Welcome in the Name of Jesus!!

Is the Reformation Relevant?

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. That was a hammer that brought in seismic changes to Europe and the Christian Church and its echoes shook the world. Today, sadly, it is hardly more than a whisper.  Even more sadly is that Halloween has replaced the celebration of the Reformation even in many Lutheran churches.

For many Protestant churches, it has been like the “telephone” game, where a little was added here, a little changed there, a little taken away somewhere else. The general population has now moved into a post-Christian era, where differences in Christian theological tenets matter less than choices on the restaurant menu.

So is the Reformation still relevant today?

We should rephrase the question in this way: “Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ still relevant today?” For that is what the Reformation was about: the salvation Christ won for the world. In proclaiming justification by faith alone, through God’s grace alone and not by our own merit and works, the gates were opened for millions to know God’s mercy. The Reformation was about the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

There is an old latin saying, "Ecclesia semper reformanda est" which means "the church is always reforming"....or should be.  This means that the church needs to be always going back to what made it the church in the first place.  The proclamation of Jesus Christ.  So, yes, the Reformation is still relevant today and needs to be.  May it ever be!