The Beginning of the End – Stay Steadfast looked back in time to the Reformation of the Christian church some five hundred years ago. If you are a Christian and don’t pray to Mary, you have Martin Luther to thank. By the grace of God Luther stood firm on the promises of the Gospel of Jesus.
Forgiveness On A Stick
When a man name Tetzel came through Luther’s neck of Germany in 1517 selling indulgences – forgiveness on a stick. Yes, he sold get out of purgatory cards – forgiveness for sins that you did commit over the long weekend and forgiveness for the sins that you will commit over New Years two months from now. Tetzel was a blasphemous liar who hung a price tag on our crucified Savior’s toe. Luther didn’t tell people that. He wrote a list of 95 thesis or statements to be debated. The first was enough – When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent”, he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. Luther shrewdly destroyed Tetzle’s incredibly lucrative indulgence business, while innocently raising a question to be debated – he wrote the 95 thesis in Latin, not German. It didn’t matter – someone else must have translated them.
Recant
Luther’s words of reform – go back the Bible – spread like wild fire across Germany. He never imagined this would happen. The trouble he caused in the church was noticed by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. In 1521 he stood before the Emperor and refused to take back, or recant, his witness. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything. God help me. Amen. Luther left the conference at Worms an outlaw. At any time he could’ve been killed. God had bigger plans for Luther than a knife in the back on the walk back to Wittenberg.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s message from Matthew 10, The Beginning of The End – Stay Steadfast.
Book(s): Matthew
Series: The Beginning of The End
Tag(s): End Times
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg