Thoughts on Martin Luther

In 1517, the German monk Martin Luther famously nailed his “95 Theses” to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany for debate.

In the Theses, Luther outlined his disagreements with the Catholic Church and provided suggestions for its reform. His main point of anger with the Church and its leaders was the sale of indulgences, which was the practice of selling forgiveness to Catholics. In those days, a sinner with enough money could go to his local church and donate money so that his soul would easily pass through purgatory when he dies. The Church used this practice to earn money to build Churches and other projects. Luther emphasizes in his Theses that the power of the pope and the Church in general is limited. The pope does not have the authority to grant you remission of all of your sins when you reach purgatory. He also notes that we do not necessarily have reason to fear purgatory itself. Therefore, Luther believes it is deceptive and greedy for the Church to tell its members that they can get eternal life through money alone. According to Luther, this practice leads to many issues within the Church. For instance, Catholics with indulgences tend to become lazy and stop doing works of mercy as they believe they are already saved. Additionally, the sale of indulgences raises questions in the minds of all Catholics about why one can live a lousy life and still go to Heaven, why the Pope doesn’t pay for construction projects with his own money, and so on. In the end, Luther says that if the Church gets rid of the sale of indulgences, these issues will be resolved.

While Luther is a strong believer that money cannot buy one a spot in Heaven, he also believes that good works alone will not lead to salvation. Instead, he argues that faith alone will lead to Christian salvation and liberty in his 1520 treatise “Concerning Christian Liberty.” To prove his point, Luther emphasizes the separation of the body and the soul (the internal and external man). He notes that a person can have a healthy and good body through physical nourishment, yet a filthy soul. Likewise, one can have the opposite – a malnourished body and a good soul. Luther says that the works which are conducted by the external body have no impact on the soul, and vice versa. Therefore, those who believe that their good works for others will give them a spot in Heaven will ultimately face disappointment.

Luther notes that, “One thing, and one alone, is necessary for life, justification, and Christian liberty; and that is the most holy word of God, the Gospel of Christ.” By that statement, he signifies that if one simply believes in Jesus Christ and his message, he will be saved eternally. Only faith can save the soul, not works. In preparation for counterarguments, Luther says that the reason the Bible has laws and doctrines for Jews and Christians to follow is so that man can recognize his inability to follow the law. Without faith, man cannot be saved because he naturally will fail and sin in his attempts to follow the Commandments. Luther explains that the concept of “Christian Liberty” means that once you give your life to God and have faith in Jesus Christ, you are free from all these laws. You no longer need guidelines for your life because your soul “clings to the Word” and does what is good.

I personally think Luther has sound logic, especially on the idea of ending indulgences. It is illogical for the Church, an organization designed to save souls, to steal the money of its parishioners for salvation. I too believe that donations to any charity will not give you a place in Heaven unless you live a Christian life as well. I think that the reasoning Luther uses to justify that faith alone saves a man’s soul are impressive. Since the soul is separate from the body, on a logical basis it makes sense that works cannot grant the soul salvation. However, my objection would be that good works, if done with the right intentions, can be a sort of food for the soul! When we help others, it benefits our soul. On that note, I believe that if someone has no belief in Jesus Christ – for instance, a man who has never heard of Jesus – they would still be saved by an all-loving God if they live virtuously. Why would these people be barred from Heaven? Thus, in a way, I do believe that works alone could put a man in Heaven, but I see why Luther believes that by faith alone is the way to salvation. Finally, I do agree with Luther that once you have faith, you naturally have Christian liberty and follow God’s laws unconsciously.