We hear so much today about the need for Revival and I agree we need Revival, but I contend that we are in no condition to have a Revival until the Church first undergoes a Reformation. In my last article I wrote about the cause of Freedom and how it points to Christ. As many of you could likely tell my article had a clear target, not just tyranny but the tyranny found within certain churches. Until we have a Reformation of the Church we cannot consider Revival, as 1 Timothy 3:5 puts it “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” likewise if we cannot take care of God’s Church how can we expect to take care of the souls of those who are lost and dying.
If the Church cannot keep its own Freedom how can we expect to free others? But sadly many with which I have had experiences are not just in the habit of loosing Freedom but willingly return to the bondage from which they were freed. They think that this slavery has some sort of Spiritual Value when it has none; they strive for a sense of holiness and only find fetters forged for them. And worse yet are those who lead them into this slavery, Jesus hated these ‘hypocrites’ in fact Matthew 23 is dedicated to their condemnation.
Yet such is the state of many a Church in this age. If we are to have Revival we must first have Reformation and the place to find the keys for this is Scripture. The other day as I thumbed through my concordance I found that there is only one use of the word ‘Reformation’ in Scripture and that is found in Hebrews 9: “the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle…. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building” (Hebrews 9:8a, 10-11a, emphasis added)
You see the one mention of Reformation in Scripture is the doing away of ‘carnal ordinances imposed’, it is the establishment of a ‘more perfect tabernacle’ found in Christ. Reformation starts when we realize we are incapable of becoming righteous on our own, that Holiness is a gift of God not an achievement of man. A Church tyrant deceives us into thinking we can be Holy and orders us to strive continually on works of outward righteousness; and what is worse is he uses a perverted ‘gospel’ to do this. Jesus is the exact opposite he promises “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Yet this lends the question, why then do people accept bondage over Freedom? The Apostle Paul asked the same question in Galatians 4:9 “But now, after that ye have known God… whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” I have thought about this a long time and believe it comes down to establishment. People are afraid to leave the establishment, the Mormon cites his upbringing, the legalist her tradition, and the unredeemed his grandmothers faith. Just last week I overheard a conversation at my work in which one of my co-workers who evidently is not saved claimed he was going to heaven because he was a Baptist. All I could think was ‘being Baptist won’t save you’. Charles Spurgeon held a similar view in his sermon entitled ‘Elijah’s appeal to the undecided’ Spurgeon explains that he is a Baptist and proud to be so (as am I), yet the faith of your grandmother will not save you. Likewise the establishment will not save you, a sense of order will not get you into heaven, and Hell, as Spurgeon put it, is reserved for ‘good people’ while Heaven is reserved for sinners bought with Christ’s blood.
If we wish to have reformation we must first embrace Freedom. If wish to have Revival we must first stop trying to be ‘good’. Why? Because Jesus was and will be the only ‘good’ person to ever walk the earth. With Christ righteousness is freely bestowed and without him it is impossible to earn. The key to reformation is found in Freedom and Freedom is found in Christ alone. As John 8:36 puts it “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The question is will we answer the call of Reformation?
If the Church cannot keep its own Freedom how can we expect to free others? But sadly many with which I have had experiences are not just in the habit of loosing Freedom but willingly return to the bondage from which they were freed. They think that this slavery has some sort of Spiritual Value when it has none; they strive for a sense of holiness and only find fetters forged for them. And worse yet are those who lead them into this slavery, Jesus hated these ‘hypocrites’ in fact Matthew 23 is dedicated to their condemnation.
Yet such is the state of many a Church in this age. If we are to have Revival we must first have Reformation and the place to find the keys for this is Scripture. The other day as I thumbed through my concordance I found that there is only one use of the word ‘Reformation’ in Scripture and that is found in Hebrews 9: “the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle…. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building” (Hebrews 9:8a, 10-11a, emphasis added)
You see the one mention of Reformation in Scripture is the doing away of ‘carnal ordinances imposed’, it is the establishment of a ‘more perfect tabernacle’ found in Christ. Reformation starts when we realize we are incapable of becoming righteous on our own, that Holiness is a gift of God not an achievement of man. A Church tyrant deceives us into thinking we can be Holy and orders us to strive continually on works of outward righteousness; and what is worse is he uses a perverted ‘gospel’ to do this. Jesus is the exact opposite he promises “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Yet this lends the question, why then do people accept bondage over Freedom? The Apostle Paul asked the same question in Galatians 4:9 “But now, after that ye have known God… whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” I have thought about this a long time and believe it comes down to establishment. People are afraid to leave the establishment, the Mormon cites his upbringing, the legalist her tradition, and the unredeemed his grandmothers faith. Just last week I overheard a conversation at my work in which one of my co-workers who evidently is not saved claimed he was going to heaven because he was a Baptist. All I could think was ‘being Baptist won’t save you’. Charles Spurgeon held a similar view in his sermon entitled ‘Elijah’s appeal to the undecided’ Spurgeon explains that he is a Baptist and proud to be so (as am I), yet the faith of your grandmother will not save you. Likewise the establishment will not save you, a sense of order will not get you into heaven, and Hell, as Spurgeon put it, is reserved for ‘good people’ while Heaven is reserved for sinners bought with Christ’s blood.
If we wish to have reformation we must first embrace Freedom. If wish to have Revival we must first stop trying to be ‘good’. Why? Because Jesus was and will be the only ‘good’ person to ever walk the earth. With Christ righteousness is freely bestowed and without him it is impossible to earn. The key to reformation is found in Freedom and Freedom is found in Christ alone. As John 8:36 puts it “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The question is will we answer the call of Reformation?