Martin Luther

Sola Day 15 My Reformation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-8 
Romans 10:14-15
Psalm 119:1-16

Sola, Day 15

Last fall, I began reading a biography on Martin Luther (and friends, by “read” I mean “listen to” because I’m a single mama to three little girls and … multitasking). I read about Luther proclaiming “Sola” truths, contradicting the Roman Catholic Church, and igniting a movement that would change history.

The reformation was monumental in church history, shaping even our churches today. Likewise, we each have the opportunity to undergo our own “mini-reformation” as we study Scripture and build our lives on the Solas of biblical faith.

How do we approach our “reformations”?
We ask vital questions about each Sola and see where we stand.
We examine whether we reject or accept the teachings of Scripture.

Let’s check-in with one another.
I will be honest as I answer, and I ask you to give yourself permission for complete honesty as well. No condemnation. Let’s just recognize where our hearts still need reformation.

Sola Scriptura: By Scripture Alone
The Bible is the sole infallible source of authority and the Word of God, and shall not be added to or taken from. It was written by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all truths we need for our spiritual lives are found in the Bible alone. 

Are we allowing the Bible to be our main source of wisdom and authority?
Do we seek wisdom elsewhere, first and most?
Whose words dictate what is right or wise?

Many books are written by Christians, but many who claim that title believe their own version of “God” rather than the God of the Bible, or they may twist truth just a bit so it makes us feel happier. Only by deeply knowing God’s Word are we able to discern genuine Scriptural truth.

So I ask, do we place more weight on Christian books or the Bible?
I’m in the middle of a wonderful book called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.”
It’s phenomenal and I can’t recommend it enough!
But if I’m honest, some days, I’ve prioritized this book above the Bible.

How about you?
What’s your honest answer?

Sola Fide: By Faith Alone
We are saved through faith alone. We are neither covered by another’s faith, nor can we bargain our way to salvation. God will accept no bribe, because all we can offer are appearances of righteousness. The only acceptable offering to God is humble, honest faith, which is itself a gift from God.

If grace is God freely extending salvation by His hand, faith alone is our hand reaching out to touch His, accepting His gift.

Sola Fida enraged the Catholic church as it condemned their common practice of requiring penance and purchasing indulgences to reduce their punishment for sin.

Instead, Luther dared assert that even our very best efforts are sin-stained worthlessness before our utterly holy God. Only Jesus’ propitiatory death could pay the life-debt of our sins, and only our faith in Him connects us to the power of His resurrection to bring forgiveness for our sins.

So let’s do a little faith check-in, sisters.
Do you find yourself bargaining with God?

I’ve seen incredible growth in my faith over the last few years, but I’ve also been praying some big, hard, monumental prayers, and when it comes to these prayers? That faith waivers. I want to be sure my trust is in God alone, not in something feeble I try to offer Him as an exchange for what I want.

Have you ever attempted to manipulate God?

Sola Gratia: By Grace Alone
We are saved through God’s grace alone. There is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves.
Grace is God, who paid everything for our redemption, offering salvation to us for free. We cannot earn it. 

Sometimes, we do “good things” because we are trying to earn God’s favor. We believe by praying a certain way, or giving a certain amount, we somehow earn the smile of God.

I most often get caught in this trap with people; I equate the number of people who like me to the amount of grace God extends. It sounds silly as I type, but I said I’d be honest.

How about you?

Solus Christus: Through Christ Alone
Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. There is no one else who can save. Jesus is fully God and fully man. 

Do you believe this?

The temptation is to give some authority to our own opinion or others in the Church? What if we modify the Jesus of the Bible to make Him more appealing or more tolerant? My temptation is to make Jesus less jealous for my heart than He actually is. I will choose to turn to books, music, or mind-numbing activities before turning to Christ.

How are you tempted to water down the Jesus of the Bible?

Soli Deo Gloria: For the Glory of God Alone
The work of salvation was done by God alone, therefore He alone receives glory. Any good fruit my life bears is due entirely to Christ’s lifeblood flowing within my veins.

