The Reformation

—Psalm 77:14

Truly, we can apply this word of the Psalmist to the event of the Reformation. It was Luther who was used as a means in God’s hand to bring His Church out of the idolatrous house of bondage of Rome. How wonderful are the deeds and ways of the Lord with His Church! This holds true not only for every living member of the Church personally in their life, but also for the Church of the Lord as instituted, that is, according to the way she manifests herself. In this all, God executes His eternal counsel. Therefore how the words of the poet fit with this fact of the Reformation: “Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”

What was the condition of the Church in the Middle Ages? It was a planted garden of the Lord, was it not? Well, she lay sunk away in unbelief, superstition, and idol-worship. How many were there not, who with a worried heart sought peace and rest for their soul, and therefore subjected themselves to all kinds of chastisements or, in another way, by doing good works attempted to obtain true peace! One can easily understand what the situation was. Many were bowed down under human, superstitious, Goddishonoring and Christ-dishonoring teachings and doctrines. The Word of the Lord had been forsaken and was unknown to many. Rightly, therefore, can one speak of the dark Middle Ages.

But still the Lord shall not leave nor forsake His Church. Although there were people who tried to bring about reform and tried to cleanse the church from many conditions, when all hope, as it were had been given up, then it was God’s time. Then Luther was used by the Lord, and in the strength of the Lord he caused the monumental building of idolatrous Rome to shake on its foundation. He it was who on that 31st of October, 1517, nailed the 95 Theses against indulgences onto the door of the castle-church at Wittenburg. Hereby he pointed out to the Church the soul-destroying and God-dishonoring doctrine of indulgences, by which a person could buy the forgiveness of sins with money. And thus he pointed out that only the blood of Christ, God’s Son, washes and cleanses of all sins, that all good works of men have no value whatsoever in the way of the justification of a sinner before God, but that full salvation is in Christ alone.

By the grace of God, Luther could not act differently. For even though he had to promise, as was customary with the acceptance of the doctorate in theology, that he would defend the truth of Scripture, he had learned personally by grace, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

And although Luther wanted to bring the Romish Church back to the purity of God’s Word by pointing to the comfortlessness and destructiveness of her erroneous doctrine, she did not want to listen, and in her bitter enmity excommunicated him. Indeed, against his pure confession, she drew up a false confession.

Then the Lord brought His Church out of Rome and placed the Church of the Reformation in the pure light of His Word. How very much then do the words of the Psalmist relate to what the Lord has done. “Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”

And now we may live under that clear light of God’s Word and share in the possession of the heritage of the Reformation. What a blessing, never to be appreciated enough, which the Lord gives us! But it is not enough for salvation. For we can call ourselves sons and daughters of the Reformation, but what does it profit us if the experience of the Spirit and the principle of the Reformation is lacking? That is, if true conversion is missing? For the essence of the Reformation is justification by faith without the works of the law. And in order to learn to know that, as our Reformers have learned by grace, the subjective application by the Holy Spirit of the Word of God which is entrusted to us is necessary for us. May the Lord grant it to us — that is our wish and prayer. ?

Rev. M. Heerschap is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Lethbridge, Alberta.

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