Christianity as a church witness was born on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). From that day, God also gave us the blueprint for the spread of the Gospel. The most difficult and challenging is to spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. Even though there was much persecution, the church grew and many Gentiles came to know Christ. But when Constantine declared that he was a Christian, Christianity earned respectability. That, however, was the beginning of the dilution of Christianity. In the 16^th century, Martin Luther had the courage to stand for Christ, and he did what God wanted him to do.

Luther was born in a small town in Germany. He studied law as his father wanted him to be a lawyer. One night, he encountered a very fierce thunderstorm. He prayed for protection, promising God that he would become a monk if his life was spared. Thus, in 1505, he joined the monastery. There, he had direct access to the Word of God. Upon graduation, he became a teacher and preacher of God’s Word. When he studied the book of Romans, he realised that no amount of works can pay for his sins, but “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). And he became a believer. When the errors of purgatory and indulgences came to his congregation, he was convicted to write against these errors. Thus, he wrote his 95 theses and nailed them on the church door in Wittenberg on 31 Oct 1517.

1.  The source of courage (Ps 46:1-3)

God is our refuge and strength. He is the source of our courage. The might and power of man can never be compared to the might and power of God. Thus, we must not fear man, but God.

2.  The visibility of courage (Ps 46:4-7)

One’s courage must be acted upon. After Luther nailed the 95 theses, he continued to write and to teach the truth of God’s Word. In 1521, Luther was excommunicated. Even when he was in hiding, he continued to write to defend the Christian faith. He also translated the Word of God into the German language. Luther’s courageous stand with Christ led to him being persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church. We too must be prepared to suffer the consequences when we demonstrate our courage by our actions that we stand with Christ.

3.  The response to courage (Ps 46:8-11)

The works of one’s courage can be blessings to others. Luther’s life of courage had impacted many around him, and is still impacting the lives of believers today. Are our lives impacting people around us?