DO WE NEED A NEW REFORMATION?

 

 

I remember a few years ago a Catholic friend who first asked why Protestants thought Catholics really were that bad, and then questioning why the church doesn't unite (as Catholics, of course). 

This was a good example of what a book on logic I read in college called "The Fallacy of False Alternatives." Either Catholics are evil or Catholics are the true church. No in between to choose from.

I firmly disagree. I believe there are two other alternatives. And while my two alternatives don't fit with either of the two extremes listed above, they are compatible with each other and can both be true. Those alternatives?

1. Every generation and every movement has both wheat and tares, both sheep and goats.
2.  Every movement will start strong in the faith but will drift from the truth and will eventually need reformation, with the reformer and the reformation being resisted by the status quo.

We have several strong leaders to be thankful for, who stood for the Word of God in spite of opposition. Most would think of Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, and Ulrich Zwingli, and many would include forerunners like Jon Wycliffe and Jan Hus or successors like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and the Wesleys. Too often, we forget Luther's teammate Philip Melanchthon, who composed the Augsburg  Confession realizing his life was in the balance while writing it or underestimate the role of hymn writer Isaac Watts. And many would hesitate to include Jacob Arminius, who was studying under Theodore Beza when his village declared itself Protestant and its residents - including his family - were raped and murdered by Catholic mercenaries, dealing with the question of whether those atrocities were predestined by God or done by the free will of wicked men. Agree with him or not, Arminius took a stand based on his conscience not unlike Luther's.

Do we need a Reformation today? Glance back at the second of the two alternatives for the answer. Evangelicals may not give the Church ultimate loyalty as was the case in the 1500s, but do we have such trust in the government (or, more accurately, the political party we associate with)? Are we attempting to live our lives by Sola Scriptura, or are we trusting science, psychology, the media, etc. and adjusting our view of Scripture to fit our worldview?

To be honest, I believe there is an attempted Reformation going on, but this reformation is a departure from truth instead of a return to it. So called Progressive Christianity is an example. Our woke culture is another. A Libertarian friend of mine, Jared Hall, wrote, "Compromises rely on multiple parties coming together to workshop. If a compromise is one sided, it’s not really a compromise." There are theological and political winds that some want a one-sided compromise.

Some who hold to Critical Race Theory believe that to be white or to be Christian or to be male is to be an oppressor. The reality is to be human is to be a potential oppressor. There have been instances when the oppressed gain power and they at best match the level of oppressiveness as those they overthrew - at worst, they become worse. 

Don't forget the massacre of Jacob Arminius' hometown of Oudewater. Realize that Tyndale was burned at the stake with a chain around his neck. Remember that many wanted to execute Luther and that Zwingli was killed in battle. And then, commit to memory the often quoted (not) Scripture, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)

Finally, recall the five solas of the Reformation. Most importantly, are we living them? Do we believe we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? Is our source of spiritual authority solely Scripture? And of the utmost importance, are we living only for the glory of God?

 I know. I said "Finally" a paragraph above. This time, I mean it as I add two more thoughts: 

1. We need to pray for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth (meaning in you) as it is in heaven. This is asking for a reformation, and declaring a revolution against the god of this age. And there's a cost to that prayer.
2. We need to ask if God has called you to be a Luther nailing thesis on the door, a Melanchthon writing a statement knowing it could be exhibit A in a capital case against him, a Tyndale willing to die so others have God's Word where they can understand it.

What's your role in the next reformation?

HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!!!