¤ ¤
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Five hundred years ago an event
took place here that shook the
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world and changed the course
of human history. A young German
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monk strode to this door
and challenged the power and
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authority of the most powerful
empire on earth, an empire that
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had ruled for a thousand
years. His actions put him on a
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collision course with the most
powerful people of his time, the
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emperor and the pope, and set
in motion a train of revolution,
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war and conflict that would
reshape western civilization and
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lift it out of the dark ages.
Luther's story still resonates
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half a millennium _. It's a
story that includes parental
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conflict, spiritual agony,
castles, kidnapping, daring
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escapes, humor and romance. And
what's more it's the story of
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the birth of the modern age. But
perhaps even more importantly
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it's a story that could
bring you peace and freedom and
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change your life forever.
You won't want to miss it.
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¤ ¤
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The Rhine river is one of
Europe's grand waterways. In one
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of the most appealing and
spectacular sections of this
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mighty river flows through
Germany's Rhine Valley. This is
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an area of outstanding beauty.
Idyllic villages appear around
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each bend. The half timbered
houses and gothic church
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steeples seemingly plucked
from the world of fairy tales.
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Forested hillsides alternate
with craggy cliffs and steep
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terraced vineyards. Romantic
castles are perched on virtually
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every hilltop. Yes, the Rhine
Valley is a place of romance and
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beauty. But it's peaceful city
belies the unrest that rippled
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through this region 500 years
ago in the early 16th century.
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Picture the scene that fateful
afternoon of October 31, 1517.
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In the university town of
Wittenberg not all that far from
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the Rhine River a young German
monk strides down the busy
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street to Wittenberg's castle
church, the most prominent and
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important building in the town.
On the church door he nails a
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sheet of paper with a list of 95
theses that challenge the power
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and authority of the most
powerful empire on earth, an
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empire that had ruled for a
thousand years. Now he's on a
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collision course with the most
powerful people of the time, the
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Pope and the Emperor. With the
posting of his 95 theses Martin
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Luther launched what became
known as the reformation. The
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blows of his hammer were soon
heard in every country in Europe
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and marked a turning point in
history and the beginning of a
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new epoch in our civilization.
Back in the first century
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Christianity was a crime.
Christians worshiped God and not
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the emperor. They were seen
as a threat to the empire and so
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firestorms of persecution swept
through the church as Nero and
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other Roman emperors massacred
thousands of believers in Jesus.
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Those early Christians suffered
horrifying deaths because of
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their belief in Jesus.
But despite this terrible
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persecution the church stood
firm and true to the Bible and
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the pure teachings of Jesus.
But sadly the second and third
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generation of Christians came
compromised with paganism and
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apostasy. In the fourth century
the emperor Constantine tried
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to hold the Roman empire
together by uniting pagans and
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Christians in one great system
of religion. As a direct result
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Christianity was corrupted.
Beliefs, practices and doctrines
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that had never been taught
by Jesus, doctrines that are not
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found in the Bible crept into
the church and many of the great
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truths Jesus gave were lost.
Now should this surprise us?
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Didn't the Bible predict that
this very thing would happen to
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the church? Notice the
warning of Peter the apostle:
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And this is exactly what
took place. It didn't happen
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overnight. The decay of truth
took centuries. At first the
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enemy of God tried to destroy
the church with persecution. It
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didn't work. So he resorted
to deception. He determined to
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undermine Christianity from
within and so for centuries the
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truth lay buried beneath
tradition, rights and ceremonies
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that Jesus, Paul and Peter never
heard of crept into the church.
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The church had been corrupted.
Instead of freely offering the
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freely offering the gospel of
Jesus the church turned religion
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into a business and began to
sell forgiveness and salvation.
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A process was developed whereby
the church sold forgiveness for
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imaginable sin and crime. Even
murder had its price. The more
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the people sinned the richer
the church became. By selling
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entrance to heaven, the church
became the wealthiest, most
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powerful organization in the
world. The people were banned
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from reading the Bible. In fact
the death penalty was enforced
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on anyone caught reading the
Bible. In this way the corrupted
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church kept its adherents
blindly following its false
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teachings and as the light of
God's truth was hidden from the
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people an age of darkness
descended upon the world.
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But God wasn't caught unprepared
God in his mercy sent messengers
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to reform the church. They
passionately desired that the
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church reform from within
and correct the abuses that had
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crept in over many generations.
Sadly the church rejected their
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calls for reform and either
attacked or executed these men.
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However, their efforts were
not in vain because their work,
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vision and sacrifice laid
the groundwork for the dramatic
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events that were soon to follow.
