Martin Luther: The Just Shall Live by Faith Season 1 | Episode 19
After leaving the monastery,
Luther was called to the University of Wittenberg to teach.
While here in Wittenberg,
he applied himself to the study of the scriptures in their original tongues
and began to lecture on the Bible,
in particular the Psalms, the epistles, and the Gospels.
[music]
His friend Staupitz urged him to ascend the pulpit and preach.
This was something he was hesitant to do, feeling unworthy of the task.
But following a long struggle,
and with encouragement from his friends, he finally agreed.
Luther was an eloquent speaker,
captivating his hearers with the clarity and power with which he spoke.
Before long, his fame as a speaker was growing,
both amongst the university students and the general public.
Every great revival in history has been founded on great preaching,
and the German Reformation was to be no different.
[music]
A dispute arose between seven of the local convents and their vicar general,
and it wasn't long before the future reformer
was sent on his way to Rome to settle the quarrel.
On his way there he noticed some things.
Staying at the monasteries,
he noted the wealth, magnificence, and sheer luxury that was there.
He contrasted this with the life of self-denial
that he himself had grown accustomed to living.
The Pope at that time was Pope Julius II,
and Luther thought that Rome was, as it were,
the very gates of heaven itself.
Indeed, as he approached Rome,
he lay prostrate on the ground and said, 'Holy Rome, I salute thee.'
[music]
As he entered the city and visited the churches
and saw the priests and monks,
he was filled with both shock and horror.
He saw amongst the clergy unashamed and open sin.
He heard the indecent jokes, swearing,
and he struggled to find some peace and solace.
'No one can imagine,' he said, 'what types of sins are committed in Rome.
'They have to be seen or heard to be believed.
They are in the habit of saying,
'If there is a hell, then Rome is built over it;
it is an abyss whence issues every kind of sin.'
[music]
By a recent decree, an indulgence was promised
to all those who would ascend Pilate's staircase on their knees.
It was believed that the staircase in Rome
was mysteriously transported there during the night,
and was the very staircase
that Jesus ascended on the night when He was condemned.
One day, Luther was devoutly climbing these steps
when a voice came to him like thunder:
'The just shall live by faith.' Romans 1:17
He got up from his knees and walked away, never to be the same again.
[music]
Upon returning from Rome,
Luther preached his famous sermon entitled, 'The Just Shall Live by Faith'
here in the St Mary's Town Church.
This was a question that lay heavy on Luther's mind,
and one which he wrestled with over and over again.
Indeed, the German Reformation hinged on the question,
'How can a man be just in the sight of God?'
It's a question that many people still wrestle with today.
[music]
At this point in his life,
Luther had no plans to start his own church or movement,
and still saw himself as a loyal son of the church.
But in making the commitment
to put the Bible above the words of the councils or popes,
he set himself on a course that would ultimately lead far away from Rome.
In Luther's life, he followed the Holy Spirit's leading
when he made the decision to preach;
he followed the Holy Spirit's leading when he got off his knees in Rome;
he followed the Holy Spirit's leading
in his ministry here and was true to his convictions.
May we be true to the Holy Spirit's leading in our life.
May we be strong in our convictions and true to God's Word as well.