FOREWARD
What is the 16th century reformation all about?
It is the recovery of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a work of God through the Spirit of Jesus Christ to cause the church to abandon unbiblical man-made traditions and return to the Scripture alone as the sole authority of the church (Sola Scriptura). By the Word of God, God caused the church to return back to the truth of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide) through grace alone (Sola gratia), all this to the glory of God alone (Sola Gloria). Therefore, the reformation is simply a reforming and returning to Christ alone (Sola Christus). Not man but Christ alone rules His church. Never man, but Christ alone fully accomplishes salvation for His people. All this was lost in the church in those days before the reformation. And this deep and precious heritage can be easily forgotten and taken for granted by us today. So in thanksgiving to God and in wisdom to never forget our history and rich heritage we take time every year to celebrate the 16th-Century Protestant Reformation. Now let us briefly consider how much God has used the 16th-Century Reformation to impact our lives today. It is because of the recovery of the truth of the Sola Scriptura, our bible at home is not in Latin but in the vernacular (The language spoken by the ordinary people of a country. i.e. English). It is because of the return to the truth of Sola Fide, justification by faith alone, that we are not flogging ourselves or seeking to pay money to earn our way to heaven, which is impossible. But although our consciousness accuses us that we have grossly transgressed every law of God, we enjoy the peace, comfort and assurance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that the captain of our salvation has given us FULL and FREE salvation and life eternal! It is because of the truth of Sola Gratia, grace alone, that we know that all of salvation, including that precious gift of faith, is given by God. Not of man, but merely of God’s unmerited attitude of favour towards His chosen people! It is because of the reformation that, we see the utter folly and wickedness of seeking to glorify man. God has opened the eyes of us children of the reformation to see that we live and exist for God’s glory alone! It is because of the 16th-Century Reformation, the church has returned to preaching Christ as the heart and centre of every sermon. The reformation was used by God to purge the church of both antinomianism and works-righteousness, of rationalism and sacerdotalism (salvation by the constant sacrificing of Christ in Mass of the Roman Catholic Church). But as 1 Cor 2:2 teaches “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” So we put away all our attempts to merit with God and just simply rest at the beautiful nail-scared feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a God we serve! What an awesome sovereign and beautiful God we adore! Shall we not abase ourselves during this reformation day conference? Shall we not as a church rejoice and praise God again for His glorious Gospel of Sovereign grace?
It is the recovery of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a work of God through the Spirit of Jesus Christ to cause the church to abandon unbiblical man-made traditions and return to the Scripture alone as the sole authority of the church (Sola Scriptura). By the Word of God, God caused the church to return back to the truth of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide) through grace alone (Sola gratia), all this to the glory of God alone (Sola Gloria). Therefore, the reformation is simply a reforming and returning to Christ alone (Sola Christus). Not man but Christ alone rules His church. Never man, but Christ alone fully accomplishes salvation for His people. All this was lost in the church in those days before the reformation. And this deep and precious heritage can be easily forgotten and taken for granted by us today. So in thanksgiving to God and in wisdom to never forget our history and rich heritage we take time every year to celebrate the 16th-Century Protestant Reformation. Now let us briefly consider how much God has used the 16th-Century Reformation to impact our lives today. It is because of the recovery of the truth of the Sola Scriptura, our bible at home is not in Latin but in the vernacular (The language spoken by the ordinary people of a country. i.e. English). It is because of the return to the truth of Sola Fide, justification by faith alone, that we are not flogging ourselves or seeking to pay money to earn our way to heaven, which is impossible. But although our consciousness accuses us that we have grossly transgressed every law of God, we enjoy the peace, comfort and assurance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that the captain of our salvation has given us FULL and FREE salvation and life eternal! It is because of the truth of Sola Gratia, grace alone, that we know that all of salvation, including that precious gift of faith, is given by God. Not of man, but merely of God’s unmerited attitude of favour towards His chosen people! It is because of the reformation that, we see the utter folly and wickedness of seeking to glorify man. God has opened the eyes of us children of the reformation to see that we live and exist for God’s glory alone! It is because of the 16th-Century Reformation, the church has returned to preaching Christ as the heart and centre of every sermon. The reformation was used by God to purge the church of both antinomianism and works-righteousness, of rationalism and sacerdotalism (salvation by the constant sacrificing of Christ in Mass of the Roman Catholic Church). But as 1 Cor 2:2 teaches “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” So we put away all our attempts to merit with God and just simply rest at the beautiful nail-scared feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a God we serve! What an awesome sovereign and beautiful God we adore! Shall we not abase ourselves during this reformation day conference? Shall we not as a church rejoice and praise God again for His glorious Gospel of Sovereign grace?