On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses—statements for debate—on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, beginning a spiritual and historical movement known as the Reformation. The Reformation did not just change the face of Europe; it restored the gospel to the church. It gave God’s Word to the people. As we celebrate the Reformation, we are not honoring the man for whom our church body is named. We are thanking God for his grace which he has demonstrated through the generations—preserving the church and setting us free by the glorious gospel of God’s full forgiveness in Christ.

Jesus told his followers, “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matthew 10:22). So, the time between Christ’s first and second coming is going to be perilous for believers. A good exam-ple: Martin Luther. All that priest wanted was to share the pure gospel with the world. For trying to do just that, both political and religious leaders wanted to end his life. The Festival of the Reformation emphasizes our unfailing reliance on the Word of God. We give unflinching testimo-ny to that Word even in the face of persecution. Today we pray that the Lord would keep us stead-fast in the faith.