Reformation: RIP in the Gospel

In my previous blog, I talked about the recent Pew Research Center’s survey which reported that the majority of Protestants no longer believe in key doctrines of the Christian faith which were reestablished during the Protestant Reformation, namely the doctrines of sola fide (that we are saved by “faith alone” apart from our works) and sola scriptura (that Scripture alone is the authority for our faith and life). Many are even accepting the non-biblical teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that Christians who die must go through a period of punishment for their sins before entering heaven – in a place called Purgatory. As I wrote before, I am truly alarmed by the results of that survey; too many Christians are selling their Gospel birthright for the “pottage” of false doctrines (Genesis 25:29-34).

After outlining some of the reasons for this defection from the true Gospel, I said I would address the unhappy consequences that come from abandoning the truths rediscovered by Martin Luther and the other reformers 500 years ago. Let me take each one in turn:

1. Sola Fide (Faith alone). This is the core of the Reformation, and is what the Lutheran reformers called “the chief article on which the Church stands or falls.” Yeah, it’s that important. How is one justified, that is, forgiven and saved? By God’s grace alone, received by faith alone, or by some work we do? Do we have to do something, show some act of mercy, give so much in offerings, behave ourselves, and never sin? The Reformers answered this in Article IV of the Augsburg Confession, which is the foundational document of the Lutheran Church: “men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight.” This has been the centerpiece of the churches of the Reformation for 500 years; what are the consequences of abandoning this teaching?
   • One consequence is to cause sinful pride in the person who believes that he or she has saved themselves by their own goodness, shown by what they have done. They believe they have earned their salvation by their works; they feel good about themselves and their holiness, and look down on others who are struggling. They act “holier than thou.” But, they forget Paul’s words that “there is no one righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10) and that we are called by God not on the basis of our works but by his grace (2 Timothy 1:8-9).
   • An opposite consequence is to cause us to despair over our inability to measure up to God’s righteous standards and commandments. While this is a truer attitude (we really are unable!), it can cause us to abandon the faith because we feel so separated from God and helpless to bridge the gap. We think we can be saved by following God’s Law, but never can do enough to know we are saved: did I do enough, did I give enough, did I blow it all by that certain sin, have I done more good than bad, etc. This attitude is good only in that it may drive us to the only source of salvation there is, which is not ourselves!
   • By abandoning the belief in salvation through faith alone, we are demoting Christ from his rightful place as Lord and Savior, and making him only an Example. Sure, he gave his life for me, but what good did it do if I still have to earn my own salvation? What did his death (and resurrection) accomplish, except to shame me into more fervent striving and greater works? If I need to do something on top of what Christ did, then why did he have to die? Which of my sins are not forgiven, and what do I have to do to make up for Christ’s insufficiency? You can see how this totally despises Christ and his sacrifice for our sake.
2. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). Freeing the Bible from the exclusive control of the Church leaders was a hallmark of the Reformation. It was Luther and others who translated the Bible into the languages of their people, and it was they who insisted on the final authority of the Bible as God’s unchanging word. As Luther said, “As for popes and councils, they can err, but the Bible can never err.” When a person gives up the authority of the Bible, something else will step in to take its place. The replacement may be a favorite preacher or TV evangelist; it may be a best-selling author; it may be a dominant personality in one’s family or among one’s friends; it may be a new scientific theory; it may be the latest fad; it may be subjective “spiritual” experiences; it may be a cult that promises new and special revelations. Ultimately, it becomes oneself: how a person feels about God, or what weight one gives to any particular authority, determines what the person believes is true. And that is dangerous, because it makes that person vulnerable to self-delusion and manipulation by fallible people and changing ideas. Contrast that with the unchanging Word of God which will stand after all other things have passed away (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33).
3. Purgatory. Personally, why any Christian, especially one raised in the Protestant church, would add the idea of Purgatory to their beliefs is beyond me. For one thing, it is not taught in the Bible (see #2 above!). But beyond that, it is anti-biblical and anti-Gospel in that it denies the sufficiency of Christ to provide forgiveness of all our sins. Christ took upon himself not only the judgment of our sins, but also the punishment that we deserved. To believe that we must still suffer punishment after death, and have our sins “purged” from us by our own suffering, is to despise Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. As with the denial of “faith alone,” this doctrine puts the burden of our salvation back on us: we are compelled to do good works to reduce or avoid the fires and anguish of Purgatory. But how much must we suffer and for which sins? What can I do to get out of Purgatory sooner? Interestingly, it was the issue of Purgatory, and the Roman church’s practice of selling indulgences to allow one to shorten or avoid Purgatory, that drove Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 and start the Reformation. The idea that paying the Church for an indulgence could accomplish what Christ could not on the Cross should be a shock and horror to all Christians. Instead, we can trust in the words of Scripture that “to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

The Reformation restored the freedom of the Gospel to every Christian: freedom from our sins, freedom from the guilt of our sins, freedom from fallible people held up as spiritual authorities, and freedom from endless efforts to earn God’s love. God loves us in spite of our sins, and apart from our works; because of his love he sent his Son into the world to take our sins upon himself and to die for us, that we be forgiven and reconciled to God. This is the Gospel, that trusting in Christ and his forgiveness, we might have eternal life.

I encourage you, in this 500th year of the Reformation, to study God’s word, and take to heart the great truths of the Christian faith – restored to the Church in the great Protestant Reformation. Don’t give them away, nor let anyone take them from you. May you R.I.P. – that is, Rest In the Peace of the Gospel, and let the Reformation continue to proclaim God’s truths until Christ returns!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Galatians 2:15-21

P.S. Thank you to all who prayed for the people who were facing Hurricane Irma, and for our relatives who live in Florida. Karen’s brother and my cousin and their families all came through okay, except for my cousin needing a new roof.