Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago by nailing his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg church in Germany on October 31, 1517. In doing so he was hoping to begin a public discussion, but he had no idea it would unleash a debate that reverberates in both church and society today. A question worth asking is whether these things still matter today?

By the 1500s, the western church's understanding of sin and salvation (championed by the Pope) was unbiblical and in grave error. The Roman church taught that while God’s grace was necessary for salvation, man must also do good works to go along with faith in Jesus. According to Rome, by participating in these good works, grace was received by the participant that could pay for his sins, and make possible the salvation of the individual involved.

Martin Luther saw something far different in the pages of Scripture. Luther saw that men could not be saved by their own works, but could only be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Romans 3:20-24 was a passage Luther referred to often.

This passage makes clear that it is not God's grace plus our works that saves us, but rather it is by the grace of God alone, received by faith alone that we are saved. This teaching was even embraced for a time by a number of Italian Roman Catholic bishops before it was denounced as heresy by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546.

Does this matter today? Yes, because this is still the official position of the Roman Catholic Church. In the world at large, just over 50 percent of people who identify themselves as Christians say they are Roman Catholic. In our own city at least 25 percent of people who say they are Christians say they are Roman Catholic. Many of us who have come to believe in Christ were saved out of a Roman Catholic background. This is truly a great mission field for us where we can continue to proclaim the gospel in hopes of seeing many come to Christ.

Tragically, even among Protestants in evangelical and mainline Protestant churches, this understanding of the true gospel has been and is under attack. Many in these churches teach and believe they are saved by following the example of Jesus and do not believe Jesus died in their place, as their substitute, to pay the penalty for their sin.

The true gospel is the message of the free gift of salvation by God’s grace, not a salvation by works, or of trying to ensure one’s good deeds outweigh the bad things they’ve done, or of trying to be better or trying harder. In Romans 3 we are told we all under sin and that none is righteous.

But thanks be to God, that receiving forgiveness of sins and a right relationship with God is not dependent on my good works, for in my own strength I will never perfectly love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength, and perfectly love my neighbor as myself.

Instead, as Romans 4:5 tells us, Christ died for ungodly sinners like you and me and promises us that “…to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” This critical verse helps us understand that because Christ lived a life of perfect obedience and righteousness, not only has his death paid the penalty for my sins; but Christ has also imputed to me his righteousness, so I might be acceptable to God. Not because of what I have done, but because of what Christ has done.

That gives a meaning to my life that far exceeds the message of the world, which says (1) that I am not a sinner, but am by nature a good person, (2) that the end goal of this life is life itself here on earth, and (3) that I am capable, guided solely by my own reason and understanding of this world, of finding fulfillment in this good life here on earth.

The Reformation brought renewed attention to the true gospel that offers hope and comfort not only for this life in this world, but also in the next life in the world to come. In this life we as Christians can live a life of thankfulness and gratitude to God and Christ that allows us to bring glory to the Father and the Son, through the work of the Spirit in our lives, with an eye toward the eternal hope that is ours in the glorious presence of our Lord for eternity.

That is why the Reformation is still relevant to us today and why we should strive to exalt the biblical truth regarding salvation and justification that is at the core of its message, which is that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.