And it was this realization that
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led the Augustinian monk Martin
Luther to nail his 95 theses to
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the Wittenberg Cathedral
door and launch the reformation.
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Luther's story begins here in
this house in Eisleben, a small
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town in the region of Saxony
in modern Germany where he was
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born in 1483. The Luther
memorial in the town market
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square depicts Luther in larger
than life size holding a Bible
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in his hands. Early in his
childhood Martin's family moved
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to Mansfield. It was in
this mining town that Martin was
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taken to the parish church and
introduced to a religion that
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was filled with purgatory, hell,
angels, demons, sin and judgment
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It instilled the fear of God
in him. Martin shivered whenever
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he looked up at the stained
glass window in the church and
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saw the frowning face of Jesus
coming to judge him. And so from
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an early age he saw God as a
harsh and angry judge. He was
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terrified of God. But towering
high above the town is the
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seat of the Council Mansfield.
This fortress impressed young
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Martin and it was his memory
of this fortress that later
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inspired him to write the
words of his most famous hymn,
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A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
Martin, having completed his
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schooling at 18, made his way
to the city of Erfurt where he
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enrolled in the local university
in 1501. The city of Erfurt
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boasted one of the leading
universities of the time and it
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was here that Martin Luther
earned both his bachelor of
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arts and master of arts degrees.
But a terrifying experience near
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the town influenced him to
change his career. His decision
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changed the course of history.
On a hot and sultry July
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afternoon in 1505 Martin
Luther trudged along this rutted
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roadway near Stutterheim on
his way back to Erfurt after
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visiting his parents
in Mansfield. Suddenly and
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without warning the sky became
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overcast. A gusty wind
whipped through the trees
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and a torrential downpour
unleashed its fury on the
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lonely traveler. Peels of
thunder rocked the countryside
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and then it
happened. A bolt of lightening
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zigzagged through the black
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clouds and sent Luther reeling
to the ground. Terrified by the
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thought that he'd been struck
down by God Martin Luther cried
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out to his patron saint, Saint
Ann help me and I will become
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a monk. This stone monument near
Stutterheim commemorates this
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turning point in Luther's life.
He kept his promise. Neither his
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angry father nor the persuasive
arguments of his friends could
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change him mind. He dropped
out of law school and two weeks
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later Luther entered the
monastery of the Augustinian
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order in Erfurt to become a
monk and begin a monastic life.
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Martin Luther desperately wanted
to find peace of mind and the
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assurance of ultimate salvation.
He wanted to appease the angry
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God he'd seen as a boy on
the church window at Mansfield.
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So Luther determined to become
holy, to rid himself of sin and
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save his soul by his own good
works. If he could become good
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enough then God would accept
him He shrank from no sacrifice
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whether physical pain or mental
stress in his quest to gain
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God's approval. Later Luther
said, If anyone could have
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earned heaven by the life of a
monk, it was I. But despite his
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rigorous efforts to satisfy what
he thought to be an angry God,
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Luther never felt the ledger was
balanced. The harder he tried
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the more sinful he felt. Inner
peace and assurance alluded him.
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He felt he could not do enough
to merit God's forgiveness and
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favor. When the Augustinian
monasteries selected him to head
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the delegation to Rome in 1510
Luther was overjoyed. Here was
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an opportunity to use the
traditional remedies provided
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by the church to find
forgiveness and peace.
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No city on earth had so
many holy relics or spiritual
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indulgences as Rome. Here
was his chance to earn merit and
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secure the personal peace he
wanted so badly. But it proved
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to be a profoundly disappointing
experience. He was shocked by
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the corruption of the Roman
church. He climbed the Scala
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Sancta, the holy stairs
which tradition claimed were the
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stairs that Jesus ascended when
he appeared before Pilot. The
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priest claimed that God forgave
the sins of those who climbed
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the stairs on their knees.
Luther did so repeating the
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Lord's prayer, kissing each step
and seeking peace with God. But
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when he reached the top step
he looked back and thought who
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knows whether this is true?
He felt no closer to God and
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returned to the monastery more
troubled and disillusioned than
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ever. He began to study
the Bible as never before,
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determined to find the answer
to this most important question.
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How is a person accepted by God
and saved? Even as he struggled
00:14:05.81\00:14:13.05
with these questions Luther
impressed his superiors with his
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intellectual abilities and
they selected him for further
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education at the University
of Wittenberg. Wittenberg is a
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pretty town located on the banks
of the Elbe River in central
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Germany. When Martin came here
as an unknown monk he lived in
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the local Augustinian monastery
still searching for an answer to
00:14:36.97\00:14:41.21
his question, how is a person
accepted by God and saved?
