The Year 1521

So I know it’s a couple weeks late for a Reformation-themed blog. But, the other day in World Lit I was skimming through my book and I came across the entirety of Martin Luther’s speech at the Diet of Worms. I had never read the whole thing, and it really gave me a renewed appreciation for this great man of God. For those of you who slept through world history and church every last weekend of October, I’ll set the scene. Martin Luther was a German monk who began to see serious issues with the Catholic church of the day. He read the Bible for himself (which was unheard of at the time) and the Lord revealed to him that we are given the righteousness of Christ completely by the grace of God and not based on any works of our own. The church was making money off of the works-righteousness attitude, and grace would go against everything they were teaching. So naturally they had a problem with this bold monk who began to spread what he was learning. 

Here is the end of Luther’s speech to the Holy Roman Emperor, who wanted him to recant all that he had said and taught regarding free grace:

“Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”

The thing that jumps out at me the most is Luther’s love and respect for the Word of God. They are his ultimate authority. How many times to we tend to ignore passages that don’t sound like much fun, or that call us to leave behind our comfortable lives and obey Christ with radical abandonment of all that is not of Him? God has given us a great gift in his perfect Word! Let’s stand for it unashamed, as he did.

“I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119: 48

“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 

He was a cutie. What can I say? Haha!