A Vision of Reformation

The tenth and final in A Biblical Vision series is the vision of Reformation.

Biblical doctrine brings change to our faith and our lives if we accept it if we believe it.  It changes us from the inside out so that we no longer are inherently self-centered but we become Christ-centered.  Our lives become reformed, with new forms, new priorities, a new goal to live for.  The Christian Reformed faith causes us to live for Christ in all things.

Ge.2:16-17, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

- God commanded them not to eat of the one tree, otherwise, they would die.  And all humanity did die Spiritually, we all have a sinful nature.

Ge.17:7,21, "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you ... But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."

- God establishes an everlasting covenant of grace through Abraham and Isaac.  This covenant brings increasing reformation in every generation.

Ex.20:1-2, "And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before Me."

- God gives us His Law, and He is a covenant-keeping God and allows no other gods before Him.  The Law of God expunges any form of idolatry and causes new forms.

Ps.137:5, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.  We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it."

- In our grief, we remember the blessings of God, and that God will let us suffer exile if we turn from Him.  The ways of God can also be degenerated instead of reformed.

Is.48:10-11, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.  For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned.  And I will not give My glory to another."

- God seeks His own glory and He will not give His glory to another.  The reformation of God is to the glory of God alone.

Lk.13:4-5, "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

- Jesus instructs his followers to repent, to accept the sovereignty of God over all.

Jn.1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

- Jesus is not just the grace of God, He is the truth of God as well.  And we are to behold His glory as the only Messiah from God.  The new structure of Christ is the new form of the Christian Reformation.

Jn.6:65-66, "But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “ Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

- Jesus teaches us that unless it is granted to them by the Father some will not believe.  The new form of the sovereignty of God reigns over all. 

Ro.1:17, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith."

- Justification is not infused with our works, but completely given by grace.  The new form of justification by faith alone.

Ro.3:10-12, "As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one."

- God describes how we are all sinful, we are all unrighteous and no one seeks after God.  The new form is that we are not even just a little bit righteous. 

Ro.9:14-15, "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."

- God is sovereign over man.  God will have compassion on whomever He wills.  God’s sovereign grace is reformational to modern man. 

Ro.12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

- We are not to conform to the world but be transformed by knowing the Word of God.  Spiritual transformation precedes reformation. 

Ep.1:4-5, "(J)ust as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

- God predestines before the foundation of the world those whom he loves to salvation. 

Ep.2:4-5, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."

- God makes us alive in Christ and this causes us to come alive in faith.  Regeneration precedes faith.  We find the new form of grace preceding faith in Scripture. 

Ph.2:11-12, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

- The Lordship of Christ requires us to live in submission to Him, even as He loves us in grace.  The new form of Lordship is reformational for all of life.

1Co.10:30, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

- With the new form of the sovereignty of God, we seek to live all of life to the glory of God.

2Co.10:5, "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

- We are called to the new form of turning away from everything that seeks to challenge the knowledge or truth of God.

Re.21:6-7, "And He said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

- Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last.  The new form of a structure of a beginning and culmination of all things brings purpose to life. 

The character of God changes everything in our faith.  If God isn't holy, or if He isn't sovereign, if He really isn't eternal and immutable, then God really isn't God.  But He is all these, and God is also gracious.  He is a covenant-keeping God so that we can know and trust Him.  He has made us for our worship so that He can be glorified.  God has made all things for His own glory.