You must be reformed!

“Hello there, what do you have there that’s worth living for?” (Miracle Max in ‘The Princess Bride’)  What is there in your life that you are prepared to die for? Whatever gives you real purpose, the greatest pleasure, and the most satisfaction, that is in fact your god!  In reality, God is the functional centre of the universe. Consequently, only if He becomes the centre of our lives, can we find our true identity as sons and daughters of God.

Yet, even as a Christian, I must constantly watch out to ensure that only God is and remains at the centre of my life.  So easily other ‘gods’ slip in and push their way to the centre.  If I am not alert or if I stop to live by God’s Word and Spirit, then such things end up pushing God from the centre to the margins of my life.  It is then, that I will become too busy, too bored, or too annoyed to nurture my relationship with Him.  I would stop living as a Christian, and if I persist to ignore the working of His Spirit, in the end I would be damned.

In a Christian church nearby the membership was told that, as Christians, they cannot work in the local idol factory.  That type of scenario may be alien to you.  Yet, the Bible tells us that the human heart -unless kept in check by God’s Spirit- is in fact a very productive idol factory. 

“All of my ambitions, hopes, and plans… I surrender those into your hands!” (Robin Mark)

“I want nothing for myself; everything for God!” (Ni Tuosheng)

“Let goods and kindred go, my mortal life also…” (Martin Luther)

Easy to say, nice to sing; but for me this forms a life-long challenge.  Idols keep popping up in personal life and in the Christian community.  Even in ministry, I secretly hope for popular approval, public applause, and God’s blessings in appreciation.  Sometimes, when tired after a week at school, a weekend of worship preparation, and a busy Sunday service, I have turned off my phone or even excused myself when someone requested my immediate attention.  Sometimes, I am so determined pursuing my latest ministry plans, that I fail to wait and listen to God. 

In many churches, also in China, pastors usually begin their ministry ‘careers’ with the passion to serve God and to build His kingdom, but after a few years their true focus shifts to personal success, status, and stability. 

In a Christian high school where I taught, students were strictly urged to stand straight and tall, arms down, for the singing of our national anthem. Meanwhile they were allowed to sit and slouch in their desks when singing to the glory of our God.

In many or most American churches, the national flag is prominently displayed at the right side of the pulpit.  Even in China it is less obvious that the church must be the servant of the state.

That’s one side of reality: We may claim to be Christians and Christian church, but in reality it is often ‘self and society’ which are allowed to compete with Christ for the centre of our lives.  And yet, even if we try to live by the Spirit, we cannot consistently keep Him in the focus of our existence.  And if we try to break away from tradition and seek to grow in godliness, there are other hurdles and pitfalls easily encountered.

In some churches, people who live differently from the community or challenge the traditions are branded hypocrites and ‘holy rollers’.  Then there is the real danger that people, breaking away from the pack, would become proud, thinking themselves to be better than others.  Next, there could be either self-righteousness or disillusionment.  Frustrated by the inability to reach perfection or by the lack of support from their Christian community, they would become more vulnerable to the Enemy’s attacks.

“Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…” (Romans 12: 2)

Semi-jokingly perhaps, we used to say, “You must be reformed!”  It was like saying, “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much!”  For, since we belonged to the reformed church, the call to be reformed could not apply to us.  We did not have to worry; our salvation was sure.  It’s the unbelievers and the bad-believers that had to be reformed- like us.

All sin is idolatry, and idolatry needs our constant attention.  We all need to be changed!  And if we do not change (by growing in godliness), then this gives evidence that we are not Christians.  And yet, if we do seek to serve the Lord with everything, then we must not despair when we see that –in spite of our earnest efforts- we slip up and fail again.   

Know this: Christ has loved you so (much), that he volunteered to be whipped and stripped, tortured and murdered, in order to bring you back to God.  This fact must be understood, embraced, and allowed to penetrate your mind and life.  When this happens, your outlook of life will be transformed.  It will empower you –as it empowered the early church- to accept abuse and slander, loss of wealth and health and freedom.  If the Spirit so dwells in our church community, we can stand together in these things.  Even if enemies take our church buildings and confiscate our possessions, we will have the power to forgive and to rejoice in God, just like the early church, described in Acts.

A while ago we visited friends after attending their (conservative / orthodox) reformed church meeting.  Inevitably the comment came that, “It was another wonderful sermon!”  So, I asked, “If it was a wonderful message, what was in it that shocked you?  What was there to change your mind or force you to change your lives?”  There was silence; apparently no comprehension.  And so, I realized that my idea of ‘good preaching’ had changed over the years.  Preaching must aim to change the hearers, to transform their minds and lives.  If we (only) lecture on accepted reformed doctrines, re-enforcing the truth as we have learned it, we fail to build the church.  Even if we preach to the converted (which is a dangerous assumption), we need to challenge and confront all areas of idolatry which threaten the individual believer and the church community.  If the Bible and the preaching can no longer shock us, we probably have dulled the Sword of the Spirit and/or plugged our ears from hearing the truth. 

With Mark Twain, we ought to say, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me.  It’s the parts I do understand.”