Dr. Michael Reeves:
https://equip.sbts.edu/event/culture-fear-fear-god-lecture-3/
The Fear of God
Reply
Monthly Archives: January 2020
Cessationist Teaching Resources
Contrasting Affections
Two Articles
Here are two articles by Tim Chester
Concerning the Sacraments:
https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-the-sacraments-act-as-contracts/
Concerning the Lord’s Supper: https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-lords-supper/
In the form of a story
I came across an interesting ministry statement of faith. Unlike all others I have seen before, this one comes in the form of a story…
Source: https://www.thecrowdedhouse.org/statement-of-faith
The Crowded House is evangelical, missional, reformed and complementarian.
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH EXPRESSES OUR CONVICTIONS
IN THE FORM OF A STORY – A SUMMARY OF THE STORY GOD TELLS IN THE BIBLE.
WE ARE A PEOPLE LONGING EAGERLY FOR THE FUTURE
We are waiting for the arrival of a new heaven and earth, which God will bring about through his transforming power. A day is coming when Christ will come again to establish his reign of justice and freedom. He will create the home of righteousness which his people crave, banishing forever sin, Satan and death.
In renewed bodies in a renewed creation, we will live as God’s people in unbroken relationship with God and each other. At the center of everything will be the one God, eternally self-existent as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the creator and sustainer of all that is. His character is constant and his purposes unchanging. He will be all our glory. This will be life as it was meant to be lived – life in all its glorious and satisfying fullness.
WE ARE A PEOPLE FORMED DECISIVELY IN THE PAST
From before the creation of the world, God the Father chose us and blessed us in his Son, Jesus. We depend entirely upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, our King and Rescuer. Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, who shares our humanity, having been born of Mary. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit while she was still a virgin.
As the Son of God, Jesus came to make God known. As the Servant of God, Jesus came to undo the corruption of humanity and the divine curse on creation caused by the first man, Adam. He came to liberate us from our devastating self-love and to rescue us from the consequences of our ongoing willful refusal to love God and others. Jesus fulfilled the promises made by God to Israel and realized all that Israel was called, but failed, to be. He gave us a glimpse of the world to come, calling the people of God to follow him and to demonstrate the goodness of his rule by their shared lives.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus lived the life Adam and the rest of humanity could not live. And through the Holy Spirit, Jesus died the death that Adam and the rest of humanity deserve to die. On the cross he endured and exhausted God’s righteous anger against our rebellion, paying its penalty in full. Jesus rose physically from the dead, proving the effectiveness of his death. The resurrection is the promise and beginning of God’s new world. Jesus then returns to his Father in heaven, from where he now rules over all creation. He sent his Spirit to apply all that he achieved on the cross. The Spirit equips us as God’s people to live for Christ and speak of him so that others might submit to his gracious reign. In this way, Jesus sovereignly gathers his church as he rescues those the Father has given him.
WE ARE A PEOPLE LIVING JOYFULLY IN THE PRESENT
God has given his Spirit and word to his people to equip us to serve him in the world and to bring us to his future.
God the Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the one who convicts of sin and the creator of saving faith. He is the one who opens our eyes to see the beauty of Christ so that through the Spirit we succumb willingly to irresistible grace. He is the one who gives us new hearts to turn to Christ and trust him. The Spirit sets us apart for Christ and makes us more like him through the word of God.
The Holy Spirit is the author and interpreter of the Bible, which is God’s word to his world concerning his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible reflects the characters and circumstances of the people who wrote it, but the Holy Spirit guided the entire process. So in the Bible God reliably reveals his character and plans as he tells the story of his grace in rescuing sinners for his glory. Because it is the word of God, the Bible is the final authority in matters of conduct, questions of life and issues of truth.
