Reformation Reflections - Issue 1
May 11, 2000

Some Thoughts on Reformation

by Rev. Dale Tedder

Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What goes through your mind when you hear the word "reformation?" Perhaps you think of Martin Luther nailing his infamous theses to the door at Wittenburg. Maybe your mind races back to the sixteenth century and the birth of Protestantism. No doubt there are some who grieve over the fracture of Christ's visible body while simultaneously, others celebrate a restoration of Christ's true church. Whatever your thoughts when you hear the word "reformation," I want to suggest that reformation, biblically understood, means far more than what most people imagine.

In his book, Hot Tub Religion, J.I. Packer makes this observation,

"…we look at the church of our day and say, 'We need another reformation.' But do we know what we are saying? …We are in danger of settling for too narrow a perspective of what reformation is - too narrow a notion of what it was in the past and too narrow a notion of what it will be in the future if God visits us once more" (p. 214).

Indeed! I believe that for many, the idea of reformation is an antiquated or vacuous concept. It seems to be waist-deep in the mire of misunderstanding. Many hear the word "reformation" today and think of God's "frozen chosen," whose idea of Christian faith is no more than getting one's doctrinal ducks lined up in a row and summoning the heresy-hunters to chase down those who hold aberrant beliefs and driving them from the church. And perhaps those views are not totally without warrant. However, I want to suggest a new (or better, recapture the biblical) understanding of reformation.

Amongst the poor notions of reformation that are circulating in the minds of most, Packer points out that "we don't immediately think of reformation as involving an overall renewal of spiritual vitality." He goes on to say that as "inheritors of what may be called the pietist disjunction, we view the corporate renewal of spiritual life as something distinct from reformation. …But we are wrong in this - historically and biblically" (p. 216). I want to suggest that reformation and revival, or renewal, are two sides of the same coin.

I was awakened to how little I understood about the idea of reformation when I began studying what it truly means. I have since discovered that this simple word is filled with great meaning and significance. From just a etymological study I learned that contained within the simple word, reformation, are the ideas of revival, renewal, awakening, restoration, and even overhaul.

I want to suggest that we think of reformation as the

recovery of biblical truth that leads to the purifying of one's theology. It involves a rediscovery of the Bible as the judge and guide of all thought and action; corrects errors in interpretation; gives precision, coherence, and courage to doctrinal confession; and gives form and energy to the corporate worship of the triune God. …[T]he most poignant displays of reformation come at times of great theological, moral, spiritual, and ecclesiological declension in the church." (Tom Nettles, Power Religion, p. 162)

At any give time in any given church, questions regarding how to bring about reformation always arise. My denomination, The United Methodist Church, is facing that very issue as I write these words. Our quadrennial denominational meeting, the General Conference, is attempting to address concerns dealing with the question: In what ways does the United Methodist Church need to be reformed? Tom Nettles sheds light on what efforts generally do not work. He writes, "Attempts to bring reformation through treating the moral, spiritual, and ecclesiological dimensions while ignoring the theological always fall short" (Nettles, p. 163.). That word of warning has proven itself over and over again throughout church history. Outward doctrinal precision should shape inward spiritual vitality and inward renewal should absolutely inspire the church to order herself according to Christ's teachings.

This too, bears out historically. Packer writes,

The sixteenth-century upheaval that reshaped church doctrine and order was the outward aspect of an inward renewal of faith and devotion. This is a biblical pattern… Conversely, whenever God visits his people with spiritual revival, some measure of outward reordering will be involved: that is plain from the scriptural evidence. The point to grasp is that what we are talking about is one work of God viewed from two stand points, not two works. Reformation, and renewal or revival, are essentially one.

