One day while walking home from law school in a violent thunderstorm, young Martin was struck by a bolt of lightning. Terrified, he cried, “St. Anne, save me and I will become a monk.”

He honored his word and entered a monastery. He was determined to make peace with God and save his soul. Try as he might, he soon realized that no amount of good works or selfless devotion to God could take away his sins and give him the peace he longed for.

One day while reading the Bible and meditating on God’s Word, he came across a short passage of Scripture: “The just shall live by faith.” At that moment in his life he realized that salvation is not a reward or the result of good works or doing without things. He realized that salvation is a gift of God’s grace and finally accepted God’s forgiveness through faith in His Son.

One day in speaking of that event in his life he said, “I felt like I had gone through open doors into paradise.” At that moment in history God began the Protestant Reformation through Martin Luther.

Try as we might, God’s grace and mercy cannot be earned, purchased or inherited. Salvation is a gift of God. In Paul’s letter to the Romans one phrase appears eight times: “It is through faith that a righteous person lives.” Without faith, it is impossible to be saved.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for making salvation available to all by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, Your only Son and our Savior. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: Romans 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”