October 31st is important to me for a couple of reasons.
First, October 31st, 1517 is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This act is one of the key historical markers of the Protestant Reformation. Although the Reformation was not without its problems, I am deeply grateful to those involved who stood for gospel truth in the face of persecution.
Second, October 31st, 2010 was my final day as a professional pastor. Although I had announced my resignation about one month earlier, the church where I was employed asked me to stay on until the end of October. Because it marks my final day in the paid pastorate, October 31st is a sort of personal Reformation Day for me. I still believe exactly the same things I did two years ago that led to my departure.
The Christian life should be one of consistent reformation. As we walk daily with Christ, we have the privileges of getting to know Him better, becoming more like Him, and helping others do the same. This was Paul's goal. In this sense, reformation never ends.
3 comments:
We can never stop reforming, never stop seeking to be ever more faithful.
Eric,
"The Christian life should be one of consistent reformation".
So true!!
The penchant we have for turning a belief (no matter how true) into an exclusivist cult, is a great tool of the evil one.
At the same time we are critical of followers of any other exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices (denominationalism?).
We stop reforming because we trust our religious heroes more than Jesus Christ.
To me its of course the maintaining of the holy Reformation. That was not a replacement... but a reforming of the Church. As a consequence such heavenly ordained revelation may not be re-invented by man. We must come to terms with our secularization; and then purge it from Church.
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