Your Vote and the Light of Truth
Lessons from Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
The forces of evil are converging to distract and dull our minds and distort the truth.
On October 31, five hundred and seven years ago, Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation. Luther made biblical truth accessible to common people, and the Protestant Reformation broke the powerful grip held by the Roman Catholic papacy over the European continent.
Without the Protestant Reformation, monarchs would still rule the western world. Rulers would attribute their moral authority to the Bishop of Rome. For many people, truth would be indistinguishable from lies. Religions that refused to give primacy to the pope would be outlawed. If the United States existed, its Bill or Rights would not guarantee freedom of speech and religious freedom. History would be unrecognizable as we know it today.
It Went Viral
Luther was a Roman Catholic priest and university professor whose prayers and faithful study of Scripture revealed errors in papal doctrine. His conscience compelled him to shine the light of truth where darkness enabled evil men to inflict abuse in the name of God. Centuries before electronic social media like YouTube and X, people presented their proclamations to the populace by posting their publications on public buildings. Luther chose to post his manifesto on the door of the Wittenberg, Germany, All Saints Church.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther published his "Ninety-five Theses." It went viral. Within a few days, printed copies in German and other European languages scattered across the continent.
Luther’s Discovery
Luther's document presented a compelling argument against the papacy's sale of indulgences. Indulgences are a papal doctrine not found in the Bible. According to the doctrine, indulgences relieve sinners from the temporal consequences of sin. Indulgences are sold and awarded by the papacy in return for good works. In Luther's time, papal authorities sold indulgences to fund the papacy's extravagant construction projects, like St. Peter's Basilica. Luther argued that the doctrine of indulgences circumvented true repentance, elevated the pope above Christ, and distracted Christians from giving to care for the needs of the poor.
Luther's actions resulted from the influence of the Bible on his conscience. Devoted to reading the Bible and understanding its teachings, Luther discovered a contrast between church traditions and the teachings of Jesus.
Tracking to True North
Consider a calibrated compass as a mind that can receive and respond to the magnetic influence of the Holy Spirit drawing us ever closer to Jesus. The Bible is the most reliable map. Calibrated and tracking to Jesus as our True North, we each become a light of truth to reveal God's glory to the world around us.
Luther had calibrated his compass and had the right map. Most Christians of his era did not have access to a Bible and were taught that salvation and eternal life were gained only by good works. Luther was overjoyed discover in the Bible the only path to salvation and eternal life is by God's grace through faith.
A Captive Conscience
Luther's "Ninety-five Theses" drew strong, negative reactions from the Catholic pope. The pope and his allies failed to persuade Luther to revise and recant his statements against the sale of indulgences. Within three years, the pope revoked Luther's church membership and leaned on state powers to silence him. At the risk of becoming a martyr, Luther stood firm against church and state leaders at the 1521 Diet of Worms, defending his position with this profound appeal:
"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen."
Are You Up Next?
Jesus foretold of a time His disciples would stand before kings and rulers for His name's sake. That time may come for us. While evil forces work to distract and dull minds and distort truth, they are also at work to silence truth and confuse people about God's Word.
It's estimated that 32 million self-identified Christians will not vote in the 2024 election. There are many reasons given for Christians not to vote. Many of these reasons are promoted by people who don’t want Christians to vote.
The Cost of Failure
I ask myself this question: If I fail to speak out today in favor of truth, will I be able to speak out for truth when the stakes are higher?
Some may argue that the truth isn't on the ballot. But free speech and freedom of religion are on the ballot in the form of policies and candidates that would limit both. These freedoms impact when and where we can speak and teach the truth. Candidates for office also take positions on other critical issues that impact those Jesus commands us to love, for example:
Abortion
Gender confusion
Human trafficking
Drug trafficking
Immigration
Law enforcement
Foreign Wars
It's easy to sit back and think what we do in the public sphere doesn't matter, because God is in control. If Martin Luther had that attitude, where would we be today?
What Really Matters?
Does character matter? Yes. It's easy to rationalize not voting because candidates are flawed. The people you choose to work in your business, repair your car, or provide your healthcare are also flawed. Like we choose other people to do specialized work on our behalf, we're voting for candidates to run our city, country, state or federal government based on their experience and ability to do the job.
As you consider the character of candidates, consider these words from Jesus as the ultimate measure of integrity: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends,” John 15:13 NKJV). Elected officials used to be considered public servants. It's helpful to consider who stands to benefit by a win for a candidate on the ballot.
On issues and on character, dig deeper than what candidates, mainstream news and commentators want you to believe. Look for unbiased sources of information.
Our ability to speak and teach truth as disciples of Jesus is on the ballot with almost every election. Our votes may not prevail, but each faithful Christian’s vote may be used as a voice to make known that there a people who stand for righteous causes.
Think of your vote as a ray of light that you can shine into your city, county, state and nation. The darkness may seem overwhelming, but a ray of light shone into the darkness from someone whose compass is calibrated and has a reliable map gives hope and encouragement to those hungering and thirsting for truth.