But is it?
Or are we focused on our own glory?

When I lead worship, write Journey studies, or prepare a meal for friends, is it for my own glory, or for Him? Sometime last year, I did a heart-check on this topic and realized just how off I was. As I shared with a friend how part of me was engaging in these activities for self-glorifying reasons, she encouraged me to keep ministering, serving, and loving while asking God to transform my heart. Let’s ask for a heart like Jesus, who was focused completely on His Father receiving all glory.

How about you?

Sisters, it’s been a challenging three weeks on this study!
Let’s be encouraged by the growth we’ve experienced, but let’s also leave here challenged to live out the truths we’ve unpacked, allowing them to continue to reform our hearts just like they did Martin Luther and the Church of old.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sola Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend! ~ Sola Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) When we look throughout history, names and faces and stories bubble to the surface. Some we call heroes for their radical actions and some have become blacklisted for their treachery, but rarely do we ever consider our own names could have a place in history. For my family’s history, my maternal grandfather was the first one in several generations to put his trust in Jesus. His faith heavily influenced my grandmother, and dramatically changed how they raised their children, which, of course significantly impacted me. One man’s choice overflowed onto many new generations to come. Our names may never rise to the top of history like Martin Luther or John Wycliffe, but our decisions carry eternal weight. If you were sitting at the end of your life, what would you want the “past” to look like? What changes can you start making now to influence then? Your life matters!

2) When we look at the lives of heroes in the faith, whether it’s Martin Luther, George Whitfield, Billy Graham, or Paul the apostle, we easily forget these were normal, regular, everyday saints who loved Jesus. When we see our ordinary lives, the mess, the mayhem, the way we lose our patience, the strain in relationships, and we feel as if we know nothing spectacular can come from us. Remember, sweet friend, the Lord delights in using the ordinary and outcast! When we surrender our ordinary to the flame of passionate love for Jesus, He takes our small “nothing” and transforms it into the stuff eternity is made of. What will you give over to Him today? Dishes? Laundry? Caring for your family? Making meals? Calling a friend? Name it out loud, pray over it, and intentionally choose surrender, then watch the Lord work as only He can!

3) What’s the secret key to living these radical lives that carry eternal weight and influence people for eternity? Two factors in Luther’s life are also essential for us today. First, he had fully surrendered ownership of his life to Christ, realizing only Jesus was the way to have life both now and forever. Second, Luther had an insatiable thirst for Scripture. The more he studied, the hungrier for truth he became. This is exactly God’s design! The more we know of Him, the deeper He calls us into experiencing relationship with Him. What will you do to increase your thirst for truth? What plans can you set in place for daily connecting with God through Scripture?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, I admit that I get tossed around in my thinking when it comes to lining up what I say I believe, with what I actually believe. It’s easy to say You are good all the time, but when difficulty hits, do I still live like I fully believe You are good? Lord, how deeply I need the anchor of truth in my everyday life so I will not be swayed by other’s powerfully stated opinions, or even by own feelings. Teach me Your Word, Lord. Tune my ear to listen to Your voice. Teach my hands and lips and life choices to reflect the truth You’ve made clear through Your Word. As I learn more, Lord, make me more bold to speak truth and live it out in everyday life!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sola Day 5 Sola Scriptura

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 11
Hebrews 1:1-4
Psalms 138:1-3
Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Sola, Day 5

The haggard monk sensed the cold darkness seep into his cell, filling every corner of the room. Standing alone against the darkness was one flickering candle. His faith, the monk mused, was just like the candle, keeping the blackness of fear from overwhelming his mind.

Luther instinctively wrapped his robes tighter around his body. An invisible battle raged inside his prison cell, one that would change the course of history for centuries to come.

Would Luther recant and lay aside the truths he had come to hold so dear, or risk a heretic’s death for declaring God’s Holy Scripture to be the final authority of the church?

Luther was an ordinary man and, as we often are, was filled with uncertainty regarding the outcome of his stand on the truth. In fact, many times Luther would obey, even while scared. Every time, God came through.

