Nena Arias | October 9, 2023
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
(Psalm 24:1)
In the course of history, from time to time, sooner or later entire generations move away from godliness, without which we cannot live for too long. Then there comes along a generation that yearns for godliness and does everything within its power to pursue it and we should thank God for that. But this yearning is usually birthed in the heart of one individual who then begins to seek God in a closer relationship and then shares his burden with others who also begin to yearn for the same and they join in this quest. It may take time but if it is a genuine yearning time will only cause it to grow.
This was the case of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century brought to the forefront by the boldness of a simple monk who God used to bring on one of the greatest impacts the world has ever known after the coming of Christ to earth. Martin Luther caused people to hunger for the true, unadulterated Word of God to lead and guide us in spiritual matters rather than mere religious dogmas created by men who said they represented God here on earth. This impact is still alive in the world today.
We here in America should be extra grateful for this move which birthed the hunger in the Puritans for the purity of God’s word to lead and guide their lives. This hunger drove them to seek a place where they could freely exercise their Christian faith and they came to America to establish a colony to do just that without the interference of government. In America, we are especially grateful to Almighty God for the Reformation which began in Germany on October 31, 1517, with Martin Luther.
When Martin Luther nailed what is known as his “95 thesis” (points of discussion) to the Wittenberg’s Castle church he entered into a fierce confrontation with the only organized Christian church at the time known as the Apostolic Roman Catholic Church, which to this day is led by a pope. This put Luther in a direct fight against the might, power, and wealth of Rome. But thank God he was willing to pay that price as we consider the fruits that Reformation brought to the world.
Are we ready for another reformation? I would answer a resounding “yes” to that question.
Humanity faces a multitude of problems. Some “experts” say that many of these problems are without an immediate solution. The truth is, every man-made problem has a solution and can be resolved, many times, much quicker than people think. The caveat is that the original problem often requires a great dose of humility and that is hard to find. The good news, contrary to popular opinion, is that humanity is heading toward a better world that will be different than the one experienced by past generations. Why do I say this? Because God is still working out his master plan that will culminate in the glorious reformation of everything made new. The hope is that the right generation will come along and finally get it right. That generation will finally discover the way the development of society was initially created to be. This is not so difficult to know if we only take the time to read “God’s blueprint” accurately –the Bible.
Apart from the birth and accomplished work of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, which was the most important event in all of human history, the next significant episode is what took place on October 31, 1517. The Augustinian Catholic priest, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany boldly exposing the papal error of selling indulgences for the forgiveness of sin. This is so egregious to the work of Christ that sooner or later God had to set the world straight. Because if we could pay with indulgences for the forgiveness of sin, why did Jesus Christ come to die? All of his work would be in vain.
The theses were written in Latin, but soon they were translated into German for the masses to read. Luther’s intentions were for the Church to change from within, he did not want to split from the institution, least of all to start a separate movement away from centuries of traditions and rituals. The rest is history, the 16th century Reformation was born, and no earthly power could stop the fire in the heart and mind of the people that experienced the truth revealed in God’s Word.
It is God who directs history. It says in: Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; [upon the earth].” Psalm 2:1 says: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?”
We must pay attention to the events that impact the human race and culture in the world. If the impact of these events was positive, they should not be ignored. Rather, they should be studied, see what principles were used and they should be imitated. This was the case of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Before Martin Luther’s bold move to defy the pope, other Middle Age reformers had already been on the move since the 1170’s to make it happen. No significant movement that has deep and long-range impact stands alone. Among these contributors were the Waldensians, whose leader was Peter Waldo, a rich French businessman, the Lollards, inspired by the teachings of John Wycliff, and the Czech Brethren whose founder was Jan Hus. Their teachings came in direct conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. By 1215, the Waldensians were declared heretical.
The main emphasis of these groups was to preserve the purity of the Gospel that had been thrown out the window and replaced with what could benefit those in power. The church was far removed from the teachings of the full counsel of the Bible. It is sad to say that we are also in that very same position in our times.
We must also bring the unadulterated Word of God back to the forefront in our beliefs and value system for our culture. The promotion of the education of the Bible must be given priority once again. God will not be mocked, what we sow is what we are reaping.
History is moving forward, and humans do not control it.
We have the challenge to reform the humanistic worldview of philosophy, theology, education, science, politics, and economics that has spread throughout the world with the distorted view of life on earth and beyond.
The five-hundred-year-old historical movement will continue to demand of the present and future generations to bring the next biblical reformation that will lead science, technology, humanities, commerce, and education to a higher level with ethical solutions that now plague humanity with corruption.
God’s people must be willing to obey and act upon the call to disciple the nations or go through a horrifying and devastating cataclysm this time the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Protestant, Evangelical and Independent churches will not escape a shaking of biblical proportions.
You and I decide which direction we will take but one thing is for sure; we desperately need another reformation.