We live together in union with Christ as his church. God is littering the world with local expressions of this church. We celebrate our cultural diversity while enjoying unity in Christ. These churches are a means of grace to a needy and dying world. God has given us the task of making the good news of Jesus known to those without God and without hope. Our community life points ahead to what God has in store for his world. So, by word and life, we model and offer reconciliation to those alienated from God by their willful rejection of him. We call people to turn from despising God and urge them to trust in Christ. Without Christ, people face only the judgment of being forever cut off from God and all that is good. It is by grace that we live in the present as forgiven sinners. We never earn the right to be called children of God. The gift of faith hears the ‘not guilty’ verdict that God will proclaim for his people on the coming day of judgment and enables us to live in the light of it now.
As those welcomed, forgiven and accepted, we become a community of those who welcome, forgive and accept. We respond to the gospel in baptism, expressing that we have become part of the people of God. The Lord’s Supper is the meal we regularly share together to celebrate the work of Christ and express that we continue to be part of the people of God together. Our shared life proclaims the Lord’s death until he returns to make good the invitation to his eternal banquet.
How We Do Catechesis
While the following article pertains to a specific Anglican catechism, the principles outlined applies to the broader use of catechisms in general.
The Lost Art of Catechesis by Lee Nelson – source: https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-lost-art-of-catechesis/
A Witness to Biblical Faith and Practice
With the forthcoming publication of To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism, not only the Anglican world, but the Church in general, stands to receive a truly remarkable document. Inside are 368 question-and-answer pairings that root Christian teaching in the three-fold order of traditional catechisms: that of the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. Unlike modern renderings of the various catechisms of the past, this catechism addresses many areas of deep concern for the Church today as she navigates life in the modern world. From the start, we envisioned this catechism to be a robust witness to biblical faith and practice, a tool which in the hands of skilled practitioners, could be used for centuries to come to instruct, form, and make mature disciples. We were interested to provide the Church with a firm basis upon which to set ourselves to this important task.
For those unfamiliar with the terminology, catechesis comes from the Greek word katēcheō, meaning to “sound down” or to “resound.” Paul writes: “in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct (katēchesō) others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” (1 Corinthians 14:19 ESV) The Church Father Cyril of Jerusalem, writing in the late 4th Century refers to how the word resounded in those hearing the instruction (called the catechumens) as in an empty space, like a cave, not having a word of its own, but made to resound with the praises and truth of God. This basic instruction we call simply catechesis. Since the Reformation, Christians have produced documents to guide and shape this instruction called catechisms.
With 360+ pairs of questions and answers, as well as Scripture references to support each teaching, this catechism instructs new believers and church members in the core beliefs of Christianity from an Anglican perspective.
Unlike Reformation-era catechisms, this catechism is aimed primarily at adults being instructed in the basics of Christian believing, prayer, and living for the first time. That is not to say that the catechism isn’t useful for those who are already Christians—it very much is. It is rather to say that the voicing of this catechism is meant for the purposes of catechetical evangelism. This involves the restoration of the ancient catechumenate, that framework within which new believers were instructed prior to being baptized. But it also involves the restoration of a whole range of practices and skills—arts, if you will—which to this time have been almost entirely lost. Catechesis is not simply a matter of having a tool. It’s a matter of having a teaching tool—the catechism, as well as a wide range of other tools, and being able to apply them through imaginative skill to have a dynamic teaching that is beautiful and powerful. Just as a carpenter uses saws, chisels, and planes to build furniture or houses, the catechist relies on the help of the Holy Spirit to skillfully use sharpened tools to build Christian lives, in short, to build up the Body of Christ.
Practical Advice for Catechesis in the Church
I have spent the last six years planting Christ Church, a parish church in Waco, Texas. Around the time I began this work, the draft of To Be a Christian was released. At the urging of our launch team, I began to teach it, going question by question through the whole. It was an exciting time! For me, it was as if the blood was rushing back into my veins as I read questions and asked the people to respond with the answer before explaining the meaning of each answer more closely. Metaphors, analogies, and anecdotes flooded into my mind and the people in that initial group responded with questions which never ceased to probe into the depths of Christian teaching. Within a few months, a group of twenty-five had expanded to over fifty. And within a year, our congregation was over a hundred strong. The joy of retreating back to the basics of the Faith, and doing so in a leisurely manner, without a set agenda, and without cheesy, off-the-shelf curricula gave life to us. People immediately started putting the teaching into practice, especially as we asked each week: “How is this going to matter tomorrow?” A group of college students began to pray morning prayer together. They’ve been doing so for nearly five years. As our people learned about healing, we began to pray intently for the healing of our members. People have been healed. We not only gained strength in practice, but our cohesion in matters of teaching was amplified. Many found that they simply could not buy in, and they have found another church to join. Many found that they became enthusiastic in ways they couldn’t have predicted. And others found themselves renewed in the faith which they had received as children and young adults.
