The Reformation-Call.

One deception that believers have succumbed to by believing the fables of men is they prefer a literary, textbook approach to knowing God and has made the good-book that is used to approach God as the "Supreme Word" of God. They study scripture thinking it is the source of eternal life, the guide for spiritual living and the rule book for spiritual application. In doing so they chose knowledge of God through shadows over knowing the reality of God. The scriptures are a great blessing to the Community of Humanity as a road map to Christ, but they are the written word, a love-letter...not our Lover, the True Word of God.

William Law describes the respect for scripture and its true value this way: "Read whatever chapter of Scripture you will, and be ever so delighted with it--yet it will leave you as poor, as empty and unchanged as it found you unless it has turned you wholly and solely to the Spirit of God, and brought you into full union with and dependance upon Him. For delight in matters of Scripture can be nothing but carnal emotion of a fallen Adam-nature unless this delight finds its source in the inspiration of God as He quickens His own life and nature within the heart. Nothing less than this union with God by the power of His Holy Spirit is intended by the Law, the Prophets or the Gospels. Both Old and New Testaments bear full witness to this truth, calling men back from the spirit of Satan, the flesh and the world, to be in-dwelt and possessed by the Holy Spirit of God, who alone can be the fulfill-er of all that to which the Scriptures testify"  

The study of scripture is admiral, the study of the scripture is not the problem. The problem is the misguided belief that they are the Source of the believer's spiritual life...their Well-spring of life. The Holy Spirit Himself said the He did not testify of Himself but of Christ...so do the scriptures not testify of themselves, they do as they were God-Intended to do... testify of Christ. They are not the all and end all of a relationship with Christ.

A reformation of regaining of what was thought to be the pattern of the early believers, as was the object of the reformer Martin Luther is not what is needed today. The reformation that is needed today is the restoration of Jesus Christ as the Head of His Community of the Redeemed and His Holy Spirit as its director and teacher.

The reformation-call  to the Community of the Redeemed...the corporate expression of God Himself through His Son today...is to give Jesus back His people so they can be infused with His life in their daily living as a witness to the Community of Humanity that Jesus is alive and well as He lives His life through His people. 

We need to heed the clarion reformation-call to return to our first Love.