What is the Reformation? We could talk about how it all began: this obscure monk from the town of Wittenberg posting his 95 Theses for debate. He wasn’t trying to start a revolution; he wasn’t challenging the authority structure of the Roman Catholic Church—at least not yet. He wanted an open and honest dialogue about whether the Church should be selling tickets to heaven, also known as indulgences.

But what started as an invitation to academic debate quickly spread. Luther’s concerns and ideas resonated with many others who were seeing the same abuses in the Church. And thus the Reformation began.

We could talk about what Luther and the Reformers stood for: Scripture alone — no other man-made authority could compare with the very words of God Himself in Holy Scripture; Grace alone — God is favorably disposed toward us, not because of anything in us but because of who He is; Faith alone — we’re saved not by the good works we’ve done or the sins we’ve avoided, but when we trust in Christ alone — believing that He was good for us, that He suffered the punishment we deserved, and that because He is risen from the dead, we too will rise and live forever.

Or we could talk about the courage of Luther, the Wittenberg faculty, the princes at Augsburg and so many others who risked their lives taking a stand for the truth. And those are all important things and are all worth remembering and celebrating. Our churches will celebrate the Reformation, singing A Mighty Fortress with all our hearts and remembering and giving thanks to God for the faith and work of the Reformers.

But let us also remember our place among that great cloud of witnesses. We stand on their shoulders. We’re called today to stand on God’s Word—come hell or high water—and to suffer all, even death, rather than lose this precious Gospel which has delivered us from sin, death and the devil and which is our freedom and our salvation.

So, dear friends, let us take our place with them and once again dare to be Lutheran. For this is what it means to be Lutheran: to be humble students of the Word of God; to stand boldly for the Gospel and let no one take it away from us; and to be willing to suffer the loss of all things, as Paul says, and count them but as rubbish in order that we may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ.

Happy Reformation Day from Higher Things.

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