October 31, 2017 will mark 500 years since God gave His church “the Reformation." The study of the Reformation is very dear to my heart, and therefore, I chose to read Stephen J. Nichols’ book titled The Reformation, which is about a monk with a mallet who changed the world.

If you are a new believer and only have heard about the Reformation in passing, this book is a great starting point to give you an overall sweep of the blessed events. Even if you know a fair bit about the Reformation, I think the author’s way of making history come alive will be a blessing to you as well. This book is written in a way that turns your mind and heart toward God in gratitude for The Reformation.

The book has a compelling opening chapter that gives us various reasons why we should always remember the reformation and why it matters a lot to us even today. The Reformation was all about returning to the Scriptures and holding forth the true Gospel of grace, and hence, we do well to remember it.

The book does not center on various events but rather on the people God raised up; namely, Luther in Germany; Zwingli in the Swiss region; the Anglicans and Puritans in Britain, etc. There is also a chapter about the Anabaptists.

I was surprised to read how the author had a good deal of respect for these often-criticized people. You will be amazed at how God brought about various circumstances in the right time so that His cause would progress.

For example, the invention of printing press occurred at just the right time to aid the wildfire-like spread of Luther’s 95 Theses and other writings. The city of Geneva, having rejected Catholicism, found godly and pastoral leadership through the French theologian, John Calvin, just when the time was ripe.

The Gospel did spread like a wildfire, yet not without sacrifice. So many people had to pay with their lives. Many lost their possessions, health and popularity amongst other things. Some like Calvin were rejected and banished. Knox was sent as a galley slave on a ship.

Luther lived in constant danger and did not originally want to get married because of this reason. The Puritans had to travel the dangerous seas many times so they could have the freedom to worship God and practice their faith in a pure way.

In a world, both in the east and the west, where it is becoming increasingly costly to stand for the truth of the Gospel and live with Biblical convictions, this book reminds us that there are so many who have gone ahead of us, and who have finished their race by His grace. Sola Deo Gloria.