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MLK, Jr., Martin Luther, and YOU

As I was growing up, I had a hard time understanding that Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. were two different people.  For many years, I thought that they were one in the same!  Since this amazing discovery, I have quite enjoyed learning more about Martin Luther and the very important role he played in pursuing the instruction of grace through faith.

The truth is, even though approximately 450 years time separated the teachings of Martin Luther from Martin Luther King, Jr., and their causes weren't quite the same, many of their ideals and convictions walk hand in hand.

If you're an American, you are probably quite familiar with the ideaologies and convictions of Martin Luther King, Jr., but I have a feeling your knowledge of Martin Luther might not be as vast.  Perhaps you are like me and have spent the majority of your life thinking they were the same person! 

Although I am certainly not a scholar on Martin Luther, let me share with you some truths about him that very well could have already had an effect on your life, and you didn't even know it!

(Please don't check out on me now!  I promise to make this brief and interesting!)
  • Martin Luther was a monk, turned professor, turned preacher.
  • He had an awakening, so to speak, after reading the book of Romans and learned that salvation was a gift from God, not something that could be earned.
  • On October 31, 1517, Luther penned 95 concerns (accurately called his '95 Theses') that he had with the established church and its teachings and nailed it to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
  • After much pressure to recant his statements, his life was placed in great danger and he had to spend months on end in hiding for fear his life would be taken.
  • It was during these months in hiding that Luther translated the New Testament from Latin to German so that everyday folk could read it.
  • When it was safe to come out of exile, Luther began passionately preaching about forgiveness of sins and grace being available to all people.
  • Luther is credited for beginning the Protestant Reformation.  This term derives its name from the opening lines of a letter given to Emperor Charles V by Lutheran princes, which stated, "We protest ....".  Hence the term "Protestant".
OK, I hope you hung in there with me through that very brief history of this very important man!

Here's what I want you to see.  Both Martin Luther and MLK, Jr. stood up and stood passionately for causes that had touched the innermost parts of their souls.  They both had such conviction that they couldn't not stand up.

Here's the great part.  Essentially, their passion and their messages were the same.

Martin Luther taught that freedom in Christ couldn't be earned by being good.  (Romans 3:20) 
MLK, Jr. taught that freedom in America shouldn't be earned by being white.

Martin Luther taught that we all are sinners, but we can all receive the gift of grace through Christ. (Romans 3:22-23)
MLK, Jr. taught that we are all Americans, and racial equality should be a right secured by our government.

Martin Luther taught that we are justified by our faith. (Romans 3:28)
MLK, Jr. taught that we are justified by our country of origin, not by the color of our skin.

Aren't the similarities between these two men striking?  What I want you to see through both of their lives is that they lived their lives with conviction and ultimately made a huge difference in the world around them.

They didn't phone it in.  They didn't settle.  They didn't succomb to the pressures of the world. They both had a calling on their lives and they lived their lives on purpose.

What's your calling?  Are you passionate about the life God has given you to live and committed to making a difference in the world around you?

Your name might not ever make it into the history books like these two men, but if you live your life on purpose for God, you will receive an even greater reward.  You'll be able to rest assured that you were a good steward with the life He entrusted to you.  Your life has a purpose . . . it's up to you to find it and fulfill it.

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