What was the Protestant Reformation?

I love history, so I cannot skip over a major event in Church history that happened in October!  Over 500 years ago now, the Church split into factions, different groups based on their understanding of Scripture and the role of Church leadership and tradition within Christian life.  The major split between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations began in what is now called the Protestant Reformation.  Traditionally, the church recognizes October 31, 1517 as the start of that movement.  On that day, Martin Luther, a German monk, nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany.  This was not a new or revolutionary thing to do.  All people posted notices of discussions or debate on the door, it was like the 1517 version of posting on Social Media.  What he had to say addressed concerns with practices he saw in the Roman Catholic Church.  His intent was discussion and reform.  What he accomplished was a complete split from the church and the formation of several new denominations.  Though the reformers did not initially plan to split the Church, they eventually saw no other option as they were routinely excommunicated, persecuted, and even killed for their differing beliefs.  

The Protestants, those protesting the Roman Catholic Church, had differing views on what the Scriptures taught  about the role of the sacraments, the role of man’s free will and that of God’s election, as well as other key doctrines.  However, they all agreed about five key ideas, often referred to as the Five Solas (based on the Latin word Sola, meaning “alone”).  These five ideas were Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Solus Christus (Christ Alone), Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God Alone).

The basis of Protestant ideas was dependent upon Sola Scriptura, or Scripture Alone.  Scripture is the standard to which all reformers held their beliefs.  The Roman Catholic church used a triad of scripture, tradition, and statements of the Pope as equally valid.  The reformers rebelled against the idea of tradition or the words of a man being equal with the Word of God.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timonthy 3:16-17)  Looking at Scripture as their authority, the reformers started to see other inconsistencies between the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the Scriptures.  

Protestants assert that salvation is in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.  Christ alone can save us from the wrath of God.  “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6).  “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn?  Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33-34)  If we place our faith in anything other than Christ, we will not be saved from our sins.  We no longer need priests to mediate between God and us.  Jesus is our mediator.  He is our priest.  He is all we need.  “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”  (Hebrews 7:26-27)  By God’s grace alone are we able to come to Christ for our salvation.  “And you were dead in the tresspasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience...For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”  (Ephesians 2: 1-2 & 8-9)  God’s grace makes our dead heart alive, and we are saved by faith alone.  There is nothing that we need to do to earn our salvation.  Paul tells us in Galatians 2:16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Chrsit Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”  There is nothing that we can do.  Being dead in our sins, we are unable to save ourselves.   

Knowing that our salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone by his grace alone, we lovingly respond to that salvation in our actions.   Our actions do not save us, but they are an overflow of our changed life in Christ!  Everything we do, all that we say, should be to glorify God and point others to Christ.  As the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches, “What is the chief end of man?  Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”  Even when we disagree with a teaching of the church, or disagreement and protest must be done in love with the goal of pointing others to the truth of the gospel.  “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jeus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  (Colossians 3:15-17)