Almost 500 years have elapsed since the 33-year-old German monk nailed his humble, but exhaustive, 95 Theses to the door of the castle’s church in Wittenberg, Germany. He had no inkling on that Saturday, October 31, 1517, that his list of grievances would launch a movement unprecedented in history, with billions following his lead in protesting an unbiblical system and advancing in a clearer understanding of God’s will. All of us still trying to extricate ourselves from the bondage of tradition and practices that do not align with the Bible and to help others do so are spiritual heirs of Martin Luther.
Our world today is not much different from that of 1517. As in Luther’s day, clergy corruption still exists today. As in Luther’s day, beliefs contrary to God’s Word spiritually enslave the masses, and the vast majority are slow to make any move to extricate themselves from false systems and teachings. As in Luther’s day, today some who know better and should be leading the deceived into the light of truth do not take so bold a stand as to arrest people’s attention and cause them to act.
But just as Luther began the Reformation, so we are to finish it. The scope of our task is daunting, but if each of us nails our lists to the bulletin boards of our communities, a reformation even greater than Luther’s will sweep the earth, culminating in the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
—Benjamin Baker, PHD, is Assistant Archivist for the Archives, Statistics, and Research Office of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.
