The Reformation of the Church

Rev. A.W. Verhoef (1917-1996)

We know from the Holy Scriptures that the Lord forgives iniquity, heals diseases, redeems from destruction, crowns with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfies with good things all those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. He also executes righteousness and judgment and is a consuming fire to them who do not hearken to His Word. This is all based on a knowledge which God Himself makes known and on experience which the Lord Himself fulfills in the lives of His people. However, the God of the Bible, the only true God, not only saves, forgives, heals, and redeems but also reveals. He makes known the unknown through His grace from heaven. So “He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.”

We know that in these days of great spiritual declension it has become very dark in our life and soul because of sin and ignorance of the true Word of God. The sinner, therefore, needs to be taught by God what sin is. He must learn by the light of the Holy Spirit how his sins may be forgiven, the way of salvation, and how he must live to the glory of His Maker.

Only the Lord can give the right understanding of His Word. By nature, we are blind to sin and iniquity and are strangers of the way of grace and salvation. It is, therefore, necessary for all of us to be taught by the Lord not only that we are dead in trespasses and sins but also that the way of salvation is through the merits and atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, He is “a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of (His) people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

The Lord made known His ways and His acts to Moses and through him to the children of Israel. Yea, He gave Moses the right insight into the foretold coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen: “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto Me; unto Him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Do we know the God of Moses and of Israel? He Himself gave at that time light and knowledge. He Himself built His Church. In those days the people already said in their heart, “Depart from us, for we have no desire in the knowledge of Thy ways.” They worshipped a golden calf and, moreover, crucified the Lord Jesus, Prince of the kings of the earth. God took care of His church in ancient times and made known His ways. He also did that in the blessed days of the Reformation.

I think it is very necessary that we instruct our young people about the wonders which the Lord has done throughout the history of His church. Also for older people it is good to repeat what a great need the church had in those times. Let us never forget that it is through the providence of God that we may sit under the gospel preaching of free grace today. If there had not been the care and blessing of the King of His Church in the time of the Reformation, we, at the present time, would know very little about the true doctrine of salvation. Before God gave the great Reformation, there had been some God-fearing people (in the church) who were given to understand and see the great apostasy and misery of the church. Even though it was very dark, there would always be men whom the Lord endowed with the knowledge that neither the virgin Mary, nor the Pope, could give them the grace of God or forgive their sins. Yea, they were taught from above that only Christ could redeem them from all their sins and iniquities.

The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, however, would not listen, and they persecuted the true children of God. Then God provided another Moses to whom He would give not only the knowledge of free grace but also the right knowledge of the way of salvation for a people who lived in great darkness under the false doctrine of the false church of that day. The “Moses” whom God gave was Martin Luther, born on November 10,1483. For those of you who are interested, you may read of his conversion in some of our history books. When he was a young man, he was nearly killed by a bolt of lightning which struck him to the ground. He was very anxious for the welfare of his soul, but he looked to the wrong direction for help. He prayed, “Help me, Saint Anna, and I will become a monk.” He had yet to learn that only God can grant remission of sins.

He had come face to face with death, but he was not ready for it. For many years he wrestled with a great problem, and this was, “How can I become acquainted with a gracious God? How can I get assurance of forgiveness for my sins?” (Do we also have this problem in our soul?) There came a time that the Lord taught Luther out of Romans 1:17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” What did he then see with the eyes of his soul? Well, what he saw was this—the righteousness of God is not a righteousness that you and I can create; it is a righteousness with which “He clothes” us. It is the free gift of God by grace through faith.

Then came the year 1517 when Luther was thirty-four years old. At first he tried to reform the church from within, but God would lead him in another way. The Pope had decided to rebuild the famous St. Peter’s Church in Rome, and it was to be done magnificently. A notorious man by the name of Tetzel was appointed to obtain financing for this rebuilding by going around and selling indulgences. He told the people of the wonderful bargains which they could purchase for their soul’s well-being. Among other things which he said was that souls leaped from the flames of hell as the money rattled into his coffer. This had become a terrible scandal, particularly in the part of Germany where Luther lived. He knew, through grace, that forgiveness of sins was only the prerogative of God.

Luther then came to the firm conclusion that the preaching of the Church of Rome was totally wrong. To combat these errors he wrote his famous Ninety-five Theses. He nailed them on the church door at Wittenberg. What was their content? Following are some of the more important ones:

• “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent, He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

• “Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church, and this is granted him by God even without indulgence letters.”

• “Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through suffering, death, and hell and thus be confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace.”

God had made known His ways to Luther for the welfare of His church here upon earth. Within a few months these theses were translated into many languages. Thousands and thousands of copies were reproduced and distributed. Eventually Luther came to see that the entire Roman Catholic system of religion was opposed to the gospel and completely in error. At one time he said, “God led me on.” No, it was not his own work. God came to redeem His Church out of the slavery of the false church.

Through His Word and Spirit, the Lord gave Luther true knowledge about the way of salvation. Luther stated, “The Scripture and Scripture alone has authority, and not the teachings of the Pope and his servants.” Luther also translated the Bible into the German language, and in so doing he gave church members the true Word of God again. Luther’s comfort was that the Lord reigned and that He Himself protected him. Through the work of this servant, many people came to know the true doctrine of salvation and were rightly converted. It can be seen from history that God took care of His church during the blessed Reformation. God, in that time, made His ways known to His elect and His acts unto many of the inhabitants of Europe.

The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. The Lord would teach His people, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Oh, may we not forget the history of God’s church here upon earth. How is it today, however? Do we still pay attention to what the Lord gave so many years ago? It is good to read the history; it is good to study the lives of the men whom God raised up in the church from time to time, but above all, may the Lord use it as a means to our eternal welfare. There are many books, but most of them are worthless for our souls. Young and old, read those reliable and yet available books which speak of the works of God in the lives of our forefathers; above all read your Bibles.

Many people carry the name of Christian, but is it true? The Lord says to us in the Book of Revelation, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and naked.” During the time of the Reformation, thousands and thousands received reconciliation with God through the blood of the Lamb. They have learned through the Holy Spirit that we cannot pay for our sins but that we have to bow down before God in true humiliation and that, in such a way, He will give us what we need for our eternal felicity. Oh, pray for that true work of God in your soul and ask that He will make known His ways unto you.

In these days we hear people say, “Aren’t you forgetting that Rome is changing and that this is almost the twenty-first century?” Always remember, outwardly Rome may appear to change, but fundamentally Rome never changes. We should be troubled and concerned not only for our own soul’s welfare but also for those who live under a false doctrine. What is so necessary for all of us? It is this, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Oh, my beloved readers, could it be that we may receive a right conversion and fellowship with God through the work of the Holy Spirit and His Word. Then there would be a reformation not only in the churches but also in our hearts.

May God give us the decree and incorporation into the living Church; then we may trust in Him. Oh, may we become inhabitants of Zion, the city of God, for when everything else has gone, “the city of God remaineth.” God grant this to all of us so we, through free grace, may have the assurance that we are members and citizens of that city. They are only those who have learned, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.”

May the Lord make His Word more and more precious unto us on our journey to a never-ending eternity. Then we might understand what Luther sang:

God’s Word, for all their craft and force
One moment will not linger,
But spite of hell, shall have its course;
’Tis written by His finger.
And though they take our life,
Goods, honor, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small; These things shall vanish all;
The city of God remaineth.

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