What is Reformation Day and how can Christians remember it?
By Lynette Kittle

Bible reading
“For by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8

Some may wonder what Reformation Day is all about and why it is considered such a big deal in church history. Why should we as Christians take the time to remember it because it is celebrated on the same day as Halloween?

Who is behind the Reformation?

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany and became a catalyst for the Reformation. A thunderstorm is said to be the beginning of his spiritual journey in 1505, when he was studying law at the University of Erfurt.

Some may call his experience a crisis of faith, in which lightning striking near him so terrified him that he made a deal with God for divine protection by promising St. Anne that he would become a monk would if she would graciously spare his life.

Although Luther’s father, a hard-working miner, strongly opposed this, Luther eagerly aspired to become a monk. Luther was intense in his pursuit of holiness, whipping himself to appease the wrath of a holy God and to feel worthy and deserving enough to go to heaven. He also regularly confessed his sins for up to six hours a day.

During Luther’s diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that the righteous will live by faith and that none of his self-complaints would justify him before God, but would come only through faith in Jesus Christ.

How did the Reformation begin?

With Luther’s revelation about salvation, he became disillusioned with the errors in the church’s teachings and practices. These included selling indulgences to raise money and convincing individuals that donating money to their deceased relatives could free them from purgatory.

Hoping to spark academic debate and reform, on October 31, 1517, Luther wrote 95 theses against this revenue-generating system, as well as other abuses he discovered within the church, and nailed his document to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, closed to all see, a common practice back then.

However, the church did not agree with Luther spreading his findings about the newly invented printing press and was not open to his corrections. Nevertheless, his ideas spread throughout Germany and sparked much controversy, which led to the church council in 1521 asking Luther to retract his theses.

Luther ushers in the Reformation

However, Luther refused to recant his thesis, writing: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of Holy Scripture or by obvious reasons – for I cannot believe either the Pope or the Councils alone, since it is clear that they have repeatedly made mistakes and contradicted themselves.” – I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my foundation: my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Therefore, I cannot and will not recant as it is neither safe nor reasonable to act against one’s conscience. God help me. Amen.”

Luther’s refusal to recant cost him dearly and led to him being assassinated by Pope Leo Weise at the Wartburg in 1521 under a false name and disguise.

During his time there, Luther translated the Bible into German, which helped him put the written Word of God into the hands of the common people. His actions ushered in a new era called the Reformation, in which the Word of God was placed in the hands of individuals and the Protestant churches were born.

Luther’s efforts gave individuals the opportunity to read the Bible for themselves, which resulted in many people’s lives being transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. He understood that people must read and study the Word of God for themselves, believing with all their hearts what 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches: “All Scripture is by inspiration of God, and is for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. “

Intersection of faith and life:

Ask God to help you spread the truth of salvation, that it comes as a gift from God through faith and not through anything we do to obtain it.

Further reading:
6 reasons why Christians should celebrate Reformation Day

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/typo-graphics

Lynette Kittle is married and has four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and others. She has an MA in Communications from Regent University and is an Associate Producer for Soul Check TV.

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