Today we remember how Martin Luther, the German Augustinian monk, sparked the 16th century Protestant Reformation on 31 October 1517 when he nailed his 95 statements to expose the doctrinal errors of the Roman Catholic Church. The cardinal doctrine at stake was the doctrine of salvation – salvation by grace alone, through faith only, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone! The Protestant Reformation was a movement back to the Bible to find eternal life-giving truths. It was a movement to bring the gospel to dying men living without hope and the prospect of a Christ-less eternity. It was a movement to put the Word of God in the common language of the people. A work that has since gained greater momentum, among His remnant, in Reformed churches as they see the Lord’s return fast approaching.

Jesus was born into human history more than 2000 years ago. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross as man’s substitute to reconcile man with the living and true God. Jesus rose from the dead the third day victorious over sin and death. Jesus gives to every man who would believe in Him eternal life. All who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour by faith receives this righteousness and enjoys the blessedness of life with God. For Adam, it was that coat of skin, that took away the guilt of sin and in return that restored his state of blessedness with God. This salvation in Jesus Christ is given freely by God’s grace though it was bought with a great price. This is the good news of the blessedness of life with God by faith in Christ Jesus.

It was because of Adam’s sin that our good God acted to save him, and his wife and his posterity from His pronounced judgement which is physical death and eternal judgement in the lake of fire. Shall not man be grateful that he was not left to suffer eternal judgement? Alas, God gave man a choice to receive His salvation. The gospel is freely given and freely saves all who would believe – Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In a world of untruth and lies, deception and confusion, having a personal relationship with the living and true God is life’s greatest stabiliser. Let not God’s infinitely truthful character be maligned. When we go to Him, we can get an honest comment, an honest assessment of ourselves, an honest assessment of life for what it truly is. What comfort. This is the power of the Word of God. It ministers stability and with it wisdom and hope for life. God’s Word is the final arbiter, the impartial judge. Living by its instruction, we stand uncondemned and justified before God and men. Sins can be repented of and forgiven. Hurts can be healed.

God promised Israel that when she would obey and live by His Word, He shall prosper them in their way – Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. God said to Moses, Gather the people together so that they can hear His Words and they shall learn to fear Him all their days (Deut. 4:10).

The Christian life is a sanctified life lived to the praise of God. There is so much a Christian live for having being freed from the bondage of sin. He lives in the beauty of holiness. Life with God must not deteriorate to a mere outward conformance to God’s law without having true allegiance to God from the bottom of our hearts.

The Apostle Paul speaks of converted gentiles who loved God and serve Him with all their hearts. Their devout lives speak volumes though they were not outwardly circumcised like the Jew. Their good testimony served as an indictment against the circumcised Jews. Though outwardly bearing the covenant of God in their flesh, they disobeyed God in heart, word and deed. This was the sad plight in Jewry during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Indeed, as Apostle Paul rightly conclude in 1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

True faith is visibly seen by good works and spiritual fruit. It is a religion of the heart, a pure heart of piety toward God and men. The bible character Ruth was such an example. She was a Moabitess who left her homeland to follow Israel’s God by following her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Israel. God’s commendation of Ruth’s faith came through Boaz’s words in Ruth 2:12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. God counted her an Israelite in heart although she was outwardly a gentile.

The Jews were circumcised because God commanded it. They were a people set apart for God. The outward sign of the circumcision sets them apart as a people who practice God’s law. But if they failed to obey God in their daily living then the outward sign of circumcision will not make them a “true blue” Jew. Likewise the professing Christian who do not obey God’s law from the heart is not a “true blue” Christian. It is better than he be not called a Christian than to profess being a Christian and not live as a Christian.