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To his surprise as he studied
God's word he found no teaching
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of trying harder, of winning
merit, of making yourself holy,
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or earning God's acceptance
or buying forgiveness. As he
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studied the Bible book of Romans
he made a discovery that would
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forever bring peace
to his troubled heart:
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Luther finally grasped the truth
that salvation comes by faith,
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by believing in Jesus Christ.
He understood that penances,
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pilgrimages and vigils, fasting
and climbing stairs on hands and
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knees did nothing for salvation.
Rather the Christian God is a
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God of love and mercy who
accepts people just as they are
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on the basis of their faith in
him. Joy filled Luther's heart.
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Finally his troubled conscience
found peace. In discovering that
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forgiveness and salvation come
to us freely from Christ alone
00:15:54.15\00:15:58.29
Martin Luther had made the
greatest discovery of all time;
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the discovery that would change
the course of history and bring
00:16:04.16\00:16:07.33
peace and assurance to millions
of people as they received
00:16:07.36\00:16:11.80
Christ's righteousness for
themselves. But this discovery
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that brought peace to his
troubled conscience also brought
00:16:15.87\00:16:19.54
Luther into conflict with the
church. It made him a heretic
00:16:19.57\00:16:23.85
in his church, a criminal
in society and an outlaw
00:16:23.88\00:16:28.55
throughout the empire.
00:16:28.58\00:16:30.72
The battle broke out
over indulgences not far from
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Wittenberg. Johann Tetzel
was selling indulgences to raise
00:16:36.39\00:16:40.20
money to finance the building of
St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
00:16:40.23\00:16:45.67
Indulgences were letters of
pardon that the church claimed
00:16:45.70\00:16:49.40
guaranteed forgiveness of
sins. It was a way of selling
00:16:49.44\00:16:53.98
forgiveness and salvation and
of raising money for the church.
00:16:54.01\00:16:58.45
Luther saw this as a perversion
of the gospel he had recently
00:16:58.48\00:17:03.65
discovered. He really wanted to
share the good news that had set
00:17:03.69\00:17:07.86
him free, that had brought
him inner peace and assurance.
00:17:07.89\00:17:15.46
And so on October 31, 1517 he
posted a list of 95 objections
00:17:15.50\00:17:23.20
to the sale of indulgences
on the door of the Wittenberg
00:17:23.24\00:17:26.81
Castle Church. He invited
scholars to debate the issue of
00:17:26.84\00:17:31.85
indulgences. A copy fell into
the hands of a printer and soon
00:17:31.88\00:17:36.72
Luther's theses spread
throughout Europe unleashing
00:17:36.75\00:17:40.46
a storm. Luther hadn't intended
to revolt, only to reform, but
00:17:40.49\00:17:47.43
his teachings and action
challenged the church's claim
00:17:47.46\00:17:51.00
of the right to control people's
conscience and personal faith
00:17:51.03\00:17:54.67
and provide salvation. His
teachings soon aroused religious
00:17:54.70\00:17:59.54
and political turmoil
throughout the vast territory
00:17:59.57\00:18:03.28
of the Holy Roman Empire.
Something had to be done to
00:18:03.31\00:18:08.45
quell the crisis. Finally
Charles V summoned Luther to
00:18:08.48\00:18:15.02
trial in the city of Worms
situated on the banks of the
00:18:15.06\00:18:18.19
Rhine River. Near the
city's great cathedral stood the
00:18:18.23\00:18:22.73
imperial palace where the trial
was conducted. Here on the 18th
00:18:22.76\00:18:27.77
of April 1521 Luther
stood before an imperial diet
00:18:27.80\00:18:32.81
convened by Emperor Charles V.
He was accused of renewing the
00:18:32.84\00:18:38.21
teachings of Wycliffe and Huss
by making the Bible his final
00:18:38.25\00:18:43.28
authority. Surrounded by princes
nobles, generals and church
00:18:43.32\00:18:48.49
leaders Luther defended himself
against the charge of heresy.
00:18:48.52\00:18:55.00
He concluded his
defense with the famous words:
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The actual building where
the trial as conducted has been
00:19:25.49\00:19:28.10
demolished and it's site is
now occupied by this garden.
00:19:28.13\00:19:33.64
A plaque marks the site where
Luther stood as he made his
00:19:33.67\00:19:37.37
heroic defense, but historical
and theological significance of
00:19:37.41\00:19:43.71
Martin Luther is encapsulated
in a memorial in the center of
00:19:43.75\00:19:47.08
Worms. Luther is surrounded
by some of the most important
00:19:47.12\00:19:52.19
people that paved the way for
the reformation. They include
00:19:52.22\00:19:56.22
John Wycliffe, Jan Huss, and
Girolamo Savonarola. They laid
00:19:56.26\00:20:02.66
the foundation for Martin Luther
Luther's message was clear.