Like Luther, we are often brought to crossroads in life. Do I follow the traditions of men and my own logic when faced with a dilemma? Or do I seek God’s face and find counsel in His Word to direct my course of action?

Since Eden, this has been humanity’s greatest failure. Instead of acknowledging God’s Word as the final authority, we often choose our own way. In Luther’s time, the ruling powers of the church chose to follow their own edicts, making themselves, and the Pope, the ultimate authority, instead of Scripture. The results were corruption and rampant sin in a kingdom built for man, not God.

The times when I chose to build my own kingdom always came at a cost. Because I relied on myself as the ultimate authority, I was responsible for whatever happened. Sometimes the results were fine, but many times, the consequences of my actions led to more self-reliance and more sin.

Often, faced with a mess of my own making, I would run to God, asking Him to fix my mistakes . . . just as a toddler tearfully asks a parent to fix the toy she’s broken. But growing up in Christ means we begin to choose God’s way as our default method of operating.

And we are not alone! In the Scriptures, God laid out countless scenarios of people just like us, faced with the decision to have faith in the Word or themselves. Time and again, those who chose to trust in the authority of God’s Word saw His promises fulfilled in their lives and legacies. (Hebrews 11)

You see, God upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3); in fact, God honors His Word and authority of His Name ABOVE all else (Psalms 138:2)! If God honors His Word so highly, we can trust the choices we make to honor the Scriptures will be blessed by our Creator.

At this point, we might logically ask ourselves, what’s so special about Scripture? All religions have some form of holy writings. Why is the Word of God different? Why is it bedrock of our faith, far and away better for guiding my life than my own thoughts or choices? Why was Luther willing to die to defend its holy authority?

Our Scripture alone is the Spirit-inspired Word of God.
This is not a book of witty musings, empty ravings of self-appointed prophets, or self-help tips for living your best life. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

With His words, our God created the world. (Genesis 1:1-27)
Generations later, God Incarnate, Emmanuel, spoke, and the power of condemnation and shame was broken. (John 8:2-11)
When He spoke, demons were driven out. (Matthew 8:28-32)
When He spoke, bodies were healed (Matthew 8:8-13) and the dead were raised (John 11:38-44).
Finally, three words spoken from the cracked lips of the sinless Lamb of God on a bloody cross signaled the final defeat of sin and death. (John 19:28-30)

The Word of God is power; the same power that flooded His spoken words lives and breathes in Scripture. It is His will, His plan, His heart for us, the absolute truth, written down and enduring across the generations for us.

Within Scripture’s pages, we learn of our God.
We are corrected, and trained for righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We find understanding, strength, and life itself. (Psalm 119:25-32)

Luther understood the power, authority, and vital importance of Scripture.
Yet, in his humanity, he grappled with fear on the eve of his trial.
Would he choose the illusion of safety and recant?
Will we choose the illusion of the easy road and our own counsel?

Poised on the brink of the Promised Land, the Israelites also faced a moment of decision. Would they be swayed by the surrounding culture? Would they follow their own way and abandon their God? Or would they stand firm in their faith, embracing the Word of God as the ultimate authority in their lives, and worship Him alone?

“Choose life,” Father God urged His children, “so that you and your descendants may live!”. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

In our own moments of decision, let’s look to our Father.
Let’s find His guidance and His heart in His Word.
Let’s choose life rooted in the unchanging truth of Scripture!

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sola Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship!

Sola Day 4 The Ordinary Man: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Ordinary Man!

