NEARLY four centuries ago a poor German monk, bowed down with a sense of sin, might have been seen painfully climbing upon his knees the twenty-eight steps of the Santa Scala at Rome. Many a time the words “Absolve te” (I forgive thee) had been pronounced in his ears, but coming only from the lips of a fellow-sinner, they brought no ease to his conscience.
Suddenly a sentence from God’s Word, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:1717For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)), flashed upon his mind, and Martin Luther rose from his knees a justified and forgiven man. Faith is the way of life.
Thus God honored His own Word. The Scripture that brought peace and rest of soul to Luther became the battle-cry of the Reformation. Through Luther and his life’s work tens of thousands today are affected.
Reader, have you thus proved the power of the Word of God?
One Priest alone can pardon me,
Or bid me “Go in peace”;
Can breathe those words, “I pardon thee,”
And make those heart-throbs cease.
My soul hath heard His Priestly voice;
He said, “I bore thy sins, rejoice!”