There is Latin phrase that has become the catch cry of the reformation that says – semper reformanda. Basically it means – the church is always reforming, or the church always needs to be reforming. This is often misunderstood as a need for the church to always be changing to meet the needs of a changing world. However, reforming does not mean changing but – re-forming – as we see in the Reformation with the church of Luther’s day being reformed by the Word of God. This is not a call to reinterpret the gospel to today’s situation. It is a call to return to God’s Word by listening to the Spirit who renews us day by day as he does in our Baptism that reforms us day by day as Luther said: Our sinful self with all its evil deeds and desires should be drowned through daily repentance and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever. And that applies to the church also – that it needs to arise anew each day to live with God in righteous and purity forever.
St Paul also said in Romans 12 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. There is always the temptation to move away from the Word of God to be accepted by a changing world that we live in. As we heard St Paul warn his dear Pastor Timothy last week: For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will gather for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.
It was the downfall of humankind with the first sin where Eve was tempted away from God’s Word – did God really say? Constantly we keep hearing from God’s word to keep coming back – From the book of Hebrews – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Jesus himself said – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. The foundation of reform is the authority of God’s Word so that’s where we need to keep returning day after day. We do not reform the church to fit our preferences, but we reform to the truth God has revealed in his Word.
God’s Word is the standard by which all doctrine, teachings, worship, and practice must be measured. When we read God’s Word, it reveals both the grace of God in Christ and our own idols of comfort, power, and self-justification. And therefore the truth of God’s word challenges us: Hebrews 4 says: the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
So Paul says in Ephesians that at times we must speak the truth in love so that we grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Therefore, a truly reforming church remains teachable, humble before others, and ready to be corrected. Remember what St Paul said last week about God’s Word: All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, So, through faith, the Church and all Christians hold fast to the gospel and refuse to pretend that “all is well” when the gospel calls us to repentance.
But we need to be careful of going too far where the Word of God is weaponised to attack and judge. The Gospel guards against legalism that weaponizes reform against people. The Spirit’s work reforms the church’s teaching that always returns the Christian to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. As we are transformed by the Gospel, we become more faithful witnesses to the gospel.
Our worship deepens; our ethics become more consistent; our care for the vulnerable grows.
The church reforms so that it might proclaim Christ clearly, demonstrate His love, and live in a way that invites others to seek Him. Our church and message become places where God’s truth reshapes how we treat others, how we use God’s gifts and resources, and how we pursue justice and mercy. Reformation is not about preserving the past but about preserving the Gospel.
So how do we apply the Reformation today: For individuals: Cultivate a daily practice of reading God’s word and spending time in prayer. Be open to reform. When the Word convicts, respond with repentance and faith; Confess and seek grace to grow.
For families: Teach your children the basics of the faith: Prayers before meals and bedtime. Sharing a word from Scripture in family time, and modeling a faith that seeks and accepts correction by the Word.
For the church community: Embrace instruction by listening to God’s Word; regular use of the means of grace (Word, sacraments, prayer). Welcome thoughtful critique without becoming defensive; In our daily life: Speak and example God’s truth with gentleness and respect as Peter says – being prepared to give the reason for the hope we have. Be a witness that demonstrates reform thought joyful obedience to God by loving your neighbor and honoring God in public life.
As God’s church we must always be open to the Spirit’s work through the Word. It is a call to stay hungry for truth, to imitate Christ in humility, and to pursue holy living that lives and examples the gospel we proclaim. The good news lives forever: in Christ, we are alive to God; by the Spirit, we are being formed into His likeness; and for the sake of the world, we are assured that the one who began a good work in us will carry it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
The church always reforming means being continually shaped by the Word of God and the Spirit of Christ. It’s not about being trendy; it’s about being faithful. It’s not about being a museum to maintain the past but being a living body, breathing, growing, repenting, and reforming church of God.