Churches thrive when they have a simple process which leads people to spiritual growth and maturity.
How do I do this work at Christ Church? Well, it’s rather simple, actually. Every Sunday morning, all adult and young-adult newcomers within the past year, all those being instructed for baptism, and many others gather for a one hour session in the pews of our church. We start with a hymn. Singing opens the mind to be engaged in the perception of truth. Then, we pray, usually one of the provided prayers in the Catechism. And, with catechisms and Bibles open, we begin the instruction. We pick up where we left off the previous week and we start the Catechism fresh every August. It takes the better part of a whole year to get through, but the pace is set by the people in the room. Sometimes, confusion or multiple questions means that we only cover a few question and answer pairs in a morning. Sometimes, we move rather quickly.
As I teach, I pay close attention to the range of reactions, especially facial responses and body posture. This visual feedback is important for several reasons. First, I want to know that I’m making the needed connections. I also want to know who is engaged in the instruction and who is struggling. I often arrange to meet the latter later on in the week. I’m also looking for open wounds. Many times, the work of catechesis can reveal deep hurts and brokenness. The process of conversion can be painful. I want to offer immediate pastoral care to those who need it.
In the first few months, I make it a point to meet individually with everyone engaged in this course. I want to hear their story, know what their prayer needs are, and even ask them questions like “what do we do that seems weird to you?” Catechesis happens best when relationships are being built up. This also serves as an on-ramp to the wider life of our congregation. After a year of catechesis, most people join our parish as members, are confirmed, and begin to get involved in our various ministries. There are second-step courses for latter years. Children receive regular instruction in certain parts of the catechism. The result of this has been dynamic growth. Churches thrive when they have a simple process which leads people to spiritual growth and maturity. We have found that reviving the lost art of catechesis has done precisely that!
The Reverend Lee Nelson is a part of the North American Committee of Catechsis, whose work is associated with the creation of To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism edited by J. I. Packer, Joel Scandrett.
Lee Nelson is the founding rector of Christ Church, Waco, a parish church of the diocese of Fort Worth in the Anglican Church in North America. He also leads catechesis initiatives in the Anglican Church and was part of the team that edited To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism. A graduate of Nashotah House and Texas A&M University, he was ordained as a priest in 2005. He and his wife, Ela, have seven children.
“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me”
Dr. James White, The Forgotten Trinity:
The words of Jesus at Matthew 27:46 have come in for many kinds of interpretation. Unfortunately, many of the theories have compromised the Bible’s teachings on the nature of the relationship between the Father and the Son. The Father was never separated from or abandoned the Son. This truth is clear from many sources. Jesus uses the second person when speaking to the Father—“why have You forsaken Me?” rather than “why did He forsake Me?” as if the Father is no longer present. Immediately on the heels of this statement Jesus speaks to the Father (“Father, into your hands . . .”), showing no sense of separation. Whatever else Jesus was saying, He was not saying that, at the very time of His ultimate obedience to the Father, the Father abandoned Him. Rather, it seems much more logical to see this as a quotation of Psalm 22 that is meant to call to mind all of that Psalm, which would include the victory of v. 19ff, as well as verse 24, which states, “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard.”
A Command For All Disciples
Article: Making Christ’s Last Command Our First Concern by Mike Gendron
The last command of our Lord Jesus Christ is known by many, but understood and obeyed by very few. Matthew records Christ’s last command at the end of his Gospel when Jesus commissioned His disciples with these words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mat. 28:19-20). The Great Commission was a command for all disciples of Jesus Christ to become disciple-makers. Members of the early church produced many disciples by faithfully proclaiming the Lord’s Gospel (Acts 14:21). Members of the twenty-first century church can make Christ’s last command their first concern when they understand and apply four key characteristics of a true disciple that are given in Matthew 28:16-20.