The Questions

1) Who is Paul addressing in this passage and how do they relate to the “disobedient” ones being described? (verses 1-2)

2) What does it mean to be “under God’s wrath”? Isn’t God love? (verse 3)

3) What are the benefits of being saved by grace? (verses 7-10)

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Original Intent

1) Who is Paul addressing in this passage and how do they relate to the “disobedient” ones being described? (verses 1-2)
Paul is writing his letter to the house churches in the city of Ephesus. Paul had visited Ephesus several times on his missionary journeys throughout Asia, and had worked hard to plant and develop the churches in that area. Paul had left a husband and wife team, Priscilla and Aquila, in charge of shepherding and leading the Ephesian believers. (Acts 18:18-21) This letter would have been circulated to all the homes where churches were gathered and would have been read aloud many times. Ephesus was an epicenter for worship of Greek gods and goddesses, even businesses thrived on the worship of these false deities. (Acts 19:21-41) Paul countered false worship by pointing people to Christ, the only One worthy of worship, as he preached the gospel to the Ephesians. As he writes this letter, Paul is reminding the now-believing Christians in Ephesus to remember their own story of coming to Christ. Once, before hearing of Jesus and surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior, they were dead in their sin. Pau writes how they once lived “according the ways of this world” (verse 2), which would have quickly reminded them of the empty belief system they had once held onto as they followed the popular culture crowd of worshipping statues. Paul reminds them of their personal history in order to refresh their eyesight in how they viewed the people the living around them in Ephesus. Worship of Greek gods and goddesses was still the popular norm for their neighbors and friends (the disobedient ones). Instead of looking at them with condemnation, Paul urges them to remember they were all enslaved to Sin before Christ.

2) What does it mean to be “under God’s wrath”? Isn’t God love? (verse 3)
Yes! God is love. Verse 4 describes God has having rich mercy and great love. It is His essence, His core. In fact, Scripture defines God as love. (1 John 4:19) The writer of 1 John goes on to describe how, for those who have trusted Christ, they now are given the magnificent grace of continuously abiding (think: living every moment) within that wonderful, rich love of God. (1 John 4:16) They never need to fear being removed from that sweet, all-encompassing love of God, because every believer is embraced in God’s love precisely because God is love. We aren’t wrapped in love because of any good deed or perfect strategies we have devised. Yet, to be loving necessitates wrath. At first, you’re curious, as it seems counterintuitive. However, consider the relationship between parent and child. Anyone who threatens the life and happiness of a child, is at great risk of experiencing the passionate wrath of that parent. The child molester, the murderer, the kidnapper. Each of these titles make our insides angry, as they should. To love perfectly, requires wrath to be present to keep out evildoers. John writes in his letter that it’s because of this great love of God wrapping endlessly around His rescued ones that they can have supreme confidence on the day of judgement. (1 John 4:17) Those who have trusted Christ, know they are safe in the love of God. Those who haven’t, are the objects of God’s wrath. (verse 3) His wrath is purposely necessitated because He so radically loves. There must be a distinct line drawn. For God to create a haven where no sin would mar it, and no evil would invade it, and no pride would arise, there must be magnificent love to create this safety, but there also must be significant wrath vehemently raging against all evil to keep it out. This is the love, and the wrath, of God.

3) What are the benefits of being saved by grace? (verses 7-10)
The benefit of being saved, rescued from the wrath of God because it was poured out on Jesus Christ instead of us, is obvious. Everyone who calls on the Name of Jesus (Romans 10:13), now has the opportunity to be made alive in Christ and saved for eternity, forever enjoying the sweetness of relationship with God as He originally intended. Death for eternity is now banished for the these who trust Christ fully. The wrath of God has forever been removed, and in its place, Christ’s righteousness now covers us where ugly sin once stained us. The sweetest part, however, of being “saved by grace through faith” is that while we couldn’t manufacture our own righteousness in order for God to extend His grace to us, neither are we expected to maintain a certain level of righteousness for God’s grace to remain upon us. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, and there is nothing we can do to keep it. Salvation begins and ends with the triune God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without a single performing act on our part. As Paul writes, “no one can boast”. (verse 9) We are saved from death, we are raised to life, and we our eternity is secured because in the grand timeline of God Almighty, we are already seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Nothing can steal away our inheritance, not even ourselves! (verses 5-6) This! This is just the beginning! More grace, boundless and free, will define our new reality as we live out eternity with Christ, as He forever displays His loving kindness towards us! (verse 7)

