Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School - Charleston, SC

Greetings from Pastor - October 2007
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It was 490 years ago this month that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the Castle Church's door in Wittenberg. October 31, 1517 on the eve of All Saints' Day, is the day that is marked in history as the start of the Protestant Reformation.
That is a long time ago. Christopher Columbus had discovered the New World only 25 years earlier and Henry VIII ruled in England. It seems that almost everything has changed since then. Almost everything perhaps, but not the Gospel that prompted Luther to post his theses. Luther challenged practices within the Church that obscured the Gospel and directed people's attention and devotion away from Jesus Christ. Luther contended for the sake of the Gospel that it is Christ alone that atoned for our sins and that our faith must trust Him alone for our salvation. Instead of a complicated system of penance, Luther relied on Scripture alone to find that justification before God depended only on faith in Christ and His death and resurrection as God's free gift.
Five Latin phrases emerged from the Reformation that summarize this truth that is the same today as it was 490 years ago and as it was 2000 years ago.

Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Sola Scriptura
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria

The first three appear from time to time in a circle around Luther's seal as in the picture in the middle of this article.

by Faith Alone
by Grace Alone
by Scripture Alone
in Christ Alone
Glory to God Alone

In the 490 years since the posting of the 95 Theses, these truths have not changed because our God has not changed and His Word has not changed. Salvation is still a free gift from God that is realized by faith in His Son. This we understand as God has revealed it to us in His holy Word and the glory is all His.
It would be wonderful to have a birthday everyday and to receive a present every day. In a simple way, Luther said that everyday is our birthday and that we receive a present every day. Every day we are reborn as a new creation in Christ and receive the present of forgiveness through faith in Him. Twelve years after posting the 95 Theses, Luther published the Small Catechism. In his explanation to the third article of the Apostles' Creed, he wrote, "In this Christian Church He (the Holy Spirit) daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true."
Luther understood that eternal life and salvation is a free gift from God through faith in Christ alone. It is good for us that God raises up bold men and women of faith from time to time in history such as Martin Luther to again make plain the truth that is simple and free as a daily gift.

Glory be to God Alone,
Pastor

Pastor

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Greetings from Pastor - October 2007