The Reformation

After many centuries of what we now call the Dark Ages, the Reformation was a movement to restore biblical Christianity to planet earth. From beginning to end the Reformation was a sovereign work of God that came at one of the west’s darkest times. Beginning with Martin Luther (1483-1546), the Reformation became a protest movement against the spiritual deadness and formality of the medieval church. The spiritual journey of these reformers resulted in the rediscovery of biblical truth and a return to New Testament teaching. Later, this light from God’s Word produced the First Great Awakening that also was ignited during another of the church’s darkest times.

The Impact

It is impossible to overestimate the immense impact on the history of western civilization by the rediscovery of the truth of the Bible. The reformers commitment to biblical truth rescued the church from the superstition and idolatry into which it had strayed. Set free by the power of the gospel, it paved the way to social progress and the flowering of learning known by historians of the Enlightenment. 

The Restoration

The restoration of scripture as the supreme authority for faith and practice changed everything as it opened the way for each individual to know God personally.  The teaching of ‘salvation by faith alone’ was to become one of the central themes of the Reformation and was proclaimed with great clarity and power during the First Great Awakening. It was the preface of Martin Luther’s commentary on the Book of Romans that opened John Wesley’s spiritual eyes to the saving grace of God. Wesley went on to proclaim the gospel throughout Britain and later became the founder of Methodism.

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