In light of today being Reformation Day, I want to briefly examine the lasting effects that the Protestant Reformation has had on Christianity as we know it. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem Concord Hymn ends its first stanza by referring to the “shot heard ’round the world.” Emerson was referring to that first fateful musket shot which began not only the battle of Lexington and Concord, but the American Revolutionary War.

Though it is doubtful that the participants of that battle understood its full significance, through the lens of history and the filter of hindsight, we are able to see that that shot indeed had worldwide significance. Similarly, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a copy of what came to be known as the 95 Theses to the church gate at Wittenburg.

Luther had written a series of 95 points, which at their heart, challenged the sale of indulgences, which by that time was a common practice. The Roman Catholic Church had come to teach that merit, and in a deeper sense, righteousness before God, could be purchased. The veneration of relics could slash up to 1,000,000 years off of a stay in Purgatory. This system is perhaps best encapsulated in the saying of Johann Tetzel: “When a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs.”

Martin Luther had been brought up in this system to believe that confession and penance could attain favor with God. As a result of severe disciplinarian parents and schoolmasters, Luther developed a keen sense of discipline and judgment coupled with a feeling that he could never be good enough. Though his father had made all of the necessary arrangements for Luther to pursue a career in law, in the late summer of 1505, Luther abruptly gave up studies in law and entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, much to the contempt of his father. Several factors seem to have contributed to this decision. Weeks earlier, Luther had been caught in a severe thunderstorm during which he feared for his life. He cried out to St. Anne that if he was spared, he would become a monk. He was spared, but it also seems that his decision was affected by a deep concern for his own soul.

During the early years of his monastic life, Luther struggled deeply with indwelling sin. He was told that he must confess, ask forgiveness and perform penance. Yet he quickly realized that if this was all that there was, then every sin must be confessed in order to be forgiven. Luther would spend hours boring his confessors with every imaginable sin, which he often referred to as “knots” in his spiritual life. Luther even resorted to beating himself to purge indwelling sin but he quickly realized that the sins of the flesh go much deeper than the skin. Luther became convinced that he had been right all along and that he (nor anyone) ever could be good enough for God and he often struggled with deep bouts of depression.

Luther’s superiors then did what for many of us would be the last thing we would do, they made him a priest and assigned him to lecture through the Scriptures. Luther’s solace most likely came in 1515 when lecturing through Paul’s epistle to the Romans. God stopped him at Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Here Luther found the comfort, hope, strength and joy that had so long eluded him. Luther came to realize what his soul had known all along, that there was no amount of confession, penance of self-mutilation that could earn favor with God. Instead, our righteousness comes through faith in Christ (this faith itself is a gift from God). Once Luther grasped this precious truth, he too could say with Paul that he was not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).

In this verse and others Luther began to grasp the doctrine of justification through faith alone by grace alone (which is once again coming under attack). A doctrine, which in a sense, was “heard ’round the world.” In attacking the sale of indulgences, Luther was not only attacking a false theology, but he was also attacking the profits of the powers in that be and this did not go unnoticed. Luther was called to appear before Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and commanded to recant his positions. This scene ended with Luther’s famous lines:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.

Luther survived several attempts on his life and eventually returned to public life after being sheltered by friends in a castle. Luther died on Februrary 18, 1546 of complications from an apparent heart attack, leaving behind an incredible yet mixed legacy. Luther is sometimes known for his shortcomings as much as any successes: he was brash, sometimes down-right rude and had a penchant for sometimes over-drinking and under-thinking (not a good combination). These faults coupled with an apparent anti-Semitism leave a legacy that is as stained as it is shining.

In a man like Martin Luther we have the reminder that God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary causes. We are reminded that the Gospel is precious yet difficult because it is the truth that we can do nothin on our own, we are wholly dependent upon God for salvation. We are reminded that we must cherish the Word of God because when it is neglected, so are souls. We are also reminded that we must watch our lives closely (1 Timothy 4:16) because people are watching and will remember when our words and actions do not align with the Gospel.

Though we could spend significant time and energy untangling the legacy of the Reformation and Luther, but on the anniversary of these events, we may praise God that He saves and that He will keep His Word pure. He will continue to work in and through and sometimes in spite of people like Luther and us.

• Read Martin Marty’s biography of Martin Luther

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