in the goodness and grace of God. Reformation is simply living out that grace in all that we do."
Can I, can You, can We, appreciate the gift of grace every day, that is... every today?
The Reformation
John Wycliffe, John Huss and Jerome started to clear the darkness that the entire world was under by the Papacy, though Huss and Jerome they were burned to death they paved the way for Martin Luther a hundred years later and by his teaching inflick the deadly wound to the papal head which started the reformation in 1530.
The Protestant Churches : The Lutherians, Presbyterians, Methodis, Baptists, Millerites and Seventh day Adventist were to keep the wound open on the leopard like beast. But the wound was healed under our watch, it was in 1929 that the pope recieved temporal power, that would mean that the last protestant church has stop being a protestant and has made friends with the papal power,
We are the last leg in the reformation that is to bring out the loud cry of the third angel's message, but it cannot be done unless there is a decided change among us , The "city" (Jerusalem) in scripter is God's church; namely, the Seventh-day Adventists (Israel). God Himself organized this church by a prophet, and there is a great deal of difference between this church, and the churches during the Reformation from Luther's time onward. God permitted His people to be voted out of the church by the majority in times past, and they were compelled to start another movement until the next step they were to make, and so on. In this case, God is to deal with the entire body. Those who sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in the church will be sealed by the man with the writer's inkhorn. Those who are determined to do evil, that is, do contrary to the rules laid down by the Spirit of God through the Testimonies for the church will be destroyed by the five men with the slaughter weapons of Ezekiel 9. None can escape, for the city is besieged fortified, and made sure. It is a fact, that in every age where God demonstrated His truth and purpose in clear lines, after being rejected, that people suffered the vengeance of the all-powerful and great God. For instance, the anti-diluvians, cities of Sodom, Egypt, Canaanites, Babylon, and ancient Jerusalem.
It was Luther not the French that over throw the papacy , before Luther the Pope reigned over all, the imprisonment of the pope fullfilled Rev13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:
Isa. 59:2-8, tell how terrible and grievous our sins are in God's sight. The first verse contains the wonderful promise: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." If we would repent of our sins and turn to Him with fasting and prayer, He will have mercy upon us, and will hear our prayers. Though our sins are unspeakably great, Isa. 59:9-13, are of a good report. Some of the people are conscious and repenting from their sins. In Isa. 59:16-19, is a prophecy too sad to speak of. It applies to those upon whom the responsibility rested to bring about reformation by presenting the lessons to the church in their true light, calling every sin by its right name instead of applying it to other people and times, and thereby diverting the instructions intended for the church. The admonitions in the Scriptures is overlooked and unheeded, and what God expected of His people now is not accomplished, simply because those in responsible positions failed to discharge their duty.
Since the history of the church is such, and the last section (Laodiceans) is in a worse condition, and under greater condemnation than any previous one, and as there is no time left for calling out a new movement, then a message of amazing light and stern rebuke through the Word of God, with manifestations of divine judgments, is the only remedy that can bring true conversion and reformation. Thus preparing a church to stand "without spot, wrinkle or any such thing," of which only can be said: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [the church as a body] and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev. 12:17.) It is the purity of the church that incurs the wrath of the dragon.
Disobedience to the Word of God is blasphemy, and blasphemy is hypocrisy; that is to say, they are not what they profess to be. Hypocrisy hides the crying sins under the appearance of virtue. This sin of hypocrisy is difficult to cure in that it is not easily discovered by men. We cannot understand the hearts of others nor discern between the cloak of hypocrisy and the life of holiness. A spiritual deception has its beginning from a being other than human. Therefore, the scheme is so cunning that it cannot be discerned by finite observation. This kind of deception can only be recognized under the close scrutiny of the holy Word of God and by the aid of His Spirit.
The great contribution of the reformers was to point people to the source of our salvation, Jesus. In so doing they challenged the authority and control of the Papacy. Our role in following in the footsteps of the great reformers is to point people to Christ as well. The Catholic church no longer has control over people like it used to, but the new gods of commercialism and self-interest has taken its place.
In the current Adventist Church a revival would mean that we would see our mission, not as one of condemnation, but of encouragement and healing. It is very easy to point out error and provide condemnation, but our task as reformers is to point to Christ, communicating His love to others. In a secular world this is not an easy task and we need to make it a matter of prayer that we understand how to communicate the Gospel in a way that is understood.
Thinking about the Love of God, of what He has done for us and of the miracle of His grace for us gives us hope. We are willing to step out in faith on His promises when we take time to think about the greatness of God! No credit goes to ourselves for anything we do or do not do. It is the Trinity, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all the way!!
He is strong enough for me!! I should praise Him always for everything He does for me every day!! I pray that He will help me remember what He really does for me!! I could not even begin to grasp everything He does, but I can think about what I do get and understand and talk about those things!!
Being raised in the Catholic Church I know the feeling of being dominated by fear first hand. This lesson study has given me another opportunity to forgive those that wittingly or unwittingly played a part in furthering the destructive forces of the Roman Church and the real perpetrator of the suffering throughout the ages-Satan. Thank God for giving us the Reformers who reflected light into the darkest corners of the world and brought hope to millions of salvation through grace. I personally owe my life to their continued work. Praise God from whom all Blessings flow!
Thats what amazing grace is all about, giving us the gift of eternal life, even though we deserve eternal death. Aleluia what a saviour
thank You God for Your undeserved grace!
The central issue in Romans seems to be the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16-17). While the Gentiles attained to righteousness by faith, the Jews did not attain to righteousness because they tried to earn it by works of the law (Romans 9:30-32).
A righteous God has to punish sin in order to be righteous. This is exactly what was happening on the cross. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin". (2 Corinthians 5:21a KJV) Righteous punishment for sin was executed there on our behalf. In bearing that righteous punishment Christ had come to fulfil righteousness. But this is only one aspect of righteousness. Paul goes on to say: "That we be made the righteousness of God in him". (2 Corinthians 5:21b)
The righteousness of God is revealed both ways: By way of righteous punishment on our behalf and by way of transfering his righteousness on those who had no righteousness before. This act of justifying sinners in restoring full righteousness, is an act of free grace, attained to by an empty hand of faith by grace alone.
Regards
Winfried Stolpmann