What was one of the most helpful aspects of the Protestant Reformation?

Michel Beasley explains in this video that one of the most helpful aspects of the Protestant Reformation was it led to Scripture being seen as the only true and sufficient authority for all of life. During the time of the Reformation, Roman Catholicism had created a religious system that was man-centered. It wasn’t about preaching the Gospel, it was wielding control over people.

One of the greatest benefits of the Reformation was that it reclaimed the authority of Scripture and placed the Word of God as the true authority of the Church. The great danger that we experience today is that many churches tend to try to please men and seek out innovative, interest doctrines that are a departure from what God has given to the Church. It would be a great danger for us to look at the Reformation merely as a historical event. We too are in need of a return to Scripture as our only source of authority. 

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NKJV) – “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.”

I think that the most helpful aspects of the Protestant Reformation, again, is this issue of heralding Christ. The sad reality is that that Roman Catholicism for centuries had created a religious system that was man-centered. And it was a power-hungry, money-hungry system. It wasn't about preaching the gospel. It was about wielding control over the people.

And the great benefit of the Reformation was that it reclaimed the authority of Scripture and with that reclaimed the true authority and foundation of the church. Without that, modern Protestantism has nothing. And the great danger I do believe that we have in our generation is that we would lose that grounding of the sole authority of Scripture and the sole supremacy of Christ. And it's very easy, sadly, to lose grip on these things. We tend to enter into the exaltation of men.

We enter into the exaltation of the philosophies of men, alternate theologies, innovative doctrines that may seem new and interesting, but they are a departure from what God has given to the church. So One thing I do believe is that it would be a great danger for us to look at the Reformation as merely a historical event and not something that the Church needs to reclaim anew every generation. You