Devotion to Christ
At the end of His earthly ministry, Christ asked His disciples to meet Him on an appointed mountain near Galilee. When the disciples arrived there to be commissioned by the Son of God, the very first thing they did was worship Him (Mat. 28:17). This is the reverent attitude of every true disciple. When the Son of God is not truly worshipped He cannot be truly served. Our worship is most meaningful and our devotion is most reverent when we are continuously seeking ways to glorify our Savior. One of the most consistent ways we can do this is by making His glorious Gospel known throughout our circle of influence. As God’s grace is spread to more and more people, it will cause thanksgiving “to abound to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 4:15). The great evangelist of the first century was so devoted to Christ that he could say with absolute sincerity “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Since Christ has redeemed every Christian from the slave market of sin, they should be completely devoted to their merciful Redeemer. “You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Submission to Christ
The second characteristic of a true disciple is an attitude of unconditional submission to our Master. Before Jesus gave His last command, He established His divine right to give it: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mat. 28:18). Submission to the absolute sovereign authority of the King of kings is not a disciple’s option, but a solemn obligation and a royal privilege.
Obedience to Christ
A heartfelt desire to obey the One who gave His life as a substitute for sinners is another mark of a true disciple. Obedience to Christ will be motivated by our passionate love for Him. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The deeper our love is for the Savior, the greater will be our desire to please Him in obedience. Our “love of Christ controls us… they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). A disciple of Christ will follow Him in obedience while abiding in His word (John 8:31-32). The proof of a true disciple lies in what he does for his Lord and Master.
Obeying the Great Commission is very similar to obeying the command God gave to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). In a similar way, all Christians are called to be fruitful and multiply. Those who really understand the Gospel will sow the seeds of God’s imperishable Word and bear fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty (Mat. 13:23). In doing so, disciples will reproduce new disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded. By God’s grace, these new disciples will become obedient from the heart to the Lord’s teaching (Rom. 6:17).
Christians must be warned that those who do not bear fruit are not true disciples of Christ. Jesus said, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). Our Lord, who is the True Vine, chose us for the purpose of bearing fruit (John 15:16). According to a parable Jesus gave, trees that do not bear fruit are useless and should be cut down (Luke 13:7). May this sober warning cause us all to make Christ’s last command our first concern. Let us all live for what will last for all eternity rather than what is temporal and will be burnt up in the end.
Presence of Christ
The Lord of the Harvest does not send us out alone to labor in the fields white for harvest. He promises to be with us always, even to the end of the age. Without Him we would be powerless to produce fruit on our own (John 15:4). However, the Lord Jesus offers His power to save souls through His continuing presence. He will always be with those who belong to Him, empowering them to be faithful to His last command.
Practical Applications
There are many creative ways we can be faithful to the great commission. Just as the moon always reflects the brilliant light of the sun, every Christian should always reflect the glorious light of the Son. Since we know that people are born again by the imperishable seed, which is the living and abiding word of God, we must sow these seeds wherever we go (1 Pet. 1:23). As we sow seeds, we pray that they will find fertile soil, take root and begin to grow into new disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Distribute Gospel tracts. This is an excellent way to sow the objective truth of God’s word. Wherever we go, whether it be to a restaurant, grocery store, department store, post office, etc., we ask people if they believe in heaven and how they hope to get there. Four out of five people never mention the name of Jesus in their response. When they give the wrong answer, we simply ask, “If that were not true according to the Bible, would you want to know?” A great majority of the people say “yes” which gives us the opportunity to share the Gospel and/or give them several of our Gospel tracts.
