The Christian and CONSTANT Reformation

Remember that Martin Luther did not stop his Reformation on the end of the day of October 31, 1517 when he nailed the 95 Theses on Wittenburg, Germany in fact he spent much of his life as a Reformer like John Calvin, John Bunyan and John Knox.  In the Bible we read in 2 Corinthians 4:16 concerning the inevitable result of the Christian's salvation resulting to DAILY SANCTIFICATION, "For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed DAY BY DAY."  That is the Christian life has daily renewal, not every other day renewal, not monthly renewal but DAILY renewal.  I am confident in that fact that true Christians cannot lose their daily sanctification even if they do stumble in the faith, God picks them up, chastises them to the point of repentance and continues to renew them.  Salvation is again God's work and true salvation by faith alone is by a faith that is not alone.  True faith results to work, it is not a dead faith.

That is, remember the Christian life is a daily walk with Christ and if you have eternal security then you will always not only have salvation but also the daily sanctification which results to genuine good works, a listening ear and following Christ to the very end as in John 10:26-28, "But ye believe not because ye are not My sheep as I said unto you, My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me.  And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."  That verse is misused by the conditional security crowd but as a Calvinist and a believer in the perseverance of the saints, I stand with this, "Either you are saved or not saved.  A true Christian by the grace of God will not completely or totally fall away.  If salvation can't be lost then that means a Christian will continue in daily sanctification and God will certainly finish what He's started... and the evidence comes in the production of good works via the Holy Spirit, the righteousness of God made manifest by a holy life- no eternal security is not without consequences of a changed life.  Those who claim to be Christians and are living otherwise possess not eternal security which John Calvin called 'The Perseverance of the Saints' or that I am confident by the grace of God, I will not completely fall away nor will I enjoy sin and take pleasure in it.  All those deserters are like Judas Iscariot- not saved to start with (1 John 2:19)."

In fact Reformation was BEFORE Martin Luther.  We see the Old Testament prophets as Reformers.  We see the Apostles as Reformers.  When Peter became the first pastor of the New Testament Church's branch in Jerusalem, he was a Reformer when he boldly opposed the Pharisees by the grace of God. Stephen made his speech even if it meant his own life was at risk (Acts 7).  Perhaps the most powerful Reformer was the Apostle Paul who was once a Pharisee called Saul who one day became a Christian when he beheld the holiness of Jesus Christ in Damascus (Acts 9).  Such brave men preached the Gospel regardless of the consequences and such men would later inspire the Reformation.