Pr Joshua Yong

Jude 3 – “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

On the last Sunday of October, we commemorate the 16^th Century Protestant Reformation.

On the 31^st of October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Castle-Church door of Wittenberg, Germany, sparking off the Protestation Reformation. These 95 theses or 95 statements were Luther’s response to the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of the selling of indulgences. Indulgences were supposed to reduce the punishment time in purgatory. Indulgences could be in the form of acts of good deeds, prayers or giving. Purchasing indulgences was essentially buying “forgiveness” for a loved one to be freed from purgatory. At that time, Pope Leo X had wanted to build St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and one way the funds were raised was through the sale of indulgence tickets. The Roman Catholic Church’s representative, John Tetzel, was sent to Germany, where he went around selling these “forgiveness” tickets while reciting his famous saying: “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” This infuriated Luther, who then responded by nailing his 95 theses. By nailing his 95 theses, Martin Luther exposed the Roman Church’s errors and thus set ablaze the torch of the 16^th Century Reformation that remains alight till today.

But why should we remember something that took place more than 500 years ago?

     1) The Legacy of the Reformation

We must remember the 16^th Century Reformation because of the legacy it has left behind for us. This legacy may be summarised by the five Solas of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Solus Christus (Christ Alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone).

Sola Scriptura

What was the authority of the reformers’ preaching and teaching? What gave Martin Luther the conviction to stand against the Church of Rome? It was the authority of Scripture alone. Sola Scriptura teaches that Scripture alone is regarded to be the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. In 1521 Martin Luther, when called upon to present himself before the council in the German City of Worms, affirmed his stand upon the Scriptures by declaring, “unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason…my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me. Amen.”

Sola Gratia

Prior to the rediscovery of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone by the reformers, the Roman Catholic Church had preached an unscriptural form of the Gospel that is based on works or upon one’s own merits. For example, the Roman Church teaches that the keeping of the seven sacraments is necessary for salvation. These sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Marriage, Ordination, and Extreme Unction. Yet the Word of God teaches us that salvation is by grace through faith alone - “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8–9)

Sola Fide

The reformers taught that salvation is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. A person is not justified by keeping the law or the traditions of the church or through any performance of good works, but he is justified by faith alone. 

Solus Christus

This doctrine teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Saviour and Mediator between God and man. There is no other mediator between God and man. This stands in contrast to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches – that Mary is a “co-mediatrix” with Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

The phrase “Glory to God alone” is a declaration that glory and worship is to be ascribed to God alone. This stands in contrast to the Roman Church’s worship and veneration of Mary, the Saints and the Pope.

We must remember the Reformation because of  these five Solas left for us. These doctrinal pillars are fundamental to our Christian faith, and they are the doctrines that we teach and hold on to. But seldom do we realize how these doctrines, which are so wonderfully given to us in God’s Word, were once hidden from God’s people. We must also remember the Reformation because there is a need for a 21^st Century Reformation today.

     2) A 21^st Century Reformation

In 1948, the Lord raised up Rev Timothy Tow, who stood against the Malayan Christian Council, the World Council of Churches' local arm. He exposed the compromise and liberalism of the World Council of Churches. He fought the battle of the 20^th Century Reformation. Today, in the 21^st Century, the battle rages on.

We must remember the Reformation today because the Church has her battles to fight. For example, Satan attacks God’s Word today by casting doubt upon the inerrancy and infallibility, inspiration and preservation of Scriptures. This is an attack on Sola Scriptura. Satan also employs confusion. This comes in the form of all the false movements and false “isms” that seek to prepare the world for the one-world religion of the Antichrist. What we have to do now is to earnestly contend for the faith, in the same spirit as the reformers and saints of old. Just as God’s people fought their battles in the generations before, so God’s people must fight their battles today.

When Jude exhorts us to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints, he is exhorting us to contend for the same faith that has been faithfully handed down to us through the generations and which is as revealed to us in God’s Word. We contend for the faith by standing firm upon God’s Word; discerning the danger of our times; warning others concerning these dangers and errors; and by applying the doctrine of Biblical Separation as taught in God’s Word.

When we remember the 16^th Century Reformation, we remember what God has done in the history of the Church, and this ought to spur us on and encourage us for a much needed 21^st Century Reformation.