The Reformers saw themselves as pastors and evangelists no less than as theologians and ecclesiastical statesmen. …They saw themselves, no only as 'washing and cleansing the face' of the church, that is, getting doctrine, church order and liturgy straight, but also as letting loose the gospel of God which, through the Spirit, transforms whole communities and brings new faith, love and life wherever it is preached. (pp. 216-217)

The great puritan pastor, Richard Baxter expressed these same thoughts in his book, The Reformed Pastor. Packer comments on Baxter's book and ministry:

On the title page of the original edition of Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor, the word "reformed" was printed in much larger type than any other, and one does not have to read far before discovering that for Baxter a "reformed" pastor was not one who campaigned for Calvinism but one whose ministry to his people as preacher, teacher, catechist and role-model showed him to be, as we would say, "revived" or "renewed". The essence of this kind of "reformation" was enrichment of understanding of God's truth, arousal of affections Godward, increase ardor in one's devotions, and more love, joy, and firmness of Christian purpose in one's calling and personal life. (A Quest for Godliness, pp. 26-27)

Furthermore, history reveals to us that Baxter practiced what he preached.

There was an amazing transformation of [the town] under his ministry. Family catechizing, family worship, a public worship pattern full of praise, church discipline, preaching, devotional reading, regular pastoral counseling, and small group ministry under Baxter's oversight, we all a part of it, and reformation was Baxter's name for it. (Packer, Hot Tub Religion, p. 218)

More importantly, the biblical precedent for this is clear and we shall look at that more closely in future issues of Reformation Reflections. My point here is that the church of Jesus Christ needs to "reform" her understanding of reformation to include the outward and inward renewal of the body of Christ - individually and corporately. Humanly speaking, a proper understanding, (and consequently, a genuine application) of reformation for individual Christians as well as the church at large will be the only way to bring about true transformation to the world.

As I have considered these words, I have come to realize that the coming of the Kingdom of God was and is a divine reformation, for authentic reformation is a visitation from God. As our Lord Jesus Christ ushered in the Kingdom of God, He brought forth revival and renewal to people's hearts, minds and spirits. He awakened them to their great need for the living God. He brought forth restoration where only brokenness existed before. He turned existing ideas about God and humanity upside-down as He revealed God and His good news. He declared that we must exchange our fallen temporal perspectives for God's eternal perspective. Because of this, I have come to see the need for reformation, biblical reformation, in three essential areas of life.

Reformation in the Individual: God uses individuals to touch and transform the church and world. A.W. Tozer writes,

"It is mere commonplace to sing or pray, 'Lord, send a revival, and let it begin in me.' Where else can a spiritual quickening take place but in the individual life? There is no abstract 'church' which can be revivified apart from the men and women who compose it" (The Size of the Soul, pp. 12,13).

Tozer points out that which should be obvious; that the church and world will not be reformed until faithful men and women begin chasing after God and His ways. Individuals do not have to wait for the church before they can be renewed to abundant life and the things of God. We need to realize that our faith must be real and personal before it can be social and corporate. Tozer writes,

"Every prophet, every reformer, every revivalist had to meet God alone before he could help the multitudes. The great leaders who went on to turn thousands to Christ had to begin with God and their own soul. The plain Christian of today must experience personal revival before he can hope to bring renewed spiritual life to his church" (p. 16).

It is true, Christianity is certainly about community. No Christian is called to live on an individualistic island. However, this community is a community of men and women who have been touched by the Holy Spirit and brought forth from death to life - personally and individually. Outwardly, men and women, boys and girls must be taught the truth of God's Word and believe it, submit to it, live according to it. Our minds must be renewed by God's Word and not by the world. Authentic reformation for individual Christians is more than believing "right things," though it is not less than that. May God's Spirit fall afresh on the members of His Body so that our hearts may be renewed with a burning desire to chase after Him above all things - that we might be conformed to His image and bear witness to His majesty and glory all the days of our lives.

Reformation in the Church: One aspect that unites great leaders such as the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther and John Wesley was their prophetic call to the church in their day. Sadly, they were often viewed like John the Baptizer - a lone voice crying in the wilderness. However, the Holy Spirit moved through these faithful men to bring about reformation to the church in their time. I believe God is using people in that same way today. In my denomination I observe faithful men and women standing up for the true and living God and His Word. Moreover, I see that God is renewing hearts and minds in His Church through pockets of renewal groups - a faithful remnant.

