Why "Luther"?

Why does Luther so fascinate me? I have often asked myself the same question. There are a few reasons that come immediately to mind and I thought I would post some of those reasons here.

I can trace my initial love of Luther to a course I took at the Criswell College (then the Criswell Center for Biblical Studies). The class was an overview of Church History taught by Dr. John Pretlove. When Dr. Pretlove reached the period of the Protestant Reformation, I became extremely interested in the people and events of that time. I took another course with Dr. Pretlove on the Protestant Reformation specifically in which we dealt, in more detail, on the people, places, and theology of the Reformation.

At some point during my Christian walk, I received some wise counsel instructing me to find Christian heroes in history. I was encouraged to study these heroes, emulate their good qualities, and avoid their bad ones. Having developed a natural love of the Protestant Reformation, Luther leaped out as one of my heroes.

Martin Luther is a hero to me because of his stance on the Word of God. To Luther, the Word of God, the teaching of the Bible, had authority over all aspects of one's life. When the church's teaching was contrary to the Word, Luther opted for the Word. When those around him preached and lived contrary to the Word, Luther opted for the Word. As he said at the Diet of Worms in 1521, "my conscience is captive to the Word of God." How I love that characteristic of Martin Luther and have tried to emulate it!

Also, is a hero to me because of his boldness. Here was a man who stood before Catholic leaders as well as political leaders, including the Emperor and would not yield his committment to the Lord and His Word. Here was a man who was under the condemnation of both church and state, an outlaw to both, yet persevered in the Lord's work. Here was a man who faced execution from both the religious and political worlds nevertheless continued to preach God's Word. May I be so bold in the presence of what little persecution I ever experience!

There are other reasons why I admire Luther and other characteristics of the Reformer which I want to emulate in my life. However, there are also some Luther traits that I want to avoid as well. Perhaps I will share some of those in the future.