Everyday Application

1) Who is Paul addressing in this passage and how do they relate to the “disobedient” ones being described? (verses 1-2)
Martin Luther’s prevalent culture, while religious, was deeply anchored in Catholic traditions that were entirely unbiblical. He made bold statements and acted bravely to advance the full truth of the gospel of Jesus as declared through Scripture alone without the additions of manmade traditions. However, critically important to his success, was for Luther to remember the same truths Paul reminded the Ephesians. Those in power and working against Luther, where held captive by the ruler of this world (verse 2). The arch-enemy, Satan, was working to actively shut down the advancement of truth coming from Luther. The people were not Luther’s real enemies, Satan was. Luther was once just like the religious zealots of the Catholic church, chained to sin and stuck in disobedience apart from the freedom of Christ. This mindset is exceptionally important to us as well as we each seek to share the hope and freedom of Jesus to our own neighbors in our current cultural setting. Ask the Lord to remind you often as you speak with those who are not believers, that you were once all trapped by sin’s deadly power. This should increase our compassion for our friends, neighbors, and strangers who haven’t surrendered to Jesus yet!

2) What does it mean to be “under God’s wrath”? Isn’t God love? (verse 3)
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is meant to remind them they were all stuck in sin, right along with their neighbors who mocked the One True God, and who, in turn, mocked them for worshipping Him. But Paul goes farther in his writing to reveal a deeper identity for those who are separated from God. Paul defines their reality as being “under God’s wrath”. (verse 3) Further, this is a natural state of existence where Paul states, “we were by nature under wrath as the others were also.”  We are born with a sin nature. Just as sure as an infant will cry when he is hungry, he will inevitably sin. Want further proof? Find a single person who has never once told a lie, or never once lusted in their heart after another person, or never once stolen just one item. Each of these make us less than righteous, which defines us as sinful, which means we are under the wrath of God. The only way to have a restored relationship with Him is the for the sin nature to be removed. Impossible? How can someone be born again with a new nature? A fellow named Nicodemus asked the same question to Jesus (John 3:4), and Christ’s loving response was this, “unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (John 3:5) When we surrender our everything to Christ, acknowledging there’s no way we can possibly attain our own righteousness, He kills our old sin nature because of His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later. He then makes us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5) and places the Spirit of God within us to awaken our hearts to the life available in Christ alone. He literally moves us from death to life when we surrender to Him! Only by this method, through the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf, and our willing acceptance of this truth by faith, can we enter the Kingdom of Heaven and be wrapped eternally by God’s love, never again to fear His wrath coming upon us.

3) What are the benefits of being saved by grace? (verses 7-10)
When we compare the glorious richness and unfathomable freedom of being made alive in Christ to the immoveable chains of Sin and its consequence of eternal death and separation from God, who is Love, the benefits aren’t even worth calculating! Are you able to celebrate with confidence knowing you have been eternally freed from sin and your debt to God because of your sin has been forever paid in full?! Every sin. Across all time. There is nothing you have already done, and nothing you could ever do to remove you, believing and trusting Christ-follower, from the extravagant love of God. The Christian can whole-heartedly celebrate with the apostle Paul, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) You are saved, raised, and seated with Christ! Nothing can defeat you! (Romans 8:37) Though every believer still faces trials and difficulty, loss, and pain in this life, we know with full assurance that this world is passing away. One day, it will be replaced with a new heaven and new earth that will never fade or be tainted by sin. In Christ, victory is ours!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with The Groom &His Bride!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
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This is Sola Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Sola Day 3 The Ordinary Man

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
Matthew 19:16-26
Genesis 2:18-2

Sola, Day 3

An avid storyteller and musician.
A man passionate about marriage, family, and hospitality.
A sinner desperately aware of the futility of a lifetime’s efforts to produce his own righteousness . . .
. . . and a redeemed child of the King, dedicated to sharing the freedom and forgiveness he received from his Father.

