Reformation Day; All Hallow's Eve

On 31. October 1517, Martin Luther posted his Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences on the Schloßkirche (Castle Church) door in Wittenberg, Germany. His 95 Theses were an invitation to debate the issue of indulgences in the Medieval Church. Such debates on theological topics were commonplace in Luther’s day, but his treatise caused a firestorm to erupt that eventually culminated in the drafting of the Augsburg Confession in 1530 and the formalizing of Lutheran theology in the Church. We can summarize Luther’s treatise with 4 central points from his 95 Theses: 

 1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said poenitentiam agite [Repent], willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance. [Matthew 4,17] 

 36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.  

 37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

 62. The true treasure of the Church is the most holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God. 

Three years later he wrote The Freedom of a Christian. He begins his treatise by saying: „Many people have considered Christian faith an easy thing, and not a few have given it a place among the virtues. They do this because they have not experienced it and have never tasted the great strength there is in faith. It is impossible to write well about it or to understand what has been written about it unless one has at one time or another experienced the courage which faith gives a man when trials oppress him. But he who has had even a faint taste of it can never write, speak, meditate or hear enough concerning it. It is a living »spring of water welling up to eternal life,« as Christ calls it in John 4,14 (Luther’s Works 31,343). 

Luther goes on in the treatise to list some powers of Christian faith: 

1. Our faith does not induce us to live in idleness or wickedness but makes the law and works for man’s righteousness and salvation. 

2. It is a further function of faith that it honors him whom it trusts with the most reverent and highest regard since it considers him truthful and trustworthy. 

3. Faith unites the soul with Christ as a bride is united with her bridegroom (Luther’s Works 31,349-51).

These are only a handful of gems that make up the treasure of one of Luther’s greatest writings. 

Happy Reformation Day and a blessed All Hallow’s Eve, for by Christ we have been justified, forgiven and made saints through His crucifixion and resurrection.