A truth of reformation and revival is that God raises up unknown individuals and small groups to usher in His glorious visitation. Walter C. Kaiser writes,

About ninety years ago, a college student in Wales named Evan Roberts, age twenty six, obtained permission to leave college to return to his home village of Loughor to preach his first sermon. Seventeen people showed up to listen to his four points: confess any known sin to God and put away any wrong done to others, put away any doubtful habit, obey the Holy Spirit promptly, and confess faith in Christ openly.

No one could have predicted the nationwide impact that event would have. J. Edwin Orr related that 'within three months a hundred thousand converts had been added to the churches of Wales. (Revive Us Again, p. xi)

Reformation today will come about through the same means. Though we cannot conjure God's presence with a magical formula, Scripture and history seem to reveal that God responds to the faithfulness, prayer and contrite hearts of His children. However, I hasten to add that we offer God these things out of humility, gratitude and obedience, whether He visits us in this way or not. May God sovereignly bring reformation to His Church.

Christ's church needs to be guided by a proper understanding of reformation, so that she might know her purpose, and therefore, know what path to take in getting there. That reformation-road less traveled must inwardly and outwardly conform to the Word of God. We must respond to God with all of our hearts, souls and minds.

Again, Baxter has helped to provide clarity concerning this aspect of reformation. In The Reformed Pastor, he showed that the idea of reformation combines the heart and mind. In other words, we will not experience true reformation in the church when only one aspect is emphasized. Baxter points out that there must be inward spiritual renewal as well as outward devotion and correction of doctrine in Christ's church. It does the church little good if she only emphasizes correct doctrinal adherence, while at the same time, ignores inward spiritual vitality. Nor can a church that cares little for doctrinal precision and only concerns herself with "religious feelings" rightly be called faithful either.

This is true of reformation experienced in the Bible and in Church history. These two works, the inward and outward works of God, are really one work seen from two points of view. We cannot have one without the other. Prophetic voices must call Christ's Church back to both emphases if we are going to experience real reformation. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and others have declared that we have no reason to expect God to usher in reformation and revival if we are not being faithful to God in our present situation.

Reformation in the World: We have little reason to expect the transformation of the world, humanly speaking, if the world cannot tell us apart from itself. Indeed, statistics seem to reveal the unsettling truth that there is precious little difference between the world and the church.

And yet, we proclaim that the Lord Jesus Christ came to a dark and lost world with the good and transforming news of the Kingdom of God. Individual believers, and the church as a whole, are called out of the world to bear witness to the Light of the world. We are called to be Christ's ambassadors. We are called to be salt and light to a dark and decaying world. As resident aliens, we live in the world though we are not of it. And yet, Christians are still called to help bring about reformation in the world. This is where the idea of overhaul comes into play. For we are not called to merely make or suggest slight adjustments here and there to the world. Instead, we are called to declare the truth that radical reformation - intensive surgery - is needed to a dying, and in many cases, dead culture.

Outwardly, the world knows that it does not believe the same thing as the church - though that fact is becoming less obvious. Our task is to present a unified front of Christian beliefs and Christian living so that our thinking and living will be so antithetical to the world's ways, that those inhabitants of the world will feel compelled to ask us about the hope we have and give glory to our Father in heaven.

In the end, God will pour forth His Holy Spirit where He sees fit. Again, we are simply called to be faithful to what He has said, for He alone is our authority for all of life. Should He not be so inclined to visit us with reformation , we must remain content to touch our little corner of the world. However, if that brings glory and honor to the one, true and living God, then that will be more than enough. Then again, if He should decide to visit us through reformation and revival, then may His grace be sufficient for all that He will call us to do. Either way we pray: Come Lord Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Dale Tedder

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