500 years ago today a man nailed his beliefs about God’s grace on a church door. There was no one there to record the scene of a lone churchman with his hammer and papers with their phone. There were no posts to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. No one blogged about the event. The 24/7 news channels did not begin to speculate on what difference it would make if people actually believed the radical ideas that Luther posted and what the response of the church might be. Yet somehow, this single act altered the course of western civilization.
Ideas are powerful. Ideas that proclaim the truth of God and the wonder of the Gospel are explosive! Because of the printing press, Luther’s beliefs about grace became known throughout Europe. That one action of a man whose heart was captured by the power of faith turned the world upside down.
Sometimes we think we can’t do much. But when people talk about faith being the gift of God which leads to the rescue of our own dark hearts, stunning things happen. God isn’t interested in what impress people. He doesn’t follow public opinion polls. He is interested in people who are interested in him.
Today is Reformation Day. Luther risked his life to tell people that God rescues people through his gift of gospel grace. Take a moment to thank God for Luther’s courage and for the courage of all the reformers who followed after him. Then, follow his example. Our culture is in bondage to the false gospel of self-fulfillment and self-pleasure. We have become slaves of our pursuit for personal freedom. The people you know need to hear about good news of faith. They need to hear that the purpose of life is found in the gift of faith.
500 years ago, one man posted what he believed on a door because he could not contain truth of the gospel inside of himself. What is in your heart that is driving the story you will tell this day? May each of us share Luther’s vision.