reformed church always reforming

I thought I’d write some brief commentary on a phrase that, I believe, Christian’s are using quite erroneously.

“The reformed church is always reforming.”

I would like to note, first, that to be reformed is to hold to a specific set of ideals.  Thus, the reformed church cannot keep endlessly reforming, because it would cease to be the reformed church.  The interesting thing is that in many respects reformed churches have ceased to be reformed.  You will find “reformed” pastors quite afraid of speaking the word predestination.  In fact you find that they positively hold to some sort of good works religion – they give justification by faith alone lip service.  The have “reformed” themselves out of the reformation.  Thus, the whole concept lies on an error, the reformed church cannot endlessly reform, if it does so it ceases to be the reformed church.

Secondly, I would like to suggest that reform can only be reform when it is positive.  On finds reformed churches embracing “engaging” R rated movies to “engage culture.”  At first the concept seems rather normal – to reach out to the world and understand it to engage it.  However, it soon becomes apparent that the majority endorsing this view simply live for the trill of these movies.  They bask in the glory of the movie and never have Christ on their lips.  When we “reform” the church we need to be sure that it is becoming more heavenly and less worldly.  Reforming the church to “engage” culture is often a grand theological excuse to devour 5+ pg-13 or R rated movies over a long weekend.  True reform is only reform if it brings us back to the gospel not leaving us constantly prostrate before a television.

Finally, humanity is not progressing.  This phrase seems to somehow have been endorsed to indicate human progress.  Today, it seems is always the most correct form of religion.  In fact, to be truthful every day era for religion.  Each era is riddled with its own time periods misconceptions.  To truly reform the church today is to seek to rid the church of tis age's misconceptions while not falling into other age's misconceptions.