Martin Luther: Reformer

  Martin Luther lived in Germany from 1483-1546.  A law student turned Roman Catholic priest he joined the order of St. Augustine. Luther struggled with feeling certain of the promise of God’s salvation. He was plagued by the feeling that it was impossible to attain salvation through his own effort to obey to God’s commands, performing penitent acts, going on religious pilgrimages, or through his personal devotional decision. Luther was bothered by a God who seemed so angry, distant from the world, and inaccessible to humans.

   After receiving his Ph.D. Luther became a professor teaching Theology, New Testament Greek, Hebrew, and Latin at Wittenberg University. Note: He was the first to translate the Latin Bible into German, which served as the basic building block for the present day German Language.

Reformation Tagline: sola gratia, sola fidei, sola scriptura

   While searching the Scriptures for answers Luther read in St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 1:17, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."  Then again he read in 3:28, For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Luther now realized that salvation comes to us by God’s free Grace alone (sola gratia) for the sake of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and not through any efforts of our own doing. Further, God’s grace can be lived out in this present life when we have faith alone (sola fidei), that is trust, in God’s promises and in nothing else. The gift of faith, sealed by the Holy Sprit in the sacrament of baptism, and affirmed in the sacrament of Holy Communion and the proclamation of the Word, means that our status before God, our purpose and worth in this life NEVER depends on: how we feel, or having the right experience, or being free of doubts, or on our success or failures. Rather our status before God depends solely on the act of God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, testified to and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

   Luther’s new confidence in a loving, close and openly accessible God through the power of the Holy Spirit was based upon his reliance solely on the authority of Scripture, (sola scriptura), which came into conflict with church law and doctrine. His debate with church law eventually launched the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th century. The Lutheran church worldwide is the oldest and largest of the churches of the Reformation. At the turn of the millennium (2000) Martin Luther was ranked among the top five most influential personas of the last 1000 years!

The Lutheran Church holds to the Reformation Principle: salvation by Grace alone through faith alone; and to Catholic Substance, the power of God comes to us through Word and Sacrament centered in the Church and stewarded by a properly called, educated and structured ministry. (A ministry of clergy and laity).The Lutheran Church of Our Saviour

   As a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America LCOS is a:

• praying church, believing that with grateful souls we are eager to listen to the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately in worship.

• missionary church, serving God in different ways in the community, but telling the old unchanging story.

• praising church, believing that God so loves the world that we still encounter Jesus Christ, the living Word, who comes to us in the spoken Gospel and  made visible in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

• hope filled church believing that as God’s children, living in God’s world, our future is filled with new possibilities through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

• welcoming church inviting all God’s people in need of God’s assurances through the Word and Sacrament.

 Are your ready to take the leap of faith, trusting solely in God’s Grace?  Join us Sunday at 9:00 (traditional) or 11:00 (contemporary) for Worship, and begin your adventure in the mission of LCOS!