Happy Reformation Day! I know, you are confused. Reformation Day is always the last Sunday of October. This is both true and false. The Protestant Church has adjusted Reformation Day to the last Sunday of October in order to allow church services to be centered on both Reformation Sunday and All Saints Day on corresponding Sundays.
However, in reality, we should celebrate Reformation Day on October 31. No this is not a replacement for the secular holiday of Halloween. It is the day that Martin Luther wrote his letter to Albert of Mainz (pronounced Meints). You probably remember this letter as Luther’s “95 Theses.” In actuality this letter was translated into German and published as Disputation of Marthin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences. No wonder we have shortened it to the “95 Theses.”
Although Martin did not know it at the time, this was the beginning of his break with the Catholic Church and what we now call the Reformation.
Martin Luther was not alone he was joined by many other reformers, such as:
- John Calvin
- John Wycliffe
- William Tyndale
- John Hus
- Huldrych Zwingli
- John Knox
- And many others
Now you know the truth, Reformation Day is celebrated on October 31st, in reflection of a single letter, written in 1517, that sparked one of the greatest religious events in human history.
Praise the Lord for men that will stand for something at the risk of everything!
~ Micah Holtzinger
Let’s face it: the idea that the entire human race is fallen and condemned is simply too harsh for most people’s tastes. They would rather believe that most people are fundamentally good. Virtually every popular arbiter of our culture’s highest, noblest values – from Oprah Winfrey to the Hallmark Channel – tells us so consistently. All we need to do, they say, is cultivate our underlying goodness, and we can fix everything wrong with the human society. That’s not terribly different from what the Pharisees believed about themselves.
- John MacArthur, The Jesus You Can’t Ignore, pg.47
There are several things which may help to make the life fair in the eyes of men, but nothing will make it amiable in the eyes of God, unless the heart be changed and renewed. Indeed, all medicines that can be applied, without the sanctifying work of the Spirit, though they may cover, they can never cure the corruptions and diseases of the soul… Such civil persons go to hell without much disturbance, being asleep in sin, yet not snoring to the disquieting of others; they are so far from being awaked that they are many times praised and commended. Example, custom, and education, may also help a man to make a fair show in the flesh, but not to walk after the Spirit. They may prune and lop sin, but never stub it up by the roots. All that that these can do, is to make a man like a grave, green and flourishing on the surface and outside, when within there is nothing but noisomeness and corruption.
- George Swinnock, “Do You Worship God”, a sermon from the Puritan era on I Timothy 4:7. reprinted in Free Grace Broadcaster, Issue 177, Summer 2001, 21-22
It is manifest that the Scripture supposes, that if ever men are turned from sin, God must undertake it, and he must be the doer of it; that it is his doing that must determine the matter; that all that others can do, will avail nothing, without his agency. This is manifest by such texts as these: Je 31:18, 19. “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; Thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh,” etc. La 5:21. “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned.”
- Jonathan Edwards, Remarks On Important Theological Controversies, Chpt 4
Continuing from my previous post; “The Offense Of The Cross – Part 1″
First, the scriptures teach that man in his fallen state is totally depraved. The total depravity man means he is born in sin (Psalm 51:5), with an inability to good (Matthew 7:17-18; John 1:11; 8:43; Acts 16:14; I Corinthians 1:18; 2:14; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Ephesians 4:18), nor can fallen man understand (1 Corinthians 1:18) or desire to do good (Ephesians 2:1-2). Paul in Romans 3:10-18 quoting from various Old Testament scriptures makes an iron-clad case for the total disqualification of man. There is none righteous (Romans 3:10), non that understands (vs.11), all turned away (vs.12a), all are unprofitable (vs.12b), there is non that does good (vs.12c), their tongues have practiced deceit (vs.13a), the poison of asps is under their lips (vs.13b), their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness (vs.14), their feet are swift to shed blood (vs.15), destruction and misery are in their ways (vs.16), the way of peace they have not known (vs.17), and there is no fear of God before their eyes (vs.18). It is no wonder Paul’s summarization of the condition of man in Ephesians 2:1-2 indicts us as “dead in trespasses and sins, who walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince and power of the air, who by nature are the children of wrath (vs.3). The natural condition of man is that he is totally dead to the things of God.
Continue reading ‘The Offense Of The Cross – Part 2′
Most Christians expect little from God, ask little, and therefore receive little and are content with little.
~A. W. Pink
Galatians 5:11 ( NKJV ) And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
There is no doubt to the unregenerate that the Gospel of Grace is an offense. In Paul’s world in Galatia the Judaizers were clearly offended by this as is easily seen by their claims that Paul’s was still preaching a Gospel of circumcision and their further desire to impose Jewish Law on the early church. They were offended by the simplicity of the message of the cross and Paul’s response was “if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I being persecuted (Galatians 5:11a)?
It seems that in the last 15 years or so modern evangelicalism has been obsessed with making the Gospel as inoffensive as possible. Early on it was tagged with the name of “seeker driven” or “seeker sensitive”. There have been as many variants as there are those who practice this form of evangelism.
Continue reading ‘The Offense Of The Cross – Part 1′
If the truth cannot be fearlessly proclaimed in the church, what place is there for truth at all? How can we build a generation of discerning Christians if we are terror-struck at the thought that non-Christians might not like hearing the unvarnished truth?
- John MacArthur, The Truth War pg. 199
Could it really be? A church with a core value of gallons of great free coffee? Eastlake Church states in a mailer; “Our services are casual and laid back, the band is loud, and gallons of great free coffee are a core value!” WOW! I have found my place for relating with God. How could it be any better to find myself in an environment with people who are “friendly not manic , spiritual but not obnoxious, people who don’t take themselves seriously, but want to make the most out of life.” Man, it’s all about me and my needs and in a casual environment.
The problem though is that the Biblical gospel is serious, deadly serious and is all about God’s purposes (2 Timothy 1:8-9) not our need for coffee and a spirituality that clearly boarders on nominal.
Continue reading ‘Java, A Core Value’
“You read books but the Bible reads you!”
- Adrain Rogers
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