On October 31, 1517, German monk Martin Luther ignited a fire that forever changed the landscape of Christianity when he nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Luther boldly challenged the papacy and the entire theology of the Catholic Church at a time when doing so was considered heretical, and he did so being, as he would later state, bound by Scripture and captive to the Word of God. He saw a need for the church to undergo massive reformation, not for the sake of the church's glory but for the sake of God's glory. For far too long, in his estimation, the Roman Empire had promulgated their version of the gospel based on unbiblical ideas, and with this initial spark, Luther beckoned Christians to look to God and His Word for truth rather than to the Church that was littered with waywardness. From there, Protestantism was founded, and nowadays, approximately forty percent of the Christian population around the world identifies as Protestant.
Luther was a tool used by God to accomplish something extraordinary. Instead of rooting their faith in the ideas a central figure, Reformers like Luther built upon the foundation of Jesus, for it is only by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that all men and women can be saved. It was not about adhering to a particular religious framework or mindlessly following the elite of the faith; rather, it was about surrendering all to follow Jesus and obey God's Word. The Reformation that began on that fateful day in Germany was a movement determined to recapture the essence of biblical Christianity, and while the Reformers, like everyone else who has ever lived on planet Earth, were far from perfect, their passion for Scripture and for bringing God ultimate glory is inspiring even to this day.
For them, the Church that existed in their prism was in dire need of reforming since it had wandered too far away from the Bible and its teachings. This idea inspired me to consider today what, if anything, in the American church needs reforming for the sake of the purity of Christ's body and for the glory of God. In Luther's day, the need for reform was obvious, for the theology of Christianity was, in fact, misguided, to put it mildly. However, the need for reform in the modern era may not seem as obvious to many, but I will make the argument in the following paragraphs that the American church actually does need reforming in more subtle but nonetheless important ways. These are not in any order of importance, but instead, I have created a list of issues the Church in America simply needs to deal with one way or another. I may not have ninety-five theses (at least not yet...), but here are five ways I believe the Church must reform in America.
First of all, the plague of the prosperity gospel continues to sweep the nation, with pastors and teachers equating the American dream with the endgame of a relationship with God through Christ. This false narrative teaches that God wants His followers to experience their best life now with all the luxuries that can be afforded to them, and I fear many churches today have been led to think this is the Bible's stance on the Christian life as well. In an alarming study conducted by LifeWay Research, about one-third of American Protestant churches prominently teach the prosperity gospel. More than a few evangelical churchgoers have embraced this ideology that embraces American values more than biblical ones, and in the spirit of the Reformation, the Church in the United States must investigate what Scripture truly says about the benefits of following Christ-chiefly the forgiveness of sins and eternal life-instead of allowing influential Christian celebrities to contaminate their worldview.
Secondly, the Church must reckon with the fact that many are opting to deconstruct their faith and label themselves as "exvangelicals," citing issues with the Church and its members above all. Why are so many, usually younger people, no longer seeing a value in the corporate gathering and communal aspect of church? It is easy to lament the fact that the younger generations simply do not want anything to do with the Church, but the more difficult thing to do is to look in the proverbial mirror and try to ascertain why they want nothing to do with the Church. To many, churches in America have, from their perspective, failed to adequately follow in the footsteps of the New Testament Church, and there is present a disconnect between the traditional church and those looking to remove themselves from such a culture. This is a trend still in its infancy, to an extent, but it is a trend that is gaining traction with each passing day. The Church must reform in ways that directly addresses this issue instead of scoffing at these individuals who "do not know any better."
Thirdly, Christian nationalism continues to run rampant in American churches, with many churchgoers mistakenly equating their patriotism to godliness. Political idolatry has taken over numerous churches, especially in the politically charged times of the past few years, and these kinds of churches have become more known for their voting preferences than their gospel witness. While it is likely that no one will outright admit to being a Christian nationalist, they are nevertheless present in evangelical gatherings across the country, with some basically believing that God has a clear political affiliation when it comes to American matters. The Church's reform must come from the realization that our hope is not found in an elephant or a donkey but in the Lamb of God.
Fourthly, and perhaps integrally intertwined with the three previous points, biblical illiteracy has, unfortunately, become a defining characteristic of the American Church. I am afraid that many Christians in the United States today have lost the skill of critical thinking so much that they take the words of pastors, teachers, and religious influencers at face value and do not stop to think whether or not their words are properly aligned with Scripture. Their adherence to God's Word has become exclusively dependent with no sort of independent study taking place, and as a result, the overall knowledge of the Bible found in pews from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between has plummeted. The Church needs to change the way they view Scripture, seeing God's inerrant and infallible Word as the authority rather than a mere honorable figurehead.
Finally, the last need for reform I will mention today is the need for American churches to maintain an outward focus as much as they have traditionally maintained an inward focus. The primary reason so many churches in this nation are dead or dying is that we have valued the gathering so much that we have neglected the responsibility of then scattering to plant our gospel witness. Churches have simply become meeting places instead of send stations, and if the American Church genuinely wants to emulate the example set forth by the early church in the book of Acts, we must reform the way we understand the mission of the church. Yes, gathering is greatly important, but that is not the end all, be all purpose of Christ's body. The Church must also scatter to the communities and to the nations, not so that their attendance numbers would increase but that more may have an encounter with Almighty God.
There are probably a litany of other ideas I could come up with today regarding how the American Church needs to experience its own version of reformation, but for now, I believe these fives points will suffice for the sake of space and time. I am no Martin Luther, and I am not the son of a Martin Luther, but I love the Church and desire for her to bring God glory in everything she says and does. It does not take much of an investigation to uncover the reality that the American Church has failed to live up to God's standard for Christ's body in many different ways, but thankfully, where sin abounds, His grace abounds much more. If we want the Spirit to reform the Church, we must confess our sin, repent, and recommit ourselves to following Jesus. It is only through cooperate humility in submission to Christ as our head that reform can arrive at our front doors and overtake our sanctuaries.
For His glory,
Cody Fleenor
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