A Reformation Day Meditation

If I have done the math right, Monday Oct. 31, 2005 marks the 488th anniversary of the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the chapel at Wittenburg, igniting what would come to be known as the Reformation.

And while this is the season of the year when Christians get all worked up about, and involved in, debates about Halloween, I think the most unfortunate thing about Halloween is that it has eclipsed our celebration of the Reformation. 

True, not everyone in our country is from the protestant tradition and if you are not of this tradition it will mean little to you.  If you are not of the Christian faith it will mean less.

But even the vast majority of those from protestant traditions, who believe that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, have little, if any, appreciation for the Reformation.  Here in America these same folks will celebrate national holidays like the 4th of July or Memorial Day or Veterans Day with the gusto they deserve while neglecting to remember the Reformation.  This is a shame because the things that transpired at the time of the Reformation were world shaping events, whereas the national holidays that people from countries around the world usually have particular significance to particular nations and peoples.  The Reformation has a significance that transcends national concerns.

But more importantly, the Reformation has a spiritual significance which transcends these lesser matters of life, like the affairs of nations.  This is because the Reformation marked the recovery of the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.  It marked the recovery of the gospel. While it is true that these things are taught in the Scriptures and that no reformer or other human being should be given credit for the doctrines themselves, it is also true that these precious truths had been all but lost before the time of the Reformation.  In His providence, God chose certain men at a certain time in history to recover the very gospel itself.  It is this gospel by which we are saved.  And we who confess the evangelical faith in our day are remiss in forgetting this important aspect of our history.

I am well aware of the dangers that come from loving a tradition, not the least of which is the danger of loving the tradition more than Christ. And yet I confess unashamedly that I love the Reformed tradition because it gave Christ back to me.

If I am asked to give a short explanation of what the Reformed tradition is all about I always say that the unique thing about the this tradition is that it puts the focus on what God has done for man in Christ, rather than what man must do for God or Christ.

We can talk about the five solas or the five points of calvinism and those are important aspects of the reformed tradition, but they are really markers along the way to a more important point.  The most important point of the Reformed traditon is that in all things Christ must have the preeminence (Colossians 1:17).

You may say that all Christian traditions emphasize the preeminence of Christ, and in that I would agree.  But I would ask, "in what way is Christ preeminent?"  In the early days of my Christian life Christ was preeminent in that the focus of my life was on pleasing Him, working for Him and doing all that I could for Him.  While the gospel was present in those days, especially as a means of entering the household of faith, I found that once I came into the household the focus was on living for Christ, learning Christian principles and doing all I could for Him.  In my short time as a Christian I have learned enough principles of Christian living to choke a horse. In those days, Christ was preeminent, but He was preeminent in a way that the focus of my Christian life was on what I could and should do for Him.

The thing I love the most about the reformed tradition is that Christ is preeminent in that the focus is always on what He has done for me.  The fact of the matter is that Romans 7 is the story of my life and while I lived with a focus on what I must do for Christ I slowly lost the joy of my salvation because such a focus can't respond effectively to the Romans 7 struggle.  It can only tell you to try harder.

The reformed tradition reminded me that no amount of self-striving on my part could enable me to win the battle against indwelling sin. Salvation and sanctification are by grace, through faith, because of Christ from first to last.

David Powlison says that if we were to take a yellow highlighter and go through the Bible and highlight every command, every verse that says tells us something that we must do, we might highlight 15-20% of the Bible.  He admits that he has not done a scientific study of this, he is just estimating.  But his point is that he thinks that 80-85% of the Bible is simply story, the story of the great acts of God on behalf of His people.  Powlison says that God seems to have the idea that if His people can just know who He is, it will make all the difference in the world in their lives.

This what I think is the beauty of the reformed tradition.  It reminds us that the focus is always on Christ, we always proclaim what Christ has done for man, not what man must do for Christ.  And we understand that this simple proclamation is sufficient to make all the difference in the world.

Happily, there are many who claim no allegiance to the reformed tradition who do this and unhappily there are many in the reformed tradition who don't.  I have often lamented that the reformed are the only people in the world who can make grace sound like bad news.

