10/31/2026
𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻! 🥳
On this day in 1517, it's (widely) believed that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany- at the time, the capital of the Electorate of Saxony (Germany wasn't a country yet).
Luther's 95 theses were an argument against the Roman Catholic doctrine, practice & sale of plenary "indulgences"- which were (basically) 'get out of purgatory quicker' tickets (authorized & regulated by a papal bull) signed by the pope (Leo X- a member of the powerful Medici banking family) that the "church" & their salesmen were selling to the average peasant. You could buy one for yourself, your family, friends, or family members who had died. The whole point was to raise money to build St. Peter's basillica. So, it was (essentially) the first example of a mega-church using God to hustle people out of their money.
Anyway, in exposing these indulgences, Luther (a Roman Catholic at the time & an Augustinian monk) merely wanted to correct an error raging through the "church". He never wanted to start a new church or kick off the protestant movement- but Rome was more focused on money & power- and "indulgences" was one of the various means to this money & power. Like the pharisees of Christ's time, they couldn't be corrected- because that would mean they'd lose authority & prestige. This kicked off a firestorm protest against the obvious evils of the Roman "church"- which, at the time, looked more like a secular kingdom than a ministry. The pope looked more like a king & treated himself as such. "Christians" looked more like citizens of an earthly kingdom. In so doing, Luther forever changed the world! In a very Christ-like fashion, he took the power from the pope & his religious minions and put it back into the hands of the people- and instructed them to read their bibles! He exposed the religious tyrants hiding behind their dogmas & "tradition"- locked into the Roman episcopate & reminded people of the simplicity of salvation!
Justification is by the grace of God through faith in the finished work of Christ alone. Not our works. Not our religious practice. Not our efforts, merits, or purchase of "indulgences".
Thus, with St. Paul, the true & historic apostolic faith & Luther "𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄." (Rom. 3:28).
Luther wrote in the Smallcald Articles (1537),
"The first & chief article is this, that Jesus Christ, our God & Lord '𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻' (Rom. 4:25). He alone is the '𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗯 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱' (Jn. 1:29). '𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹' (Is. 53:6) Moreover, '𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 & 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱' & they are '𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀' (Rom. 3:23-24).
Inasmuch as this must be believed & cannot be obtained or apprehended by any work, law, or merit, it is clear & certain that such faith alone justifies us, as St. Paul says in Romans 3 '𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄' (Rom. 3:28)...
Nothing in this article can be given up or compromised, even if heaven & earth & things temporal should be destroyed...
On this article rests all that we teach & practice against the pope, devil, and the world. Therefore we must be quite certain & have no doubts about it. Otherwise all is lost, and the pope, the devil, and all our adversaries will gain the victory."
Thank God for Christ & the Gospel- for the body that was broken & the blood that was shed! Thank God for the gift of salvation! Thank God for the apostles & the Christian faith. Thank God for Martin Luther & the Reformation! 😎
Have a great day & stay safe.
