Reflecting on the Five Greatest Truths of the Reformation! by Wade Trimmer

 

(Here is a great article by Wade Trimmer as we are here on the true meaning of October 31. You can view the original article here. )

As we approach the 506^th year since a Catholic monk named Martin Luther initiated what has come to be known as “The Protestant Reformation”, on October 31, 1517, we should be prompted to review five truths that not only reformed the church, but literally transformed the world.

Among the multiplicities of errors promulgated by the Roman Church, none angered Luther more than the sale of indulgences. As a protest against the abuses of the sale of indulgences, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg. This was an open challenge to anyone who read the statement to debate him. Several years passed before anyone dared take up the cause.

Martin Luther's actions in 1517 set in motion the events that would transform the church, the history of Europe, lay the foundation for Western civilization, and become the cradle for the American republic.

The Reformation that followed in the wake of his bold actions was a back-to-the-Bible movement that recovered five great New Testament truths:

No Priest but Christ

This truth refuted the erroneous teaching of the Church of Rome that there were but a handful of individuals denominated priests who were go-betweens or mediators between God and man and all other believers were dependent upon them for access to and acceptance before God.

Never for a moment must we allow the Blessed Virgin, departed Saints, Popes, Cardinals, or Bishops, Priests, Masses, Images, Traditions, Indulgences, Sacraments, Confessionals, Monasteries, Nunneries, Pilgrimages, or Purgatory to stand between our souls and God. The prodigal can come straight to the Father, and the sinner to the Savior. It is because we believe this, experience this, and preach this, that we are not Protestants, but believer priest serving the one and only High Priest –Jesus – in the True Temple built up of all those in Christ.

No Sacrifice but Calvary

The Roman Church’s erroneous teaching of transubstantiation had resulted in Christ's once-and-for-all sacrifice of Himself for sin being buried beneath the Mass.

The Roman Catholic priest, John O'Brien, wrote a book called, "The Faith of Millions, The Credentials of the Catholic Religion." Concerning the Mass, he writes, "When the priest announces the tremendous words of consecration...this is the Mass ... he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the victim for the sins of man. It is a power exercised by the priest greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of seraphim and cherubim. Indeed, it is a power greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary. While the Blessed Virgin was the human agency by which Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal victim."

The work of redemption is a finished work. The sins of those who believe savingly in Christ are atoned for; their sin-debt has been paid in full. No works of supererogation are possible or needed. Supererogation means that certain saints accrued spiritual dividends that they didn't need and now they are stored up in some sort of heavenly bank that can be procured on the basis of indulgences, merits or by the prayers of someone else. There is no such teaching in the Word of God.

There is no sacrifice but Calvary. There is no division of sins into venial and mortal. All sins are mortal. The soul that sins, it shall die. There is no salvation on credit, nor is there an annulment plan that will rid us of the penalty our sins have earned.

No Authority but the Scriptures

The error refuted by this truth was that tradition, the Church of Rome, and papal authority were on the same level with the inspiration and infallibility of the Word of God. The church of Martin Luther’s day taught that it was the Church that gave birth to the Bible. Therefore, this places the church in the position of being the supreme interpreter and authority over the Word of God. The reformers understood that no man, not even the Pope, when he acts ex cathedra (out of his official chair), is infallible.

The Bible is the sole authority for doctrine and duty and every believer having the Holy Spirit dwelling within them is capable of understanding the Word of God. By the enablement of the Holy Spirit every person born again by the Spirit of God has the necessary tools to interpret the Word of God and does not have to rely upon professionally trained clergyman or the official interpretation of the Church.

For his stand on the authority of scripture alone, Martin Luther was summoned before the theological tribunal known as the Diet of Worms for a second time. He was asked whether he would recant or not. Luther preached to the tribunal and after hearing him the Emperor said, "I didn't ask for a sermon, I want a simple answer yes or no. Will you recant or will you not?" Here are Martin Luther's famous words: "If the Emperor desires a plain answer, I will give it him. It is impossible for me to recant unless I am proved wrong by the testimony of scripture. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. Here I stand. God help me, I cannot do otherwise."

