November 18, 2021
The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19
The idea of “reformation” gained official acknowledgement when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. But history reveals that God was raising up reformers in centuries preceding; men such as John Wycliffe and Jon Huss. It is fascinating that seven hundred years ahead of Luther, two Catholic bishops recognized Rome as “the city called ‘Babylon’ by the holy prophets.” They were from the Netherlands and had been sent to Rome as delegates. While there, like Luther’s experience seven hundred years later, they saw the true character of the “holy see” and wrote a detailed, scathing impeachment in order to expose him and his court as “wolves, thieves, tyrants, pretenders, and without reason.”
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:8-11
Such protests were echoed from century to century as a chilling foreshadowing of Luther’s words: “the sins committed in Rome must be seen and heard to be believed!”
Today it is politically incorrect to be verbal regarding the Word of God as the standard by which we are instructed and enabled to make distinctions. But, apart from the Word, how can we possibly give our children what they need in order to distinguish good from evil? Today’s political leaders do not want God’s Word held up as the standard of testing. Yet Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for doing exactly that:
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Revelation 2:2
Jesus also said: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:15,16,17,20