I do not think it is conincidence that your post is just after this one: Gay Unions: Pachamama Slayer Grills Pope...Alexander Tschugguel holds a banner in St. Peter's Square Tschugguel led a band of faithful Catholics from Castel Sant'Angelo — where the Catholic convert had dumped five Pachamama idols into the Tiber River during the Amazon Synod — to the Vatican in protest against the pontiff's repudiation of Catholic teaching
Meanwhile,
"Some years before the rise of the Lutheran and Calvinistic heresy, according to the testimony of those who were then alive, there was almost an entire abandonment of equity in ecclesiastical judgments; in morals, no discipline; in sacred literature, no erudition; in divine things, no reverence; religion was almost extinct. ( Cardinal Bellarmine: Concio XXVIII. Opp. Vi. 296- Colon 1617, cited in “A History of the Articles of Religion,” by Charles Hardwick, Cp. 1, p. 10,)
Much more, by the grace of God.
Why the last Sunday in October? Because it was on October 31, 1517, that a young theology professor named Martin Luther posted 95 Theses against the sale of indulgences on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.
You should know that this nailing is questioned (and attacked) by some since it it has sparse testimony, and with the 95 theses being mailed being the alternative, but overall being nailed is the most likely. Search beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com for most of anything of controversy re. Luther, as here.
The error was the medieval church’s notion that our works enter into our being justified before God. And the truth is the central gospel teaching that we are justified--that is, put right with God--not by anything that we do, but rather by what God has done for us in Christ.
Yet as Luther taught, works do justify one as being a believer, and the only faith that is counted for righteousness is one that is effectual, that effects obedience to God by the Spirit, contrary to typical Catholic attacks on sola fide:
faith is a living and an essential thing, which makes a new creature of man, changes his spirit... Faith cannot help doing good works constantly... if faith be true, it will break forth and bear fruit... where there is no faith there also can be no good works; and conversely, that there is no faith.. where there are no good works. Therefore faith and good works should be so closely joined together that the essence of the entire Christian life consists in both. if obedience and God's commandments do not dominate you, then the work is not right, but damnable, surely the devil's own doings, although it were even so great a work as to raise the dead... if you continue in pride and lewdness, in greed and anger, and yet talk much of faith, St. Paul will come and say, 1 Cor. 4:20, look here my dear Sir, "the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." It requires life and action, and is not brought about by mere talk. Works are necessary for salvation, but they do not cause salvation... faith casts itself on God, and breaks forth and becomes certain through its works... faith must be exercised, worked and polished; be purified by fire... it is impossible for him who believes in Christ, as a just Savior, not to love and to do good. If, however, he does not do good nor love, it is sure that faith is not present... where the works are absent, there is also no Christ... References and more by God's grace: http://peacebyjesus.net/Reformation_faith_works.html
Though a Christian my whole life I was little better than the Chinese rice Christian who would adopt the faith for a bowl of rice. That changed when I began to listen to Oklahoma Bible expert Les Felnick. I have learned so much. My faith is at last my Faith. My eternal thanks to Les and other apostles like him.