Reformation and Revival

One of the most important perspectives to come out of the Protestant Reformation was the realization that the church must always be open to being reformed (and revived) by the Word of God (empowered and illumined by the Spirit of God). In other words, the church and its leaders (pastors and deacons), along with the lay members, must always be intentional about letting the truth of Scripture teach, rebuke, correct and train us for righteousness (2 Tim.3:16) -- and righteousness means what is in accordance with the will of God (known through the Word of God).

This will not be taking place unless there is a deliberate, prayerful and collective commitment to seeing it happen. In practical terms this means that everything that a church does must continually be evaluated in light of the Bible's teaching on the nature and mission and functions of the church (e.g, worship, nurture, witness).

The Bible has so much to teach us about real worship, authentic witness, how true spiritual formation is fostered, detecting and avoiding worldliness -- but are Christians and church members carefully listening?

Judging from so much that goes on in the name of Christianity today, including, most sadly, evangelical Christianity (with its conferences and seminars, its 'celebrities' and trends, and its theological decay and its drift in ethics and method), it seems like way too often the answer is 'No.'

We need to pray for true revival, reformation and renewal -- the kind that only God's grace, power and Biblical truth can bring. And we need to pray, too, for the humility to realize that it needs to begin in our own hearts and lives.