Martin Luther lived in the 16th century, heading the Protestant movement across Europe. He is most famously known for presenting 95 theses to Roman Catholic leaders in 1517, igniting a larger “reformation” of the church. And yet, even in light of this great impact, Luther’s journey is still simple and relatable . . . the journey of an ordinary man.

As a young man, caught in the midst of an intense storm and facing death, Luther cried out to the Lord to save him. Motivated by such a powerful encounter with his living God, Luther decided to join a monastic community and commit his life to God. He awoke early, praying without ceasing, fasting, and reflecting.

Yet, despite his best efforts to uphold the rituals of monastic life, he was plagued by heavy despair. Luther was deeply disturbed by the realization his life of religious pursuit was not earning him righteousness. Instead, he harbored deepening self-hatred born of his unrelenting and unsuccessful war against his flesh.

Have you walked the same road, dear friend?
Have you tried to force yourself to do better, to be better, holier, more righteous?
And when you inevitably fail, have you redoubled your doomed efforts as you begin to hate every bit of who you are?

Then you know.

Separated from the Father’s forgiveness and grace, hopelessness descends in a black, suffocating fog.

During this time, Luther earned a teaching position at the University of Wittenberg. Delving deeply into the Scriptures, Luther was gripped by the books of Psalms and Romans. He was faced with the reality of Jesus Christ, and the truth that His blood covers all of our sins, giving us freedom in obedience.

Luther realized salvation comes through no religious ritual, or any other
source, outside of Jesus himself.
Forgiveness, salvation, and righteousness,
Found in Christ alone.
Through faith alone.
By grace alone.
Revealed through the Spirit-inspired Word of God alone.
To the glory of God alone.

As the light of understanding dawned in his heart, Luther exclaimed, “At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I [. . .] began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith […] Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open.”

Can you feel it, friend? 

Lost in hopelessness, weighed down to a breaking point by the impossible burden of perfection, wounded again, and again, and again by the accuser (or your own thoughts) . . . Suddenly, three words reverberate through the fog around you.

“It is finished.”

The clamor of self-flagellating accusations is silenced by a deafening CRACK as the shackles binding you to the crushing weight of your sin and failed righteousness break and fall away.

As the swirling mist begins to lighten, you are able to make out Someone approaching. He crouches before your crumpled self, wrapping a scarred hand around your own. “My child,” He says with gentle authority, “you are free. I carried your sin burden to My cross, and I left it behind in My empty tomb. My righteousness is now your own. Accept My grace and walk in faith.” This was Luther encountering the freedom found in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

Longing for his fellow believers to experience the same transformation unto freedom, Luther clearly outlined his newfound understanding of salvation in the publication of the 95 Theses. His theses spread across Europe, calling the church to eliminate practices distorting the New Testament’s teaching on the truth of salvation in Christ. Eyes everywhere were opened to the authority, power, and sovereignty of Christ and His role as head of the church.

Yet, despite his fame, Luther remained a simple man devoted to his family. With his wife, Katharina, and their six children, he shared his passion for music, story, and the grace and joy found in following Christ.

In fact, Martin and Katie Luther were influential in changing cultural perspectives on marriage and family. Fighting prevailing views of marriage as a distraction from the holy, Luther argued for the sacred nature of a God-centered marriage, explaining: “There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage” (Robinson, 2017).

The Luthers’ approach to family portrayed it as an important, God-given gift, shaping us to be more like Christ. Their home was warm, lively, and full of joy.

The Luther family continued to put feet to their faith as they often welcomed others into their home, housing orphans and ministry leaders. Their gift of hospitality was clear and rooted in their love for the Father.

The true peak of Luther’s life wasn’t the Theses, nor his lifelong public ministry. Rather, he most treasured the moments spent in quiet communion with the Father, listening to His voice and experiencing His love. Martin would often wake before sunrise and sit with the Prince of Peace, even through the intensity of depression and sickness. In the face of trials, he gained strength and endurance in Christ alone.

