Source Ministries International

Reformation Day is traditionally celebrated on October 31. Reformation Day is a Protestant holiday that commemorates the Reformation movement started by Dr. Martin Luther in the 16th century.  As Luther studied the Bible, He became convinced that the Church was corrupt and had lost sight of what he saw as several of the central truths of Christianity. The most important thing for Luther was the doctrine of justification—God’s act of declaring a sinner righteous—by faith alone through God’s grace.

Luther began to teach that salvation or redemption is a gift of God’s grace, attainable only through faith in Jesus as the Messiah. “Luther’s doctrine of justification is viewed (by the Finns) as a function of his central emphasis on the believer’s actual participation in the divine life through union with Christ.” According to one account, Luther nailed a list of Ninety-five Theses (which were a list of his objections) to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.

Because of Luther’s actions, he was excommunicated from the Catholic church by Pope Leo X in January 1521. He then had to appear before the Imperial Assembly under the authority of the Emperor to determine whether he would recant his writings. When Luther refused to recant, the Emperor issued the Edict of Worms, declaring him an imperial outlaw and a notorious heretic.   This began what is known as the Protestant Reformation.

I stood on the spot in the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, where Dr. Martin Luther preached. It was such a moving experience that I cried in gratitude for what Luther had done. I thank God for Luther’s stand of faith, which made it possible for the message of biblical salvation to be preserved! I am grateful for Luther’s firm conviction that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. God used Dr. Martin Luther to preserve Christianity! Hallelujah, thank You, Lord!