00:20:02.70\00:20:08.87
Conscience must answer to God
alone. Salvation comes freely
00:20:08.90\00:20:12.87
by faith alone and the Bible
is the only source of spiritual
00:20:12.91\00:20:18.51
authority, not church tradition
or the decrees of its leaders.
00:20:18.55\00:20:23.18
Because of his beliefs Luther
was declared a heretic and an
00:20:23.22\00:20:29.82
outlaw to be captured and killed
on sight. His fate was settled.
00:20:29.86\00:20:36.00
However, Luther's friends
intervened. On the way back from
00:20:36.03\00:20:40.20
Worms they pretended to kidnap
Luther and spirited him away
00:20:40.24\00:20:45.04
under the cover of darkness.
He was taken into hiding at the
00:20:45.07\00:20:53.72
Wartburg Castle, the most famous
fortress in all Germany. Here
00:20:53.75\00:20:59.12
Martin Luther found refuge from
his persecutors. He hid in this
00:20:59.15\00:21:05.53
castle for almost a year
disguised as a noble. Luther
00:21:05.56\00:21:10.57
lived in this room and it
was here that he worked on
00:21:10.60\00:21:13.13
translating the Bible into the
German language. The room has
00:21:13.17\00:21:17.94
remained practically unaltered
from the time of Luther. Luther
00:21:17.97\00:21:22.44
strongly opposed to indulgences
or relics or anything that
00:21:22.48\00:21:27.02
detracted from the saving grace
of Jesus Christ. He opposed
00:21:27.05\00:21:32.22
relics strongly but when he
arrived here at the Wartburg
00:21:32.25\00:21:35.62
in his very room he found a
whale bone that was considered
00:21:35.66\00:21:40.36
sacred. In order to show his
disdain for relics, Luther said
00:21:40.40\00:21:46.94
this whale bone has nothing to
do with the Bible or salvation
00:21:46.97\00:21:52.37
and so he used it as foot rest
to show that there was nothing
00:21:52.41\00:21:57.01
sacred about this whale bone and
rather people should focus their
00:21:57.05\00:22:01.65
attention on Jesus Christ and
his death on the cross when it
00:22:01.68\00:22:06.05
comes to salvation and
forgiveness. From Wartburg
00:22:06.09\00:22:13.36
Luther returned to the
Augustinian monastery in
00:22:13.40\00:22:16.20
Wittenberg and resumed
leadership of the reformation.
00:22:16.73\00:22:20.40
Luther married a former nun
Katharina von Bora. They had
00:22:20.44\00:22:24.47
three sons and three daughters.
Luther and his family lived here
00:22:24.51\00:22:30.01
until his death. Despite
widespread scorn and persecution
00:22:30.05\00:22:36.25
Luther's message took hold in
the hearts of the common people
00:22:36.28\00:22:40.32
and eight years after the
Council of Worms a group of
00:22:40.36\00:22:44.73
German princes took their stand
with Luther. They met at the
00:22:44.76\00:22:49.73
city of Spire and formed an
alliance protesting the abuses
00:22:49.76\00:22:53.64
of the church and its attempt
to crush the reformation. From
00:22:53.67\00:22:58.47
this protest of the princes
at Spire in 1529 the term
00:22:58.51\00:23:03.58
protestant was born. Today a
plaque marks the location where
00:23:03.61\00:23:09.02
the princes made their protest.