No Confession but at the Throne of Grace

The error that the Reformation refuted by the above truth was known as auricular confession, or confession in the ear of a priest. In Luther’s day the concept of confession being made by the individual believer at the throne of grace in Heaven without the mediatorial work of the local priest was non-existent. The Church of Rome taught that the only confession available and effectual as far as the professing Christian was concerned required going to the confessional booth and confessing your sins into the ear of the parish priest. It was suggested that this be done at least once a year. The only way you could be sure that your sins were in the process of being forgiven was to go to confession and articulate your sins in the ear of a priest and he would give you an assignment mandating some type of penance for the forgiveness of your sins.

The truth that transforms is stated in Hebrews 4:14, 16, "Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest Who has passed through the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Let us, therefore, come boldly with confidence to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Where then is confession to be made? Not to some individual in a confessional booth, but only to the High Priest, Jesus. Now, it's true that if you have sinned against another believer, it may require you to go to that person and ask them to forgive you. It may require that you divulge what you have done to another person in certain circumstances, or even before the local church of which you are a member. But God be praised that we have a High Priest whose ear is open toward our confessions and petitions. His openness to our confession is not based upon our merits, but upon God’s grace and His grace alone. When I confess my sins to the Lord in private it is confidential. He forgives me and I can live forgiven, knowing that He is not a blabbermouth and knowing that nobody else is going to know.

No Justification but by Faith

The erroneous teaching of the Church of Rome as stated and as currently stands is summed up by the Council of Trent: Canon 9 of the Council of Trent, "If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to the obtaining [of] the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema."

Human merit, good works, martyrdom for Christ, etc. can never contribute to the sinners justification. The scriptures declare that we are justified freely by His grace. Grace is God's favor in the face of and despite our demerits. The ground of our justification is the representative, righteous, redemptive, propitiatory, substitutionary, blood shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ on the behalf of sinners.

Justification by faith alone was Martin Luther's great spiritual and theological breakthrough. It did not come easily. He had tried everything from sleeping on hard floors and fasting to climbing a staircase in Rome while kneeling in prayer. Monasteries, disciplines, confessions, masses, absolutions, good works-all proved fruitless. Peace with God eluded him. The thought of the righteousness of God pursued him. He hated the very word "righteousness," which he believed provided a divine mandate to condemn him.

Light finally dawned for Luther as he meditated on 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." He saw for the first time that the righteousness Paul had in mind was not a punitive justice which condemns sinners but a perfect righteousness which God freely grants to sinners on the basis of Christ's merits, and which sinners receive by faith. Luther saw that the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone was the heart of the gospel and became for him "an open door into paradise.... a gate to heaven."

If the Church is to make disciples of all nations; if America is to regain her lost liberties, the people of God must declare in the power of the Holy Spirit, the five emancipating truths that alone can transform individuals, churches, and nations:

No Priest but Christ
No Sacrifice but Calvary
No Authority but the Scriptures
No Confession but at the Throne of Grace
No Justification but by Faith!

God help us to recover and realign our lives and labors with these transforming biblical truths!

Sunday School 101 - Part Six

We continue to expose why Sunday School is the most important ministry of the church.  The church exists to worship, has the Bible as its only guide, and fellowship (we looked at these aspects last week). Today we examine three more.

The church is about ministry. We are in the "need meeting" business.  Unless needs are met, Sunday School has little reason to exist. We are to "bear one another's burdens."  When one hurts, we all hurt.  Only in Sunday School can you get to know one another and their daily lives to care for one another at the depth we should.  Many churches expect the whole congregation to know about one another's needs, but this is impossible and impractical.   A small group is the best and logical place for the first line of ministry.

The church is to be about reaching persons for Christ. Sunday School is the natural place for reaching persons who need Jesus and a right relationship with Him. Unsaved persons, unchurched Christians, and inactive church members should be named and sought for enrollment in the class.  This includes discovering persons, establishing a caring relationship with them, enrolling them, and maintaining contact with them to encourage and foster regular participation.

