Approaching God
You are about to embark on a journey of remembrance. For 500 years, God has continued to shape and form us as Reformed Christians. As we begin this journey of remembering how God has sustained us, and as we look forward to the ways in which God will continue to reform us in the future, be reminded of how precious you are in God’s sight:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
Listening to God
To reform is to “make changes in order to improve” something. By God’s grace alone and through faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is able to make changes in our heart in order to improve it. As Reformed people we are called to constantly return to this personal reformation.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
We’re never done reforming. Reformation is a daily activity this side of heaven.
Talking to God
Reformation isn’t a one-time event, and we aren’t the only ones responsible for our own reformation. We can only be reformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. How has the Holy Spirit reformed you this week? This month? This year? What praises and blessings can you offer God for the ways in which He has enabled you to be reformed? Have you resisted any reformation God desires for you? Do you need to confess for resisting His reformation?
Responding to God
As you seek to have your mind renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit, survey your daily actions and thoughts. Do they align with God’s will? If your thoughts and actions aren’t aligned, take one small step today to align yourself with His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Allow God to reform you!
Surrendering to God
“God, I am not strong enough on my own to be more like you. Soften my heart to receive your correction and reform. Strengthen my spirit to reject conformity to the world each new day. Renew and reform my mind each new day so that I might act in conformity with your good, pleasing, and perfect will. Amen.”
By Arek O’Connell
A HISTORICAL SIDEBAR
Contrary to some popular views, the goal of Martin Luther’s (1483–1546) Ninety-five Theses of October 31, 1517 was not division. Rather, his desire was to reform the Roman church from within. However, Luther’s writings were condemned by Pope Leo X and Luther was required to recant his views or face excommunication. He refused and was excommunicated in January, 1521. At the Diet of Worms (a legislative assembly held in modern day Germany in April, 1521) he was asked again to recant and refused. Luther desired reform and unity, but quickly discovered that this was not going to happen.
