In the recent years, the global church, particularly here in the West has been plagued with subtle but radical shifts towards liberalism at an alarming rate. Much of the western church today is no longer the buttress of truth, but proponent of pluralism.

Sadly, the advocates of these shifts are operating under the guise of semper reformanda (“always reforming”). This is a phrase that is commonly heard among Protestant Christians whether conservative or liberal. The conservative wing of the Protestant Church on one hand uses semper reformanda to encourage the Church towards a more biblical definition and application of what it means to be Reformed.

The liberal wing on the other hand, uses semper reformanda to encourage the Church towards a more ‘progressive’ definition of what it means to be Reformed mainly as a means of justifying their capitulation to the ‘spirit of the age.’

Historically, semper reformanda speaks of the exhortation given us in Jude 3 “to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” The essence of it simply stated is that the church always needs to be reformed (passive tense, not ‘reforming’) by the work of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God which is unchanging and unchangeable. The first use of this motto or phrase can be traced to a devotional entitled Beschouwingen van Zion (“Contemplations of Zion”) by a Dutch author named Jodocus van Lodenstein and published in 1647.

Van Lodenstein was a significant figure with respect to Dutch Reformed pietism. He and his colleagues in that era argued that even though the Reformation had reformed the doctrine of the church, the lives of the individual Christians as God’s people in the church always needed further reformation. They were firmly committed to the Reformed doctrine as taught in the Reformed confessions and catechisms. Their concern was therefore that these doctrines be more faithfully and thoroughly taught and applied in the lives of God’s people (the church).

Ironically, Anna Case-Winters, a liberal theologian, makes the point that semper reformanda is ‘our misused motto.’ According to Winters, in the 16^th Century, semper reformanda was used with neither conservative nor liberal connotations. Rather, it was used to talk of radicalism (i.e. in the sense of returning to the root). Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) was therefore a direct result of this outcry for a return to the root.

The Reformation did not advocate change for its own sake. Rather, it condemned the Roman Catholic Church for accumulating and bringing into the church so many new doctrines and practices which were unprecedented in the history of the ancient or the New Testament church. Thus the Reformation advocated for a return to the Root, a return to the Scriptures. The full sentence goes like this in Latin, Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei translated in English as ‘The Reformed church, always being reformed according to the Word of God.’

For those of us who have been blessed by the Reformed heritage, we need to remember that true reformation is a monergistic work of God mediated through His Word by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in talking about the need to ‘always be reformed’, we must keep in mind the following:

1. The Word of God is the primarily instrument of reformation⤒🔗

True reformation begins with a return to the Word of God. It is not the ingenuity of man, but the power of the Word of God. We are to be transformed by the “renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2) by submitting ourselves in every way to the Word of God in which His “good and acceptable and perfect will” has been revealed to us.

This can only happen as we saturate our minds and our hearts with the Word of God and submit to what He says to us as His people (the Church). “I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

2. God is the singular agent and initiator of true reformation←⤒🔗

The church cannot reform itself. The Lord God must do the work of reforming the church. He does not need any help. He can and does whatever He does according to the counsel of His will. He does not need to consult with us. Neither does He seek or need our help even to change us. He is the Sovereign Lord and He does whatever He pleases, whenever He pleases and with whomever He pleases and however He pleases. Our response must be one of worship and adoration to Him and all His works. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 8:33-36).

3. Christianity is a historic Faith←⤒🔗

The Christian faith is not a novel religion whose future and relevance is dependent on the innovative gimmicks of the 21^st Century men and women. No! Christianity is rooted in history. It is a “faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). It cannot be improved upon because it does not need any improvement.

Times and places may change, but the Christian faith and its core doctrines, solidly rooted and anchored in the Word of God, will remain the same. “Beloved, although I was eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4).

We need to pay close attention to the last phrase of this sentence: “The Reformed church, (being) reformed according to the Word of God.” We must agree with van Lodenstein and the Reformers that it is the church that needs to be reformed according to the Word of God and not vice versa. As sinful creatures, we constantly need to be reformed according to God’s Word.

The image of God in us which was marred by sin in the Fall must increasingly be restored by the work of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The church is created, sustained and reformed according to the Word of God through and through. It cannot be the other way round.

I conclude with following five exhortations: Firstly, we need to continually be reformed according to the Word of God. Our individual and corporate lives, our worship and especially our doctrine must be shaped by the Word of God for it is our doctrine which will ultimately shape our lives and worship.

Secondly, we must therefore make sure by the grace of God that our doctrine is according to the Word of God. The Word of God does not need to change. We are the ones who need to be reformed; our church(es) need to be reformed; for the glory of God in Christ. May the Lord grant that reformation according to His will and His Word.

Thirdly, we must earnestly pray to God for growth “in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ,” “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (2 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:14).

Fourthly, we must strive to preserve and fortify the “ancient landmarks set up by our forefathers” (Proverbs 22:28). Instead of moving them, we must teach and defend the Word of God in all faithfulness and conviction and without shame regardless of the cost.

Fifthly, we must test the spirits to see if they are from God. The world is pressing in on the church today and imposing its erroneous, ungodly and demonic doctrines on the church on one hand. On the other hand, there is a tendency in the church today to become more like the world. We must firmly and courageously resist both in the power of the Holy Spirit and be wise. John writes, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Ultimately our authority must be derived from, and our loyalty given to that which is the eternal Word of God which is above us, timely and unrestricted by geography.

Prayer for Grace←⤒🔗

May the Lord grant the grace of repentance to us as individuals, to the church of Jesus Christ at large and her leadership that we might acknowledge our sins before Him in the areas where we have departed from His Word. May the Lord grant us the grace of restoration by the effectual power of His Holy Spirit and give us all the courage of convictions that we may build our lives and doctrine upon the One Sure Foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Word to the glory of God the Father! Through Jesus Christ, Amen!