Today is October 31, 2008. On this day in the year 1517 Martin Luther [Picture of Luther 1529 y L. Cranach] wrote to the Archbishop of Mainz protesting the teaching of indulgences, especially as defined by Johan Tetzel that “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” It was not indulgences that was efficacious in absolving sin, but God alone who grants forgiveness of sin. Luther enclosed in his letter to the Archbishop a copy of his ‘Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of indulgences,’ which came to be known as his ‘Ninety Five Thesis.’
In 1521 Martin Luther was summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms. Luther stopped a Frankfort before reaching Worms, where he visited a school of William Nesse (celebrated geographer), giving this admonition to the children: “Apply to the study of the Bible, and to the investigation of the truth.” (An encouragement we are unable to give to the children of today’s ‘state’ schools.
D’Aubigne (Life and times of Martin Luther) recorded this encounter of Luther’s: “If Luther blessed the young, he was also the hope of the aged. Catherine of Holzhausen, a widow advanced in years, and who served God, approached him and said, ‘My parents told me that God would raise up a man who should oppose the papal vanities and preserve His Word. I hope that thou art that man, and I pray for the grace and Holy Spirit of God upon thy work.’”
Martin Luther face an enemy whose desire was to silence his teaching either by recanting or death. When facing the Diet of Worms as in the first day they condemned his written works and asked that he recant of all he wrote, he asked for some time to think of how to answer. That evening he spent much time in prayer. Some of his words to his heavenly Father were: “stand at my side, for the sake of Thy well beloved Jesus Christ, who is my defense, my shield, and my strong tower … And though the world should be filled with devils—though my body, which is still the work of Thy hands, should be slain, be stretched upon the pavement … my soul is Thine! … Yes! I have the assurance of Thy Word. My soul belongs to Thee! It shall abide forever with Thee … Amen … O God help me! Amen!
The next day the Lord gave strength to His servant to stand firm on His Word: “I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning—unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted—and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience.” And then looking around on this assembly before which he stood, and which held his life in its hands, he said, “Here I stand, I can do no other; May God help me! Amen!”
What shall the message be for us today? I believe it is the same message of the Reformation: SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE! Commentators, editorialists, news programs, and politicians, ask us to retract our faith. We are to leave our faith at the door of the schools and allow the lies of the atheists to teach our children about how this world came into being, or the ethics of abortion, etc. We are to keep the Gospel in the pew of our buildings and not apply the moral truths to the choosing of presidents and magistrates. Search the Scripture for in are truths that come from our Creator, and cry out, Here we Stand! The victory is ours because the victory belongs to the Son of God the only Saviour of men! As the elections are near, please search Scripture and vote for the one who is most close to what Scripture defines as what is righteous and who stands firmly on the Bible as the Word of God!
Robert L. La May
In 1521 Martin Luther was summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms. Luther stopped a Frankfort before reaching Worms, where he visited a school of William Nesse (celebrated geographer), giving this admonition to the children: “Apply to the study of the Bible, and to the investigation of the truth.” (An encouragement we are unable to give to the children of today’s ‘state’ schools.
D’Aubigne (Life and times of Martin Luther) recorded this encounter of Luther’s: “If Luther blessed the young, he was also the hope of the aged. Catherine of Holzhausen, a widow advanced in years, and who served God, approached him and said, ‘My parents told me that God would raise up a man who should oppose the papal vanities and preserve His Word. I hope that thou art that man, and I pray for the grace and Holy Spirit of God upon thy work.’”
Martin Luther face an enemy whose desire was to silence his teaching either by recanting or death. When facing the Diet of Worms as in the first day they condemned his written works and asked that he recant of all he wrote, he asked for some time to think of how to answer. That evening he spent much time in prayer. Some of his words to his heavenly Father were: “stand at my side, for the sake of Thy well beloved Jesus Christ, who is my defense, my shield, and my strong tower … And though the world should be filled with devils—though my body, which is still the work of Thy hands, should be slain, be stretched upon the pavement … my soul is Thine! … Yes! I have the assurance of Thy Word. My soul belongs to Thee! It shall abide forever with Thee … Amen … O God help me! Amen!
The next day the Lord gave strength to His servant to stand firm on His Word: “I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning—unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted—and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience.” And then looking around on this assembly before which he stood, and which held his life in its hands, he said, “Here I stand, I can do no other; May God help me! Amen!”
What shall the message be for us today? I believe it is the same message of the Reformation: SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE! Commentators, editorialists, news programs, and politicians, ask us to retract our faith. We are to leave our faith at the door of the schools and allow the lies of the atheists to teach our children about how this world came into being, or the ethics of abortion, etc. We are to keep the Gospel in the pew of our buildings and not apply the moral truths to the choosing of presidents and magistrates. Search the Scripture for in are truths that come from our Creator, and cry out, Here we Stand! The victory is ours because the victory belongs to the Son of God the only Saviour of men! As the elections are near, please search Scripture and vote for the one who is most close to what Scripture defines as what is righteous and who stands firmly on the Bible as the Word of God!
Robert L. La May