And though I love this tradition and am happy to use an occasion like the anniversary of the birth of the reformation to sing its praises, I really could care less if the reformed tradition or the reformers get any credit.  Since I have studied this period of history a bit and the theology that came out of it I have fallen in love with the tradition and its representatives and think you could also benefit from learning about it.  But I don't care what you call it as long as you keep the focus of your Christian life on what Christ has done for you instead of what you must do for Him.

I think this could revolutionize not only individual Christians but the church as a whole.  Over 100 years ago E. M. Bounds said some words that may be more true today than when he uttered them:

 

WE are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel.  

 

Bounds, E. M. 1999. Power through prayer. Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

For Bounds, the solution to such a focus was to switch the focus from methods to men, more particularly men of prayer. I would differ with him and say the alternative to the problem he raised is simply a renewed focus on Christ.  Even his proper desire to elevate prayer above methods still makes the Christian faith dependent on the work of men. 

What we need is a renewed focus on Christ.  If we will but tell people of all that Christ has done, that will make all the difference in the world.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.

 

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 . Standard Bible Society: Wheaton

Happy Reformation Day!

Comments

[Bill Hayes]

Great post, David! I added a link to it on my post about Reformation Day.

[William Dicks]

Very thoughtful David!

I have also written posts on the reformation (http://williamdicks.blogspot.com/2005/10/reformation-unleashing-salvation.html) and how the church is neglecting the reformation (http://williamdicks.blogspot.com/2005/10/wayward-church-neglecting-reformation.html), if you care to read them.

God bless!

[William Dicks]

Very thoughtful David!

I have also written posts on the reformation (http://williamdicks.blogspot.com/2005/10/reformation-unleashing-salvation.html) and how the church is neglecting the reformation (http://williamdicks.blogspot.com/2005/10/wayward-church-neglecting-reformation.html), if you care to read them.

God bless!

[Christian Cryder]

Nice post David! I've noticed several references to Powlison of late - it sounds like you are taking a class or two up here at WTS? What days/times are you on campus? (there are some fellow bloggers on campus; might be fun to get together over lunch or coffee)

Christian

[Peter Bogert]

Ditto. A good post, and I linked to it as well. I had made some remarks on this on my blog over the last two weeks. If you WTS students/bloggers are getting together, let me know - I live about 10 minutes away.

[Jacob Allee]

Wonderful post. How true that if we take the focus of of what we can do for Christ and place on what Christ has done for us, how much of a difference that would make! I think when we focus on the incredible saving grace of Christ in our lives it will produce more action than any other motivating force!

If you're interested I have an ongoing debate with a Roman Catholic where I'm defending the reformation. Your welcoime to check it out and comment if you'd like! www.4hisword.blogspot.com

[The Dane]

Just for another perspective on the noted day:
I've written about this several years running, but while I think it interesting to remark on the Reformation and some of the benefits I enjoy due to it, I think it inappropriate to celebrate something - that in my eyes - is an example of Christian division. While schism may not have been on Luther's heart when he pinned his Top 95 on a door that's likely only famous because it was the resting place of those theses, schism is the overriding stigma of the Reformation. The doctrines of grace and the authority of Scripture must always take a back seat to the real and lasting change brought about by the Reformation: the church failed to maintain unity in such a way that division and splintering everafter seemed so commonplace and normal that Protestant Christianity never seems to grieved by the presence of one million and three denomination scattered across the American landscape.

Despite all the little ways in which Protestant Christianity has and does fail in its Christianity, the hallmark failure of the Protestant reality - which sits, as a pall, over the whole of Protestant history is that its birth is one of disunity and schism. It's a legacy that affects the Protestant church even today.

In reality, I recognize that many people are wishing to celebrate more the doctrines of grace more than anything when they speak of Reformation Day - something I'm fine with. But by recalling history in the celebration, they bring up something that is not remotely commendable by the responsible believer (i.e., divisiveness). Rather than celebrating the Reformation, I think we should be celebrating Christianity, or at least the principle of responsible reformation (the idea that our beliefs are always being reformed in order that they might conform more stringently to elusive Fact of the gospel). Celebrating Reformation Day smacks too much our typical M.O. of believing that our Christian tradition is the only worthwhile tradition - that other churches are lesser churches.

