Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Prostestantism without the Reformation

What would life be like without the Reformation?
Would we have Bibles in our homes, in our language? Would we have songs of praise in our own mouths and services? Would marriage be honorable? Would we know that all vocations are to be holy? Would we know our righteousness before God does not rely on works of self-salvation, but is by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer described American religion as "Protestantism without the Reformation", which is a sad but true assessment. The Reformation is largely unknown among evangelicals today; almost all take for granted the wonders of the providence of God in these events. But for a few, on this day, we rejoice in the recovery of the essentials of the gospel and join together in the refrain, "Sola Scriptura! Sola Fide! Sola Gratia! Solus Christus! Soli Deo Gloria!"

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