Martin Luther, The First Man of the Reformation, 1517-2017: Part 1/2

Gavin says, "The first sermon will have a special focus on Luther up to his 95 Theses on the Eve of All Saints' Day, 1517. And … the second sermon … will then have a special focus on Luther's & Lutheran progress after these 95 Theses as the Reformation progressed up to The Augsburg Confession of 1530; at which time one then has … the formal composition of a Protestant Christian Confession of Faith." Gavin gives a selected biography of Luther's life including his birth, boyhood, & university graduations; & his change in direction after commencing the study of law, to become a Roman Catholic monk. Then is considered Luther's inability in the monastery to solve his sin problem through Romanist teachings of works' righteousness in which alleged meritorious works of a man gain him favour with God; & also Luther's failure to find release from his sin problem in the Popish confessional, or by a pilgrimage to Rome. But then through his studies & lectures on Psalms (1513), Romans (1515), & Galatians (1516), together with the convicting power of the Holy Ghost, Luther came slowly to get more & more Biblical light on the great doctrine of justification by faith alone, & this then underpinned his opposition to the Romish Indulgences being sold by Tetzel as set forth in Luther's nailing of his 95 Theses to the Chapel Door of Wittenberg Castle. Gavin also considers the contemporary need to defend the gospel against e.g., semi-Romanist attempts to reintroduce the Romish bondage of justification by confession, antinomianism, semi-Romanist "bonus rewards," the ecumenical compromise, & Papist Indulgences issued in 2000 & 2016-2017.