I am Reformed. I despise Reformation Day. Go figger, huh?

(cross-posted at Nowheresville, USA)

[Mark Daniels]

Good job, David...from a Lutheran. My message yesterday morning focused on Romans 1:16. I basically gave a history lesson on how Luther came to be branded a heretic and unleash the ongoing reformation of Christ's Church. It's a great and important story, like most of the Bible, of God reaching out to us to destroy the power of sin and death over us. "Because of Christ from first to last!" So well put...AMEN. Good stuff, David.

(By the way, my message is posted on my blog.)

Blessings in Christ,
Mark Daniels

[GeneMBridges]

Good post David, excellent insights.

For the gentleman that said that he refuses to celebrate a day that reminds us of division in the body, I would reply that the divisions within Protestantism itself have occurred precisely because the heirs of the Protestant Reformation have abandoned, not adhered to, the priniciples of the Reformation and Reformation Day. Therefore, Reformation Day is a call to unity, not division. When Protestants adhere to the 5 Solas, they agree on far more than they differ, and those areas of major differences in times past and present are, in fact, traceable to Protestants' failure to adhere to certain of those principles. Abandoning Sola Scriptura, for example, opens the door to many views on which we have the most differences. If we took that one principle and applied it consistently, we would likely not have the divisions we have today.

[Mike Perrigoue]

Just stopping by. Great blog...great post. Yes indeed, it is a sad thing how Halloween eclipses one of the most influential events in the world.

Happy Reformation Day!

[Jacob Allee]

Amen Mike! I myself am not reformed, but I celebrate the recovery of the gospel via the reformation. People like to point out all these different denominations and how un-unified we are as protestants. But it's not so much a matter of believers being un-unified as it is what can light have to do with darkness. So many protestant denominations have left basic Christian teachings all together, and are in fact not brothers. And those of us that hold to scripture as the final authority have much more in common than not, and can work together fo God's glory and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[The Dane]

A simple question to illustrate my point: How many presbyterian denominations are there?

Further, if Protestants *are* interested in unity, why haven't these denominations (that all hold conservatively to the doctrines of the Bible) merged into a single denomination. It is because they hold the division of doctrine above the unity of the church. I suspect Paul would find this distasteful as well (as he seems to do with the Corinthians who are dividing over the doctrine of one man over another).

To picture the majority of Christian denominations as having sold off, having "abandoned, not adhered to, the priniciples of the Reformation" is just a silly way to treat the rest of the church. And by "silly," I mean pretty dang tragic. And the idea that adherence to the five Solas could stem disunity is laughable. Have you ever been to a presbytery meeting in the OPC? I assure you that each and every one of those red-in-the-face elders believe deeply in the five Solas; and yet, they cannot agree on anything and will fight tooth-and-nail against their opposition, sometimes demanding the censure of other godly men who hold strongly to the five Solas.

[Arden Morley]

Thank you. I was truly blessed by this post.

[rey]

What Reformation Day really is is this: The Reformed doctrine is a reformation of Satan's character. The Reformed doctrine asserts that Satan is under the direct micromanagerial control of Christ, that "the Devil is God's Devil and only does what God wants." Thus, by asserting that the devil does as God makes him, and that alone, the devil is Reformed into being an obedient puppet of God. In the process, however, God is Reformed into being as bad as the Devil. Thus, the Reformed (i.e. Calvinists) chose to place their holiday on October 31st to coincide with the Devil's holiday, which is Halloween. But Paul says that Christ has no concord with Belial (i.e. the Devil) in 2nd Corinthians 6:15. The Reformed position is a denial of this very important distinction between Christ and Belial and was invented by Belial specifically to convince men that he is nothing more than Christ's sock-puppet and thus Belial causes men to blaspheme Christ and go to hell.