The God of Reformation

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

                We often apply the above verse to difficult situations that we find ourselves in. We have a health problem or an economic set back and we trust God to redeem it. But are there limits to “in all things”? Can God take even our utter failures and bring good out of them?

                I have been teaching a class on Church history. It has been interesting to see the many and varied pathways the Church has taken to try to accomplish the Great Commission. One of the things that I have been struck by is the reality that the Church has made many mistakes and has messed things up enormously and yet God has taken these situations and used them to accomplish His purposes. A prime example is what happened during the time of the Protestant Reformation.

                The Reformation took place between 1517-1648 AD. It was a time of tremendous upheaval in the Church. The Church had become intertwined with the secular government. It wielded great influence over the lives of the people; from the kings and princes down to the common peasants. In many ways the Church was in the driver’s seat; calling all the shots.

                People lived in fear of going to hell. The Church was the gate keeper to heaven. Only those who were connected with the Church were assured of salvation. The Church used this influence for some less than noble ends. They convinced the people that they could atone for their sins by purchasing indulgences from the Church. The moneys raised in this way were being used to build massive cathedrals, especially in Rome. In addition, the people were told that they could free their relatives from purgatory by buying indulgences. People were motivated and the money flowed in.

                Into this situation stepped a man by the name of Martin Luther. Luther was a devote man who, because of a close call with a lightning strike, had committed his life to be a monk. But Luther was consumed with guilt over his sin. He would spend hours in the confessional outlining all of his sins in the minutest detail, and driving his confessors crazy. In an effort to free themselves from Luther the Church assigned Luther to be the chair of Biblical Studies at Wittenberg University.

                While teaching at Wittenberg, Luther engaged in an intense study of the book of Romans. When he came to Romans 1:17 something clicked. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The righteous will live by faith not by works. The weight of guilt dropped off of Luther’s shoulders and the reformation was born.

                Luther never intended to break ties with the Church. His desire was to correct the course of the Church and bring it back in line with Scriptures. Those in authority did not look kindly upon Luther and a religious firestorm erupted that changed Europe and the World. During the course of the Reformation many good and bad things happened. Yet God used all of them to refine, renew and advance the Church.

                There are many today who bemoan the state of the Church. There is no lack of fodder for this. We don’t have to look too far to see the many ways that the Church has failed to live up to its calling. These things should not be ignored. We need to take them seriously. But let us not forget that God is able to take even our failures and use them for His glory. Just as He did during the time of the Reformation, God is refining His church. It is painful at times; embarrassing as well. Yet people are coming to faith in Jesus in unprecedented numbers. Missiologists tell us that, around the world, the Church is experiencing a “Pentecost” every day.

                The good news for each of us is that God is more than willing to take our mistakes and failures and transform them. This does not mean that we shouldn’t do everything we can to live up to our calling in Christ. It does mean that we can trust God to “reform” us and bring glory to Himself. I for one am very thankful. The grace of God is truly sufficient for all who put their faith in Him.