The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Reflection for Reformation Day

Every year in the 31st of October, we remember one of the

most momentous events in human history.

This was an event that shook the known world and changed the

course of human events. This event had nothing to do

with war or politics or money. No, this event was far more

important because this event was connected to the rediscovery of

the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the 31st of October 1517, the Protestant Reformation began.

508 years ago, a German Roman Catholic monk by the name of

Doctor Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door at

Wittenberg in Saxony, Germany. These 95 theses were 95 truthful

propositions about to return to the Word of God against the

selling of indulgences and the doctrine of purgatory.

Martin Luther was born in the 10th of November 1483 in

Estlieben in Germany. His father was called Hans, He

was a miner, he owned an iron ore mine.

His mother was called Margaret, and at the age of 7 a young

Martin entered school at Mansfield.

At 14 he went N to Magdeburg. In 1498, age 15, he returned to

Esley Ben Saxony and began to study Grammar, Rhetoric and

Logic in 15 O1. At the age of 18, he went to the

University in Irford to study law to become a lawyer.

His law degree was in Rhetoric and Logic and Grammar.

In 15 O 5 something terrible happened.

His best friend died. Martin Luther also died himself

through a very serious illness. And in the same year, on his way

home from Esley Ben to Erfurt, he was caught up in a

thunderstorm. He feared for his life.

He cried out St Anne to save him.

That was the only mediator he knew.

She was the patron St of miners. He offered if she saved him,

he'd become a monk. His life was spared and Martin

Luther kept his word. In 15 O five he joined the

Augustinian monastery at Erfurt. The same year he also became the

University professor for Biblical Studies at the

University of Wittenberg. There he began to study the book

of Romans. There he focused on the belief

in God and began to ponder God's righteous, holy nature.

Between the year of 1510 and 1517, Martin Luther became

convinced of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

He stood up for the sole authority of the Word of God.

He understood that he was accountable solely to God.

He believed that grace was mediated by Christ alone and not

by the church. So in the 31st of October 1517,

Martin Luther kneeled his 95 Theses to the church door at

Wittenberg. This was a protest against the

seal of indulgences. John Tetzel had come to Saxony,

Germany. He had offered people pardons on

behalf of the Pope. They were raising money to build

Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. And these paper pardons exempted

people from punishment for future sins they exempted people

from punishment for present sins.

They exempted people from punishment in time and

purgatory, and the John Tetzel even said that even loved ones

in purgatory could be released on the basis of buying a paper

pardon on their behalf. His little rhyme was such

whenever the coin in the coffer rings, then the soul from

purgatory springs. Martin Luther, of course, was

furious. He was troubled about this, and

he wrote out his 95 theses in Latin, posted them in the church

toward Wittenberg, wanting the scholars to enter into a debate.

But you know what Martin Luther didn't understand?

Someone took them, translated them into German, and they were

then printed on the newly discovered printing pass the

Guttenberg printing press, and they went all over Germany and

eventually that hammer blow of the hammer kneeling, the kneel

to the door, eventually come to the ears of Rome and to the

Pope. This was a rediscovery of an old

message. It was not a rebellion, but a

call to return to the Word of God, to the Word that is able to

make men and women mis unto salvation.

Not a new message, but a rediscovery of an old message.

A message that was true from the beginning.

Did you know that in the year 1510, Martin Luther was in Roman

pilgrimage? He was climbing the stairs

there, the scale of Santa. He was there attempting to gain

merit, less time and purgatory, less punishment for his sin.

And as he climbed those stairs, the word of God that he had

studied came to his mind. It thundered into his ears, and

this is what it said, That just shall live by faith.

He discovered that in Romans 116 and 17, the reference to the

righteousness of God was not a reference about God's holy

nature at all. It was not about God's righteous

nature, but a gospel righteousness that was revealed

in the gospel, a righteousness rooted in the person and work of

the Lord Jesus Christ, who had earned a perfect righteousness

by his sinless life and his atoning death.

He fulfilled the precepts of the law.

He fulfilled the penalty of the law.

And in this basis the righteous life of Christ that was earned

is put to the account of all who rest upon Christ and receive him

alone for salvation. Martin Luther in a moment

understood that this righteousness was not to be

achieved by merit, but to be received by a mediator.

And that mediator was Christ. He realised the gospel doesn't

tell us to claim our way to God, but that the gospel has come to

us in the Word that was made flesh.

Six of the most important words that people could hear.

Is this the just shall live by faith?

And this was the very text that I presented today on Reformation

Day down in front of the City Hall in Belfast.

I thank Brian and I thank Simon who came and stood with us in

the gospel. You can see me preaching from

the picture. And I trust and pray that God

will bless His word to the folks that would listen.

We shared our thoughts about the importance of this word, how

it's about being right with God and entering into a right

relationship with God, how to find peace with God, how to know

the way to heaven. And we also talked about the

instruction from the text, how that it deals solely with the

subject of justification by faith alone.

We then closed with the intention of the text.

And that is to do with life. And people can have life and

life abundantly, eternal life, but only through faith in Jesus

Christ. It was great to be out in the

open air today. It was great to be in our city

of Belfast and we pray for the people there.

That the Lord would send light and send truth into the hearts

of not just hundreds, but thousands and men of No Fear and

thought and time for God would come to a saving knowledge of

Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Amen.