Acts 15:18 *Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world*.
*ASIDE SALES OF INDULGENCE: THE FIVE BIG TARGETS* (c)
The reformation was the defining moment in church history after the era of foundational apostles. Without the reformation, we may not have recovered apostolic christianity. Though the reformers were not perfect men yet God worked through them to establish His will for the church.
The reformers did not rewrite scriptures, they only rediscovered the truth the church of their day had forgotten. If we do not preach the truth of God's word, Martin Luther and his men fought in vain. In order not to rubbish their legacy, we teach their histories and draw lessons from it for our learning.
The third Latin maxim in protestant theology is:
iii. *SOLA GRATIA- GRACE ALONE*
Ephesians 2:8-9 *“by grace you have been saved through faith... not by works*”
Grace is a big problem for religious minds to understand. Why? Religion always tries to earn God's favour whereas it is a free gift from God. I still see it as a form of pride to reject God's free gift because you think you can do somethings to earn it.
Romans 11:6 says *"But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace*".
Your salvation and mine is purely the work of grace from start to finish. You did not do anything special to be saved. God chooses, God calls, God saves. You don’t start it, you just receive it. If there is any role of man in salvation, it is for him to receive it.
Titus 3:4–5 says *"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit*".
This is the Gospel. The discovery of the reformers is liberating. Why? Religious held men in bondage to rituals that saves no one. People bought indulgence, relics and masses and still left empty without assurance of salvation. The knowledge of grace liberates from this. That is why we must the veil of religion is taken away.
Today, we can take the discovery of the reformers to the streets, villagers, cities and towns telling people about the free grace of God that saves that requires no payment. Salvation is full and free.