Monday, October 31, 2016
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
OCTOBER 31 REFORMATION DAY
On this day in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, the usual place for posting such notices. This was a list of questions and propositions for debate, entitled "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences."
The first of these theses was:
When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
Luther recognized that Jesus did not intend for us poor sinners to come to Him with penitent hearts only at the time when we are brought to faith, but continually throughout our lives. For the repentance the Holy Spirit works is not only a turning away from sin with sincere sorrow, but a turning of the heart to Jesus for forgiveness. Thus the pulsing power of the believing sinner's life is constantly renewed by Christ's blood-bought forgiveness.
The belief that God's forgiveness can be obtained without turning to Jesus with such a penitent heart is both false and deadly, for those who seek assurance of sin's forgiveness apart from Christ invariably put their confidence in some human activity. But there is no human activity that can set the sinner right with God, and that surely includes the purchase of some piece of paper promising forgiveness based on what others (saints) have done, no matter what church leader has signed such a certificate. We can see why Luther so vigorously opposed this commonly accepted idea about indulgences and opposed their sale.
500 years later sinners still have a daily need to deal with sin by turning to Jesus Christ. And we sinners today are also tempted to take shortcuts in seeking the assurance of sins forgiven. This happens, for example, when we avoid being specific in confessing our sins or find comfort in seeing some of our sins as "not that serious" or act as though belonging to the "right church" gives us some sort of exemption when it comes to sorrow over sin. But when we take some way around true repentance-- some route that avoids the pain and sorrow of real contrition-- we also miss out on the joy of hearing Jesus say, "Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you" and the strength Christ's forgiveness gives for daily Christian living.
From all such deadly detours preserve us, dear heavenly Father.
