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Should it be and could it be restored?

4 min read

Scripture reading: James 1:19-27. Text: (Jesus is speaking) “‘God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'” John 4:24 and “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

James 1:27.

On the last Sunday in October we remember the Reformation not only by paying respect to the reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and others, but also by asking ourselves what are the implications of their legacy for us today? Is the celebration of the Reformation only a “commemorative” service or rather a practical challenge to strengthen our faith, purify our vision, and motivate our actions?

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES BOTH OF THEM ARE TRUE AND CORRECT.

Our Lord made it so clear and simple; God must be worshiped in spirit and truth. Nobody would question the validity of this statement, not only because Jesus had said it, but also for being so obvious, biblical, and fundamental. The theoretical and theological basis of Christian worship is spelled out here. Would you worship God in an unspiritual and untrue atmosphere and would it please the Almighty?

But on the other hand Apostle James is right as well when he presents his view of practicing pure and undefiled religion before God. It is important to show compassion, act mercifully, and remain “white” in a “sticky, slimy, and grimy” world.

This means we must find harmonious relationships between faith and religion, theory and practice, God’s kingdom and the world, the believer and the organized church, the spiritual and the physical, blessing and hardship, the cross and the crown, as well as the present and the future. Reformation obliges us to see theory from the viewpoint of practice and reality from the standpoint of principles. If religion is only theory than it will become mere philosophy and if worshiping is only doing good then we will become just a charitable institution.

IT IS EASY TO FIND FAULT WITH SOMEBODY OR SOMETHING. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL HOW TO CORRECT WHOMEVER OR WHATEVER. THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK IS TO SET THINGS STRAIGHT, BUT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE NO MISTAKES AND UPSET NO ONE.

Reformation, in principle, means to RESTORE to its original, pure form or state whatever has gone wrong, become contaminated, or is deformed. The idea itself is great; however, we should be careful how we go about it. Let us be cautious about the mistakes and pitfalls of revision, correction, and reformation.

1. A reformer should be much more than a narrow-minded fault-finding critic. The Protestants are those who “protest” against wrong, however, the separating line is not so definite, clear, and wide between those who are right and those who are mistaken. A “reformer” should not be a detective, district attorney, judge, and police chief simultaneously.

2. The people who ruin the world around us are not necessarily vicious, mean, or evil; life can go wrong all by itself, little by little, step by step, unnoticeably, and dangerously. Not only is constant vigilance needed but also a norm or standard against which the “deviation” is checked. Can our Lord, His teaching, life, and ministry become this norm and standard for us?

3. What would happen if all the mistakes, wrongdoings, lawlessness, brutalities, and atrocities go on undetected and uncorrected? Correction should take place not only for the sake of the believers but also for the interest of the whole community and society. What would be the best and the most effective way for a “sinful” person to “reform” his/her “erratic” neighbor? Even when the reformer has the best intention, the noblest purpose, and the highest goal, his/her endeavor should be motivated by Apostle Paul’s admonition: “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14.

The spirit of the Reformation was displayed by our Savior as He had prayed to His Father in behalf of His disciples: “‘I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.'” John 17:15. Now please, read again the two verses in our text.

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