Value of the Word
Every year, especially after New Years, many people look for a transformation and betterment in life. They want the new year to be better than the last. This is a good thing. There are many steps one can follow to bettering their life. No matter if it is diet, habits, time management or anything else, there is a system that can be easily found and followed because of our access to information. The internet and the free society we live in gives us unparalleled knowledge at our fingertips. We can search and discover any subject without leaving our home via the internet. Now, in contrast, let’s look at a time in history when information, especially information about God, did not flow so freely. The story ahead will encourage a strong value of the Word of God while also highlighting the need to follow the simple practice of reading the Bible and knowing God personally.
The Reformer: Martin Luther, the father of the reformation, was born in Germany in 1483. In his early college life, while studying to become a lawyer, he stumbled across a Latin Bible in the university library. He opened this Bible and began to read. Young Luther had heard portions of the gospel before, as read from priests at mass, but in those times it was forbidden that anyone beyond a priest or monk be allowed to have access to the Holy Word. Luther said these words at the finding and reading of the Bible in the library, “Oh if God would give me such a book for my own.” Shortly after this, Luther entered the Augustinian (Catholic) order, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, Bible reading and frequent confession. He was a strict Catholic and followed what the church taught him. But Luther, being an educated man and reading the scriptures for himself, began to realize the truth of the gospel. His conclusion — It is by faith a person is saved, not by works. But being committed to the Catholic church, Luther desired to travel to Rome and see the beauty and grace of God at work amidst the leadership of Catholicism. Instead, he found decadence and the practice of indulgence (pay the church money and they will forgive any sin). On that trip to Rome, Luther saw the deceit the church had laid upon the world, and he said, “If there be a hell, Rome is built above it. It is an abyss whence all sins proceed.” Luther also recalls a life-changing moment in Rome as he was climbing the Stairs of Pilate in penance for sins. He heard a booming voice say the words of Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith.” Luther was changed, but still committed to the church.
The last straw for Martin Luther came in 1516, when a priest named John Trezel, appointed from Rome, came to German regions to collect money for indulgences. He extolled Catholics that every time a coin clinked in the money coffers, a soul of their loved one escaped purgatory and ascended to heaven. Luther was enraged at this falsity and wrote his world changing document known as the 95 Theses. These 95 Theses were nailed to the church door at Wittenberg and then quickly copied and distributed throughout the Catholic world. The 95 Theses ripped to the core of the twisted theology of the Catholic church and exposed the false and deceitful practices, while extolling the truth of the gospel. Luther, from that day forward, was a champion of reform and changed the church forever. The churches we attend now, that preach salvation through faith, are because God used Luther to expose a lie and share the truth. Luther’s era was one where the truth of the gospel was hidden. People did not have the Word of God and where not even allowed to study the scriptures! Luther went on to translate the Bible into German so people could know the truth of God’s Word for themselves. The reformation movement spread and set nation against nation, but the truth was out and there was no going back. Contrasting the era of Martin Luther to the age we live in now and we can truly call ourselves blessed. The point of this is to show that there is a value in knowing and understand the Word for yourself. If a person does not seek out for themselves the knowledge of the Holy Word they will be left to the readings and interpretation of scriptures that they hear from others. Here is a statement we believe is true: You will mature more in the knowledge of God by reading through, just the New Testament, in a two week period, then you will get in 10-years of church attendance. This is not to say church attendance is not valuable, but to show you that the knowledge of the Word is incredibly powerful and life changing. Sometimes this simple truth is forgotten. If you have felt a lack of knowing the mind of God, put this challenge to the test. Read the New Testament in a two week period, and you will be more advanced and powerful in your faith than millions who only guess or hear the interpretations of others. For the more ambitious knowledge seekers, read the entire Bible cover to cover and you will have knowledge beyond your years. It might take you longer than two weeks, but it will be worth it. There will be no more guessing or wondering what God’s plan is, but there will be confidence and knowledge of the truth. You will enjoy church much more and make quality, bible-based decisions because you are in full knowledge and light. All it took for Luther to begin a massive world change was for him to read the Bible. Imagine how God will use you if you do the same! Make a commitment to read the Word and your life will change — guaranteed.
