October 2024
October is the month we celebrate many holidays: Leif Erikson Day (10/9), Columbus Day (10/14), Thanksgiving Day in Canada (10/14), Halloween (10/31) and of course Reformation Day (10/31).
When we celebrate holidays, we expect to hear some kind of recognition in the news, at school or at work. Why not a day off from work if I want to have Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate my Canadian heritage?
How about a dress like a Norwegian on Oct. 9 in honor of Leif Erikson bringing Europeans to America? Maybe you could just save that costume when you go Trick-or-treating on Halloween.
But what about Reformation Day? This Oct. 31st we celebrate the 507th anniversary of an event that would change the way the Christian church would look at itself and bring the focus of their doctrine to Scripture and not tradition.
Martin Luther became a public and controversial figure when he published (Oct. 31, 1517) his 95 Theses, Latin propositions opposing the manner in which indulgences (payment to get out of purgatory faster) were being sold. This was the beginning of the Reformation.
Martin Luther felt that it was very important to talk about what was going on and how it related to Scripture. His attempt to help “reform” the church didn’t go over well. They wanted him to recant (take back) what he had written but he said, “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.”
He was convinced, and rightly so, that Scripture Alone is where we get our doctrine. It is Faith Alone, given to us by Jesus, which we believe what Scripture says. By Grace Alone, shown to us by God, that we have been given the gift of salvation. And it is by Christ Alone that our sins are forgiven and we get to be with God in heaven when we leave this earth.
So, as you celebrate this month, keep in mind that dressing like a turkey, a Norwegian or an Augustinian monk, there is a lot to celebrate in October. But nothing more important than our salvation given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins.
In His Service,
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