The church is about prayer. Without the energy of the Holy Spirit, all efforts would be useless.  The church has the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit for which to carry out its ministry and mission.  We do not act in our strength or power. Bathe all plans, programs, and especially persons in prayer.  "You can do more than pray after you've prayed, but you can't do anything until you've prayed."

The church is no stronger than its Sunday School ministry.  Persons who are not involved in a Bible study group should not really consider themselves as a part of the church.  It is mandatory and vital for each church member to be an active Sunday School member, too.

Do We Elect a President or a Pastor?

It seems America lives in a continual election cycle.  One presidential election is over and people are already talking about the next election.  

One of the comments I hear/read often when discussing presidential candidates is "We are not electing a pastor, we are electing a President." I could not agree more.  Thank God we are not electing a pastor with a nationwide election.  I don't know a pastor who would want to be president.  Dr. Jerry Falwell was very active in politics and was asked one day if he would run for president to which he responded, "Why would I want to step down to become president."  Amen...being a pastor is a higher calling than being president.

When comments are made about "not electing a pastor" the ones making the comment normally refer to persons who wish for the person elected to be a man (or woman) of character and integrity.  So they push back that we are not electing a pastor, so character and integrity do not matter in being a president as long as he can be an effective Commander-in-Chief or lead the nation to economic development. 

I would come across as naive if I believe every president has been a man of great character and integrity.  The longer I live I lose faith in the integrity of our higher elected officials with all the money flowing into their pockets, but that is a blog for another time.  Plus, I sense most elected officials are only interested in one or two things: being reelected and pushing the agenda of their party affiliation.  I'm afraid we don't have any true statesmen anymore.

I recently shared in a sermon we need Christians in politics to be salt and light.  But if a Christian is not standing for true, solid, Biblical Christian values, then they have lost their saltness and according to Luke 14: 34-35 is good for nothing. It is very difficult to be a Christian politician in the culture of America today. 

I regress.  Let me tell you why it is hard for me not to care about the integrity and character of the person I am voting for.  I am old enough to remember when evangelicals stood strongly against President Clinton for his lack of character while in the White House.  And I remember in 1999 when Republicans in the state of Alabama stood against the lottery when the Democrats were pushing for it.

So, it is hard for me to change.  Either we were wrong to criticize President Clinton or it is still wrong for a person who wants to be president to be an adulterer, liar, dishonest financial gain, and lacking in character.  And it was wrong for Alabama Republicans to stand against a lottery in 1999 since apparently, it is now a good thing. 

I just don't think I will make those changes.  The Old Testament gives evidence over and over again that corrupt leaders lead the nation in a corrupt way.  Proverbs 14:34 is still true, "Righteousness exalts a nation." 

So you ask, what if there is not a candidate who has moral character and integrity.  Then I would say it is a TRUE SIGN of the judgment of God on this nation giving us what we value and want.  As long as we keep voting for persons without true values, then we will get what we want.  And every Christian will have to give account to God for their vote or whether they vote at all.  I can never tell anyone how to vote or whether they even vote or not but be assured every person will be judged by their own decision.

We need the help and wisdom of God.

Blessings;

David

Sunday School 101 - Part Five

We have spent four weeks talking about Sunday School and we are not finished.  As I have stated, Sunday School is the most important ministry in the church.  Look at how Sunday School fulfills the mission of the church.

The church exists to worship God.  Sunday School exists to teach, model, and lead each person in the group to realize their life is an act of worship toward God.  Everything one does is a reflection of worship toward God.  But it doesn't stop there.  The Sunday School group is not an island, but part of the larger church body.  No Sunday School class exists for themselves but as a ministry of the church.  Thus, the Sunday School is to lead each member of the group to corporate worship, as well as personal worship.

The church's textbook is one book only...the Bible.  Sunday School has only one book....the Bible.  While each class may have some curriculum to help understanding, it is NEVER a replacement for the Bible. The Sunday School class is to allow the Holy Spirit to be THE teacher.  As persons encounter the Bible, they are led to its meaning, value, relevance; and application in all their relationships of life.