We also give Gospel tracts to Roman Catholics as they are leaving their churches or bookstores. Once, when a Catholic priest found out we were handing out Gospel tracts, he confronted us and asked, “How would you like it if we did this at your church?” I said, “Please do, we need the Gospel at our church as well.” One time a Catholic nun looked at our flyer which contained only Scripture, then ripped it up. My wife said, “That was the Word of God.” The nun replied, “We don’t need that here.” We have also found that placing tracts on car windshields at churches is another way to make the Gospel known to those who are lost in religion.
Invite people to watch a Gospel video. This is how this ministry began 17 years ago. Every Tuesday night, for 3 months, we invited Catholics to our home to watch the video Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. During that time 17 Catholics exchanged their religion for a relationship with Jesus as their all-sufficient Savior. I can honestly say that there is no greater joy than seeing those who were dead in their sins come alive in Christ Jesus!
Invite people to your church or Bible study. Be like the apostle Andrew who was always bringing people to meet Jesus (John 1:40-42). Don’t be like the Christian who was invited by his friend to play golf every Sunday morning. After 6 weeks, the friend said, “I always invite you to play golf. Why don’t you ever invite me to your church?”
Host an evangelistic dinner. Not too long ago we invited a couple for dinner with whom we had developed a growing friendship while playing tennis. After dinner we told them that we loved them so much that we could not let another day go by without sharing what we believe to be the greatest news you will ever hear about the greatest Man who ever lived, who offers the greatest gift you could ever receive. We told them that if our roles were reversed, we would want them to do the same for us. After going through the glorious Gospel of grace for about an hour, we told them we would never bring it up again unless they initiated it. As they left our home, they thanked us for caring so much about them. To this day they have not converted to Christ, but we do remain the closest of friends.
Go on short-term mission trips. These opportunities give Christians a concentrated period of time to focus on evangelism without any day-to-day distractions.
Engage solicitors with the Gospel. One of two things will happen and both of them are good. They will either be interested in learning how to be reconciled to God, or they will think you’re weird and hang up on you. We have had a few solicitors accept our invitation to join us at church. Others have asked us to send them Gospel tracts to consider the promises of Christ.
Develop a life-style of evangelism. A disciple of Christ is one who disciplines himself in all areas of spiritual life, including evangelism. We can develop a zeal for evangelism by asking God to give us a growing compassion for the lost, coupled with an intense passion to do the Lord’s work. When this happens we will want to know the spiritual condition of everyone we meet. I believe the primary reason why Christians do not faithfully share the Gospel is that they do not grasp the stark reality of hell. If we could catch a momentary glimpse of hell and see the terrifying pain and never-ending punishment that awaits those who die without Christ, we would do everything possible to lead them to the Savior.
Our great God and Savior will be most glorified when we understand all that He is, all that He has done and all that He is doing. May our love and devotion to Christ be manifested by bringing glory to His holy name through the proclamation of His awe-inspiring Gospel. The fruit of our labor will result in memorials to His grace throughout all eternity. The majesty of grace in salvation brings honor to the Father who initiates it, glory to the Son who accomplishes it and esteem to the Holy Spirit who effects it. Let us all magnify the Lord Jesus Christ by making His last command our very first concern!
Exclusive Psalmody?
Streamed live on facebook – a live Q&A session with Drs. Steven Lawson, Stephen Nichols, and Derek Thomas at Reformation Bible College Winter Conference – January 20, 2020
Transcript:
Question: In light of the sufficiency of Holy Scripture and the regulative principle of worship, how do we answer the question of instruments and uninspired hymns in the public worship of God?
Dr. Derek Thomas: So, in our Reformed tradition instruments are relatively new in New Testament worship. They are not new of course in Old Testament worship. We understand, in Judaism there was the accompaniment of instrumental music in worship.
There are two parts to this question. If you adopt an exclusive psalm singing position (as my son in law would – he belongs to the covenanter tradition and loyally and faithfully have maintained that position to this day) – that means that you can sing about Jesus in pre-fulfillment terms but you can never say the name ‘Jesus.’ You can preach the name ‘Jesus’, you can pray the name ‘Jesus’ but you can’t sing the name ‘Jesus’ and that doesn’t make sense to me. If you only sing the psalms you are always in the shadow. You’re always in anticipation mode. You’re never in fulfillment mode.
