By Reinder Bruinsma

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 statements to the door of the Castle Church in the German city of Wittenberg. This year, this memorable event of exactly five centuries ago is being widely commemorated. It is usually regarded as the beginning of the Reformation of the Church, which would in due time lead to the split of western Christianity into Roman Catholicism and a wide array of Protestant denominations.

Even a cursory look at the conditions of the church in Luther’s day is enough to make one realize that a thorough overhaul of the medieval church was long overdue. Lots of serious theological errors and unbiblical practices had crept in. Moreover, the lines of demarcation between the church and the worldly powers had become extremely fuzzy and members of the higher clergy tended to live immoral lives while enjoying inordinate luxury. In most places, little was done to instruct the church members and to provide them with good pastoral care. Church offices were often sold to the highest bidders, and cash payments were supposed to instantly deliver the souls of deceased family members from purgatory!

Reformation was badly needed, and five centuries later it is fitting to remember the great men of faith like Luther and other reformers who, often at the risk of their own lives, protested (hence the name “protestants”) against the un- scriptural teachings and abuses that had become the norm rather than the exception in the Church.

Reformation Is Always Needed

Five centuries ago the world entered a new era. As the reformation spread, millions of people learned in a totally new way about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about His saving grace. Moreover, Bible translations into the native languages of the people made it possible for them to read God’s Word for themselves. And now they understood that they could have direct access to God without the intervention of a priest!

All this is reason for immense gratitude. But it must, at the same time, be admitted that the reformation of the sixteenth century was not final and complete. Looking back today from a protestant (and most certainly from a Seventh-day Adventist) perspective, Luther and the reformers of his days should have gone much further than they did. They did not restore the Sabbath to its rightful place and did not do away with infant baptism—to mention just two glaring omissions in the reformation program. And, as the protestant churches developed, we discover a notable lack of searching for more truth, and we find that many of the theological standpoints were gradually fossilized into formal creeds and dry formulas. But fortunately, new reformers arose who were used by God to bring revival and reformation.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church owes much to the sixteenth century Reformation, and to later reform movements that revitalized the faith of many believers. In addition, the great revivals in nineteenth century America helped to set the stage for the Advent movement of William Miller and his associates. And this, in due time, would lead to the birth of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Does this mean that the reformation of the church is now complete? Can we sit back with the assurance that the Truth has gained the victory over all error and that God’s ideals for His church are now fully realized? Has the final reformation resulted in a perfect, end-time remnant church that is ready to enter its final destiny? If that were only true! Any Adventist with open eyes sees the many defects of his or her church and is aware of the many thorny issues that confront Adventism. And few Adventists in the western world are unaware of the polarization between various factions that tends to create more heat than light. The recent call of the leaders of the denomination for “revival and reformation” is timely and needed. As early as 1887, Ellen G. White made an earnest appeal: “A revival of true godliness is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs” (Review and Herald, March 22, 1887). The following statement, from her Testimonies for the Church, expresses the clarion call that she would constantly repeat: “There is a great necessity for a reformation among the people of God. The present state of the church leads to the inquiry, is this a correct representation of Him who gave His life for us?” (Vol. 3, p. 474). How do we reply to this discomforting question?

Where Does It Start?

In recent years the members of the Adventist Church have been challenged by their leaders to embrace their call for “revival and reformation.” But however important this initiative may be, it has severe limitations. A revival and a reformation do not start as the result of a committee action during a meeting of church officials, and it does not become a reality through detailed programs, urgent publications, and well-designed websites. A revival in a union or conference does not result from a two-third majority vote in a constituency session, and a local reformation cannot be decided upon in a business meeting. Reformation begins in the heart of the individual believer.

The most pertinent statement in the Bible on this topic is, I believe, found in Romans 12:2. The New International Version translates Paul’s words in this crystal clear manner: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The New Living Translation is even more straightforward: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

Reformation is not primarily a matter of changing our behavior, although this may be an important aspect. In Luther’s day, it certainly was. But ultimately, Luther was much more concerned about a change in the way people think—about God and about themselves. He was adamant that we are saved by grace, through faith alone, and not through buying indulgences and doing penance. This meant a total renewal of the mind. The people had to realize that God would transform them into new persons, if they would change their way of thinking about Him and themselves.

There is always a temptation to believe that reformation is primarily about doing things—or no longer doing particular things. It is always accompanied by the subtle temptation to assume that by changing aspects of our behavior, we become acceptable to God, and that a change in who we are in God’s sight results from something we do. The apostle Paul corrects this idea: God transforms us into new people as we change our thinking and realize that everything depends on divine grace. As a church community, we are always in need of renewal because all of us who belong to this community need this renewal—this new orientation, this reformation from the inside out. Does this mean that church leaders should not call for revival and reformation and that they cannot stimulate this process in any way? It does not. They have an important role and church-initiated programs can be very helpful, but when all is said and done, we must remember that true revival is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is looking for individuals who open themselves up to His reviving work on their hearts.

We need reformation as much as the people needed it in Luther’s day. We need role models who encourage us and point us to the Source of life. We need leaders who will help to create the spiritual climate in our church that is conducive to our personal spiritual growth and that will create an ever stronger desire in us to let God transform us into truly new persons. For that is where it starts.

–Reinder Bruinsma is a theologian, writer, and former church administrator. He writes from the Netherlands. Email him at: [email protected]