After years of championing the
00:23:09.05\00:23:15.16
cause of the reformation from
his home in Wittenberg, a very
00:23:15.19\00:23:18.89
sick Luther was called to
Eisleben, the town of his birth,
00:23:18.93\00:23:23.77
to help reconcile a dispute
between two noblemen. While here
00:23:23.80\00:23:28.14
his life pilgrimage came to
an end. He died on the 18th of
00:23:28.17\00:23:32.77
February 1546 in a house just a
short distance from where he was
00:23:32.81\00:23:37.81
born secure in the knowledge
that God loved him and that
00:23:37.85\00:23:41.85
through Jesus Christ he was
assured of eternal life. The
00:23:41.88\00:23:49.36
reformer's body was brought
to Wittenberg, the scene of his
00:23:49.39\00:23:52.89
most important work. They
buried Luther in the castle
00:23:52.93\00:23:57.50
church where nearly 29 years
previously it had all begun
00:23:57.53\00:24:02.47
when he posted his 95 theses on
the church's door. A small event
00:24:02.50\00:24:08.48
but one with enormous
consequences. His grave consists
00:24:08.51\00:24:13.31
of a simple sandstone
pedestal located near the pulpit
00:24:13.35\00:24:17.52
from which he preached. So
what is Luther's legacy? Well
00:24:17.55\00:24:25.16
some believe his
actions and ideas marked a major
00:24:25.19\00:24:29.06
turning point in
00:24:29.10\00:24:30.43
western history that brought
about the birth of our modern
00:24:30.47\00:24:34.04
age. They see him as the most
significant European figure of
00:24:34.07\00:24:38.77
the second millennium. The man
of the millennium. But perhaps
00:24:38.81\00:24:43.98
even more importantly Martin
Luther showed that people are
00:24:44.01\00:24:49.25
saved not on the basis of your
position or wealth or how good
00:24:49.28\00:24:52.99
you are but because of how good
Jesus is, because Jesus died for
00:24:53.02\00:24:59.89
you, because God is
love, because God loves you.
00:24:59.93\00:25:04.43
If you'd like to make that same
discovery and experience inner
00:25:04.47\00:25:09.54
peace and the assurance of
salvation in your life, why not
00:25:09.57\00:25:13.64
ask for it right now as we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank
00:25:13.68\00:25:20.45
you for your word, the Bible,
that guides us and teaches us
00:25:20.48\00:25:24.12
your truth. It tells us that we
have a God in heaven who loves
00:25:24.15\00:25:28.82
us and he cares for us. Lord,
we've all made mistakes in our
00:25:28.86\00:25:33.60
lives and done things that
we know were wrong and that we
00:25:33.63\00:25:36.80
regret. We thank you that
through Jesus all of our sins
00:25:36.83\00:25:41.24
and mistakes can be forgiven and
we can experience inner peace
00:25:41.27\00:25:45.44
and the assurance of salvation.
Grant us that privilege,
00:25:45.47\00:25:49.98
in the name of
Jesus we pray, Amen.
00:25:50.01\00:25:54.32
¤ ¤
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.49
Martin Luther desperately
wanted to find peace with God.
00:25:57.52\00:26:00.96
He wanted to find true happiness
One question consumed him.
00:26:00.99\00:26:06.26
How is a sinful person made
right before a holy God. He came
00:26:06.29\00:26:13.47
to realize that salvation
was a gift for the guilty, not a
00:26:13.50\00:26:18.27
reward for the righteous.
People aren't saved by their
00:26:18.31\00:26:22.51
good works or by the good things
they do, but by trusting in
00:26:22.54\00:26:26.18
Jesus and what he has
done. If you'd like to find true
00:26:26.21\00:26:30.95
happiness in your life, then I'd
like to recommend a free offer
00:26:30.99\00:26:34.82
we have for all our viewers
today. It's a booklet entitled
00:26:34.86\00:26:39.13
The Man of the Millennium. This
booklet shares the secret about
00:26:39.16\00:26:43.53
how we can find true happiness
in our lives. This booklet is
00:26:43.57\00:26:48.64
our gift to you and is
absolutely free and there is no
00:26:48.67\00:26:52.74
obligation whatsoever.
Here's the information you need:
00:26:52.77\00:26:57.91
Phone us now on 0481315101
or text us on 0491222999 or
00:26:57.95\00:27:11.19
visit our website
theincrediblejourney.tv to
00:27:11.23\00:27:15.73
request today's free offer.
So don't delay. Contact us
00:27:15.76\00:27:19.93
right now.
00:27:19.97\00:27:28.94
If you've enjoyed today's
journey be sure to join us again
00:27:28.98\00:27:34.78
next week when we will share
another of life's journey's
00:27:34.82\00:27:38.32
together and experience another
new and thought provoking
00:27:38.35\00:27:41.76
perspective on the peace,
insight, understanding and hope
00:27:41.79\00:27:46.90
that only the Bible can give us.
The Incredible Journey truly is
00:27:46.93\00:27:52.17
television that changes lives
Until next week remember the
00:27:52.20\00:27:57.21
ultimate destination of life's
journey: Now I saw a new heaven
00:27:57.24\00:28:01.94
and a new earth. And God will
wipe away every tear from their
00:28:01.98\00:28:05.78
eyes. There shall be no more
death nor sorrow nor crying.
00:28:05.81\00:28:09.72
There shall be no more
pain for the former things have
00:28:09.75\00:28:13.96
passed away.
00:28:13.99\00:28:28.00