So for me, my understanding of instrumental worship is that this will be a continuity of practice from Old Testament into New Testament… that there is a continuity of the manner in which God is to be worshipped and therefore the select and reverent use of instrumentation to enhance congregational singing is like the good and necessary consequence argument.
Dr. Steve Lawson: Yeah, I would add to that, there are instruments in heaven being played, and there are instruments in the Old Testament, and I love the argument of continuity – that it would assume continuity into the New Testament but it is anchored by there are instruments in heaven. I think that would be a strange weird argument that you could not have instruments in the New Testament.
The other thing I would add also, Ephesians 5:19 to ‘sing to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.’ I think the perpescuity of that, the clarity of that – and Calvin always said the correct interpretation is the plainest interpretation. We are not looking for hidden meaning. What would be the most obvious would the proper interpretation. If I just read “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” I go, ok, you can sing psalms, you can sing hymns and you can sing spiritual songs. And I know the covenanter tradition tries to make those different divisions of psalms. I think that’s eisegesis, that’s not exegesis. That’s reading into the text that doesn’t even say that. You’re forcing your preconceived idea upon a text. That just throws word studies and plain meaning out the window, to me. I mean, you would never just pick up your Bible and read that verse and come up with that conclusion. You would have to go to seminary someplace… seriously.. and come up with a wacky interpretation like that. So even throwing that text into the mix as well.
In addition, I would add, Colossians 1 is known as the Colossian hymn and the way that it is worded gives the appearance with the symmetry and the balance and the cadence, that this was an early hymn sung in the first century Church that Paul has placed into this text and maybe made a few connecting adaptations so it will fit in the flow but there were hymns already being sung that had Christ’s name in it, i.e. Colossians 1. And there are other passages to which we could turn.
When you add all this up, I just wouldn’t want to have to be turning in a term paper to a professor who would grade this and to try to defend “I can only sing the psalms and cannot use musical instruments.” I am having to argue a case, I think, with both hands tied behind my back.
Dr. Stephen Nichols: I just want to make two comments. I totally agree, not exclusive psalmody. But I think sometimes, especially in American Evangelical circles sometimes we go too far the opposite direction and we don’t sing the psalms. So there’s a place for those who are not exclusive psalmody to think about the Psalter as a part of worship.
But I was thinking about what you (Derek Thomas) were talking about, in terms of if you are singing the Psalms you are always singing in anticipation, you’re always in the shadows. And anecdotally, this is Isaac Watts.
The Lutheran tradition we have hymns right from the beginning. One of the things Luther is concerned about is putting a hymnal in the hands of the people of God. So Luther is writing hymns right out of the gate.
Not so with Calvin and the Reformed Church. And that’s the influence over the Puritans and over the Church in England.
And here’s Isaac Watts, young man, walking home as the story has it with his father, saying “why don’t we ever sing about Christ?” And his father saying to him, “well, if you think you can do better than David in the Psalms, go ahead and try.” And something like three weeks later, the congregation is singing the first Isaac Watts hymn. So that there is this sense of hymnody – of bringing out of the shadows – Christ. And I think that is some of the richness of the non-psalmody tradition of singing hymns but there’s something to be said for bringing the hymns .. a mighty fortress is of course Psalm 46.
Is the Reformation Over?
Dr. Michael Reeves:
Transcript:
The Reformation is not over and cannot be over. The first reason it’s not over is because the Roman Catholic Church has not been reformed. Rome, by her own catechism and statements, still repudiates justification by faith alone, and therefore the matter of the Reformation has not been resolved.
Furthermore, those churches that would not call themselves Roman Catholic needed to be ongoingly reformed because reformation is not something that can be settled. Reformation is about the church purifying herself by the Word of God continually. There is never some acceptably pure level.
So, reformation is an ongoing thing. And that means that reformation cannot be over until Christ returns, because reformation is about chasing that purity that Christ wants for His church. And we have not reached that and we will not reach that until He returns.