Time for Reformation not Revival
Why did I start a web-site called “Today’s Reformer”? I’ve been wanting to start writing about spiritual topics that have Christian focus and are important for today’s Christian. There are many leaders both Christian and secular who are noticing the decay of American Evangelicalism. At the same time, there has been an increased interest in Reformed theology worldwide.1
The original reformers such as Luther and Calvin were men who God used to produce dramatic change in the church, resulting in the Protestant Reformation. This is the same kind of change that is needed today.
The following quote from Hannah’s “Our Legacy” is not only a good definition of reformation in contrast to revival, but also echoes the reason I started this website.
The need of the hour is not revival; it is for something even more fundamental. It is time for a reformation in the church. Revival has to do with the extension of the gospel; the greatest need in the contemporary church is to rediscover the gospel, its glory, and its power. It is time to return to the fundamentals of he faith and be refreshed by its truths, to gain anew a love and respect for the Holy Scriptures. Revival without reformation is religious fervor at best; revival out of reformation is the only hope of the church. It is with this passion in mind that this book is written.2
What Will You Find Here?
I will write articles here that are a call to reformation in the Church and our lives. My aim is to not be overly academic or scholarly, speaking to academians or theologians. My goal is to speak to the average Christian and provide food for thought, instructions from Scripture, quotes and excerpts from treasures that I read, and encouragement towards spiritual reformation. You will also find critique and comments that might be a bit negative or seemingly “judgmental” towards others. I intend to exercise spiritual discernment: not condemnation and judgement. There is a fine line between the two and I suspect that, for some readers, it may be difficult to distinguish the difference. For practical purposes, let’s say the difference is that one is purposed for destruction and the other is purposed for building-up. The Bible calls Christians to discern (Eph 5:10–11; Phil 1:9; Heb 5:14), correct (2 Tim 2:24–26; 2 Tim 3:16–17), rebuke and teach others (2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:9) and tells us that it should be done in a spirit of gentleness and love. I recognize that, at times, I will not be pure in my speech, and it is certainly wrong to rebuke or correct without love (1 Cor 13:1); but I wish to grow and mature in all things, including teaching and correcting and you don’t grow in something unless you do it. Please feel free to comment and correct me where I seem off track. I desire to have a teachable spirit, so if I seem to need teaching, please go for it!
If you are not a Christian, I hope that you will find some things here that encourage you to check out the Christian faith. Perhaps you’ve notice some superficiality in the entertainment-based, self-help methods of the local mega-church. I hope that some of these articles might encourage you to further explore the historic Christian faith and discover a rich Christian tradition that has endured since the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles. It is not only enduring to others, but it can be enduring for you and your soul. And I hope that perhaps through reading some of this material, you will come to learn about the Good News of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Endnotes
1. Banner of Truth is a publisher that focuses on books with reformed influences and they have experienced increased success selling these books
2. John Hannah, Our Legacy: The History of Christian Doctrine (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2001), 20.
11 Jan 2010 at 10:49 am | #
Hey Rob, I read your site and thought you done a really good job designing it. Brandy
11 Jan 2010 at 11:00 am | #
Thank you. I hope you find some things here that are helpful. Let me know if you find anything that doesn’t work. BTW, are you using Internet Explore or Mozilla Firefox? Nearly every website looks better in Mozilla, including this one. You can download it here:, free:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/