“REFORMED OR DEFORMED?”

“REFORMED OR DEFORMED?”

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2 - NKJV

A few days ago I heard someone asking: “What does it mean to be reformed?”

Thinking about that question, and having the honor of being a Reformed Minister myself, I kept thinking which answer would be the most suitable to that inquiry.

Even though the term “reformed” has to do with the Reformation Movement of the 16th century in Europe, I would suggest we can go even further and deeper in this thought, with some much earlier biblical perspectives on the subject.

I believe that in order to understand what it’s like “being reformed” we must go back to some foundational truths: God created every man to be in His likeness and image, we were formed to enjoy His presence and to live an endless life of joy and happiness. But sin came into the perfect world and we, as the world itself, became deformed, our hearts turned into a “desperately corrupt” and sinfully inclined to fleshly desires, and those inclinations separated us irremediably from our Heavenly Father.

Nevertheless, by His grace, the Lord Almighty decided to reform His sons and daughters, and sent Jesus to pay our debts on the cross and reconcile us with Him. After receiving such great salvation by the faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, we can finally be called “reformed.”

But the truth is, it doesn’t stop there! By being reformed we have two more steps to go, and in the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12, these are: not to be conformed, so we can be transformed.

And the beauty of the process goes even further, because the same apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3.18:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Yes, you are thinking right! The cycle has been finally completed: After being formed in glory, we were deformed by sin, reformed by the Lord and challenged to not be conformed with the world, so we can be transformed, and finally - again, like in the beginning, to experience the presence of the Lord in our lives, from glory to glory!

Wishing many blessings to you and your family!

Pastor Joshua