In the time of the apostasy of Christian Church (2 Thess. 2:3.7) the teaching of the justification by faith was neglected and then rejected. Instead in God, the people started to seek the salvation in their religious activities again. That is how fanaticism was born.

It is sufficient to look at the teaching of Church fathers and the Church history and be encountered with almost incredible examples of the attempts of salvation: by sleeping on the rock, standing on the pillar, being buried in the ground, by eating moldy bread, not taking a bath and by other various feats. In the Church doctrine the service itself (liturgy or mass) is considered the sacrifice which is to be offered to God for the salvation.

As the apostatized church could not support its teaching by God's power and authority of the Bible anymore, it relied upon the political power and that was what Middle Ages made dark. The freedom of thinking and usage of the reason became dangerous threat to the irrational authority of the church. Religious leaders forbid God's service performed in national language and the Bible was the first on the list of forbidden books. Individuals who wanted to be spiritually exalted were sent to the monasteries in order that so that their deed be sheltered from those who needed it most.

And then God raised the Reformation. The light of the truth about justification by faith solely came to shine through the darkness of the Middle Ages and found its place in the hearts of all sincere people.

One of its proponents was Jean Calvin. Before he had converted, he had discussions with his nephew:

"A nephew of Calvin, who had joined the reformers, was in Paris. The two kinsmen often met, and discussed together the matters that were disturbing Christendom. "There are but two religions in the world," said Olivetan, the Protestant. "The one class of religions are those which men have invented, in all of which man saves himself by ceremonies and good works; the other is that one religion which is revealed in the Bible, and which teaches men to look for salvation solely to the free grace of God. "I will have none of your new doctrines," exclaimed Calvin; "think you that I have lived in error all my days?"

But thoughts had been awakened in his mind which he could not banish at will. Alone in his chamber he pondered upon his cousin's words. Conviction of sin fastened upon him; he saw himself, without an intercessor, in the presence of a holy and just Judge. The mediation of saints, good works, the ceremonies of the church, all were powerless to atone for sin. He could see before him nothing but the blackness of eternal despair. In vain the doctors of the church endeavored to relieve his woe. Confession, penance, were resorted to in vain; they could not reconcile the soul with God.

While still engaged in these fruitless struggles, Calvin, chancing one day to visit one of the public squares, witnessed there the burning of a heretic. He was filled with wonder at the expression of peace which rested upon the martyr's countenance. Amid the tortures of that dreadful death, and under the more terrible condemnation of the church, he manifested a faith and courage which the young student painfully contrasted with his own despair and darkness, while living in strictest obedience to the church. Upon the Bible, he knew, the heretics rested their faith. He determined to study it, and discover, if he could, the secret of their joy.

In the Bible he found Christ. "O Father," he cried, "his sacrifice has appeased thy wrath; his blood has washed away my impurities; his cross has borne my curse; his death has atoned for me. We had devised for ourselves many useless follies, but thou hast placed thy Word before me like a torch, and thou hast touched my heart, in order that I may hold in abomination all other merits save those of Jesus." (GC 220)

The teaching of traditional Christianity of man being able to save himself by good deeds was unmasked by the Protestant reformation as a teaching which was in direct conflict with Biblical plan of salvation:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Although the basic principles of the reformation would soon be neglected, they brought great blessings to the reformed nations on the level of morality, social order (civil democracy), scientific and economic achievements.

The people who have hidden themselves from God's face by means of various rituals and people's rules, idolatry, the mediation of dead saints and live priests, can be in a sincere belief that their own deeds of righteousness could recommend them to God's salvation.

But, whoever had removed the veil of self-deception and acquired, in the light of Biblical revelation, a right idea about the sublimity of God's character, he has "given up" himself and his justice because he has understood that it is desecrated by the sin and can only burden him more by the guilt.

The one who has met God's character in the right light, also realized that he is not left to himself. The confidence in God's grace toward the sinner and Christ's sacrifice on the cross of Calvary become life-giving necessity to him.

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By the middle of 19th century the basic principles of the Protestant reformation were abandoned. The conscience of the people who came back to worldly life cried out for a freedom from the "pressure" of Biblical doctrine. The appearance of Darwinism (which had been accepted as wanted justification of basic foundations of modern atheist ideologies), then modern spiritism and antinomianism (the belief that God's commandments have been abolished on the cross) gave the "freedom" of conscience to the world before its further sinning.