As Luther’s life testifies, our Father’s love is steadfast and transforms our hearts and lives, from our most intimate interactions with those closest to us to our most public efforts to share the forgiveness, grace, and hope we find in God alone.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Ignite Day 10 Fueling The Fire

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:11-16
1 Corinthians 1:10
Matthew 7:1-5

Ignite, Day 10

The Protestant Reformation was a movement toward Western Christianity in the 16th century. Many credit the Reformation to a document called the 95 Theses written by Martin Luther in 1517, even though there were several years separating the two events. Luther, under the Holy Spirit’s conviction through Scripture, could not abide the incongruences growing between what he knew to be true in Scripture and what he saw happening the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, the 95 Theses was birthed by a man who anchored himself firmly on the absolute truth of Scripture. He called out unbiblical practices in the Catholic Church such as selling indulgences for the purpose of absolving sin. The questions Martin Luther raised snowballed when others also questioned Catholic practices for themselves. As a result, Church as we know it today began growing like wildfire as the living and active Word of God was unleashed!

Martin Luther, born in 1483 in Germany, became not only a professor of theology, but also a monk, composer, and priest. In 1507, he was ordained into priesthood.

During his first 10 years as a priest he began questioning several Catholic teachings and practices the more he read and studied what Scripture taught.

The two main beliefs anchoring Luther’s Theses were first, the absolute authority of the Bible and second, salvation is a gift of grace with not a hint of human works attached.
Both were hot spots for Luther, but they were commonly accepted in the Catholic church.

Luther was first and foremost, a passionate follower of Jesus. As with every person who sincerely crosses the line of faith and surrenders to Christ as their Savior from sin, the more deeply you follow Jesus, the more precious His Word becomes.
This was the case for Luther. He did not set out to change the world, but the Lord used him to fuel a fire the Holy Spirit Himself had ignited through conviction and the living, active Word of God!

Because Martin loved the Lord, he loved the Church as well, seeing her as the Bride of Christ. This love fueled his adamant, biblical stance against the Church promoting and practicing falsehood. Bound by his love for the Lord, Luther would not, could not remain silent.

Some (like me!) might picture Luther, full of fiercity, storming up to the church, nailing his famous Theses in an angry way. Perhaps you see a societal giant, angrily accusing the church of sin, attacking the Catholic church while inciting others to follow him as he formed a new church. But after researching more about the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther, I see a different story.

Martin Luther was a man calling out sin in his local church body. His intent was not personal attacks, hot-headed anger, or breaking away for the purpose of doing church his way. Luther was a man of love. Love for the Savior, the Scriptures, and the Church. In fact, he loved her enough to ache longingly for her to be whole, healthy, and a stronger body, built solidly on the foundation of truth.

The 95 Theses is written in a questioning style not littered with accusation, but instead questioned from a scholarly perspective.
I see a man trying to live out the passage in Ephesians 4:11-16,
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Have you ever been in a church, or with a group of fellow believers, and notice them doing something either sinful or not glorifying to God?

What was your response?

Like me, many people stay silent when witnessing sinful practices within the Body of Christ. I have been there many times and, instead of having a loving conversation with my brothers or sisters, I shy away.

Why do I shy away?
Transparently, because I’m think of Matthew 7:3-5:
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

I then get reflective and ask myself if I want my brothers or sisters to call out my sin.
My immediate response is, “Heck no, I want people to think I’m perfect or near perfect at least. I’ll call my own stuff out when I’m ready.”
This is sin.

Ladies, Satan knows Scripture and he knows how to twist it!
These words from Jesus are meant to bring unity within the Body, weeding out arrogant hearts who think our way is best. This was not Luther’s intent as he penned and posted his theses!

As believers, it should be our desire to foster safe relationships within the Body where we lovingly call out sin in one another so that we can grow together and be built up. (1 Peter 2:4-6)

I know I’ve grown during difficult moments of hearing the truth about my actions,
this was Luther’s heart for the church!

Sisters, let’s challenge each other to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, to call out sin with truth and grace, to love Jesus foremost, and hold high the supreme truth of Scripture in our everyday lives!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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