A Life of Faith and Forgiveness

Here's an excerpt from A Life of Faith and Forgiveness, Burk Parson's contribution to the June issue of Tabletalk:

If you travel to Wittenberg, Germany, the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation, you may find yourself scratching your head wondering how Martin Luther managed to nail his 95 theses to the solid-bronze door of the 500-year-old castle church. It wouldn't take you long, however, to realize that the bronze door is a relatively new addition. During the Seven Year's War (1756–1763), the original, wooden door was lost in the great fire that consumed much of the church building in 1760. As a result, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia had the door replaced with the present bronze door, upon which are inscribed Luther's 95 theses. And while many Christians are familiar with the history surrounding Luther's 95 theses, most are unaware of their contents. Largely, they address the abuses of the papacy, especially the grandiose abuses of the papacy's cohorts, pertaining to the supposed power and efficacy of indulgences. Luther's first thesis is penetrating. It reads, "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

The amazing thing about Luther's statement is it teaches that repentance is not simply a one-time action, but is that which is to characterize the entirety of a believer's life.

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