The church is a fellowship of baptized believers. Thus, the Sunday School exists to provide mutual support among its members to nurture Christian fellowship. Small groups provide opportunities and the framework to know each other and to share in a "family" where we love and care for one another.

We will look at three more functions next week.

I Stand with Israel

 

I will stand with Israel!!  What does that mean in these days of wars and terrorist attacks.

Let me be clear on what it does not mean.  

1. It does not mean the current state of Israel is God-fearing, Jesus-following Jews who are my brothers and sisters in Christ.  In fact, the opposite is most likely true.  Modern-day Israel is one of the most secular nations on the earth and they follow their cultural religion of Judaism without believing in Jesus as their Messiah and Saviour.  There are many Jews who have had their eyes open and their hearts changed to unapologetically follow Jesus of Nazareth.  But this is not the majority of the Jews.

2. It does not mean I support every decision the government of Israel makes.  They have democratic elections like we do in America and for that we applaud them.  But they can make the same power-hungry decisions as we do in American politics.

So what does it mean?

1. Israel and the Jews are the most hated group of people on the face of the earth.  This hate goes deep and there are many enemies of the Jews who wish they were no longer in existence from the Naxis in Germany to modern-day Iran.

They have a right to live in peace and to self-government.  This right is heightened when your fierce enemies live on your border and within missile striking range.

2. I stand with Israel because I believe the Bible says God is not finished with the Jews or the land called Israel.  I believe God made promises to Abraham and the Jews that have not been totally fulfilled but will be in the future. I believe there will come a day when many Jews will come to Jesus and Jesus Himself will reign in the city of Jerusalem.

From the opening of Genesis with the creation story and the promise of "land" to Abraham, the "land" has been very important to the Jews. And to a lesser degree, it is vital to us as Christians.  To see in this generation Israel become a state again and have their "land" is a miracle in itself.  I believe we should do all we can to protect Israel in their land.

3. I stand with Israel because my Saviour and Lord was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, died outside of Jerusalem, raised back to life in a garden tomb nearby, and was humanly a Jew.  The Bible I treasure as the inspired Word of God mainly came to us through Jews. The Jews are "the apple of His eye" and they will always hold a dear place in my heart and life for without the Jews I would not know Jesus.

So, we pray for the "peace of Jerusalem."  We pray for the day when all Jerusalem (the Jews) will come to know the Prince of Peace and when Jesus will reign in total peace in that beloved city of David.  It will happen and no terrorist organization or hated nation will stop it.  So we say with John in the closing verses of our Bible, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 

Until then, we will stand with Israel.

Blessings;

David

When You See a Rainbow

We have not seen much rain in Northeast Alabama in several weeks so we sure haven't seen a rainbow.  But when we do, I don't know anyone who doesn't react to a rainbow in a positive way.  They may not say anything, but deep inside there is a good feeling to see the multi-colored display of nature.

For believers, the rainbow is more than just nature's best.  It is a unique creation of God to cause us to remember His covenant with mankind and creation.  It is found in Genesis 9 when God promised never to destroy the earth again with water and the rainbow was the sign of the covenant.

But what most of us maybe are not aware while we only see a half circle, every rainbow is a complete circle seen more fully the higher from the earth (such as in a plane or from God's perspective) you are.  It is always a complete circle of breathtaking color.

As earth-bound individuals, we see only part of this glorious phenomenal display.  But not only should the rainbow remind us of God's covenant, it should also remind us of our limited view of God's ways.  In this present life, we are only able to grasp a fraction of the wisdom and strategy of God.  Not until we get to Heaven and look back will we be able to understand the full circle and scope of His plans and purposes in our lives.

In Psalm 147:4-5 the Psalmist tells us God counts all the stars (verse 4) and then in verse 5 uses the same Hebrew word for "count" when he says "His understanding is infinite."  What the Psalmist is saying is the same God who can count stars cannot be counted by man in His understanding.  In other words, we can't understand all the ways of God any more than we can count the stars.

And this Psalm is a psalm of praise.  So, we should praise God that we cannot understand all the ways and purposes of God.  Now, stop...read that again.  That's right...praise Him that He is not a God who can be understood for all His ways.

So the next time you see a rainbow, enjoy it.  Thank God for the covenant He has made with us not to destroy us with water.  But also think, I can't see all that rainbow but what I can see is beautiful.  So are the ways of God in my life.  I can't see all God is doing, but what I can see causes me to rejoice that He is in control and will "work all things for my good."

Blessings;

David

This Lord's Day (October 8, 2023) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Week two of "The Making of a Prince: The Life of Jacob" causes us to face the question "When Does Life Begin and Its Implications."  Why?  In Genesis 25 we see where it all started for Jacob (last week's sermon) but that it even started before he was born.  What?  Life before actual birth?  A history before your birthday?  And God prevents Isaac and Rebekah from having a child for 20 years and then she becomes pregnant.  Is that a coexistence? Luck? Or the perfect plan of God?

If this is all true, then what does this have to do with us in 2023?  When we bring this topic to our kitchen table or pulpit in 2023, the issue is immediately seen as a political issue and not a spiritual or Biblical one.  But we must redeem this wonderful subject of life and when it begins for it is first and foremost a precious Biblical issue.

This Sunday we will look at Genesis 1, 2, Jeremiah 1, Psalm 139, Genesis 30, Matthew 1, and Romans 5 to redeem this subject and to bring hope for life and eternal life.

We will also pray for our Nicaragua Team who will, by the grace of God, have arrived in Nicaragua to begin their week of ministry.  Plus, we will welcome new members this Sunday.

What a day!!  Can't wait.  Join us at 10:15 AM at 223 Church Avenue, Rainsville, AL or online here.

Sunday School 101 - Part Four

 

If the teacher/leader/shepherd/pastor of the Sunday School class is the most important person in the class (as we saw last Wednesday in this blog), then the second most important persons are the care group leaders.

Sunday School is about people being cared for and accounted for.  This is done by creating smaller groups within each class with a leader responsible for that group.

Who selects this leader?  The teacher/leader of the class.  Since he/she is responsible for the overall class, then he/she needs to feel sure the class will be cared for by the leaders of these smaller groups.

Each group should have 5-7 people in their group. This number could change if the class is mainly a couples class.  A group might have 3-4 couples in each group.  But a general rule is the smaller groups should be made up of men with men and women with women led by the same sex of the group.  This way, a person of the opposite sex is not contacting people unlike themselves.

There will be several care group leaders in each class according to the overall enrollment in the class.  Every person enrolled must be assigned to a small group.  The leader of their small group should keep accurate, up-to-date information on each member and notify the church office when contacting information changes. 

Each Sunday they can help guests and new members complete a registration form.  Each leader may have a prospect or two they reach out to over a period of time, so this early introduction to guests is critical to beginning a good relationship with guests who become prospects for the class.

As a care group leader, make sure your members are present in class each Sunday.  If not, note it so you can contact them ASAP after class.  A text is fine to let them know you missed them and ask if everything is fine with them.  If you don't do this, you, your teacher, the class, and the entire church might miss an opportunity to minister to that person due to an emergency happening in their life.  Plus, everyone likes to know they were missed.

If a person begins to miss consistently, then a visit or an opportunity to meet over coffee or lunch would be appropriate to speak with them about what is happening in their life causing the constant absence.  

Periodic texts are encouraged to give thanks to God for those who are attending faithfully.  We all need encouragement and a text saying, "Just thanking God for your faithfulness to our Lord and our class today.  Praying you are well." Or share a word from the Scriptures you saw today.  Don't just wait until something is wrong to reach out.

Then this small group organization helps get the word out in times of prayer needs the class may have, the church may have, to share announcements about a fellowship or special event.

You want to keep up with their birthday, anniversary, and other special days in their life to acknowledge those days as they come around.  Every "special" day may not be a day of celebration, just as the anniversary of a spouse's death or a divorce, but acknowledging it creates closeness as you express your sincere concern for them.

Finally, as a leader of a small group, regularly pray for each member of your group and their family.  

At Rainsville First Baptist, we have special booklets prepared for each Care Group Leader where you can organize yourself with this information.  

#David O. Cofield