Many people today assume the Reformation is nothing more than an old historical event, locked away in the past. They see it as a reaction to a problem in the church 500 years ago, a chapter we have already moved on from. If history is not their interest, they may dismiss it altogether as irrelevant.

But the Reformation was never merely a historical reaction. At its heart, it was a recovery of the gospel and a movement to bring the church and believers under the purifying light of God’s Word. It was not simply about addressing one problem, but about being continually reformed by Scripture.

That is why it began with Martin Luther opening the Bible, wrestling with its truth, and allowing it to confront and overturn the false teachings of his day. And that is why the Reformation continued to grow and spread, since it was driven by the conviction that God’s Word is living, active, and powerful to reform His people.

Change in the Church

This conviction carried forward beyond Luther. In the 1560s, a generation after the Reformation began, the Puritan movement in England emerged. As John Milton described it, theirs was the work of “reforming the Reformation.” The Puritans recognized that we cannot settle for partial reform, either in the life of the church or in our own hearts.

They believed believers must always return to Scripture to see how further change and growth are needed. The Reformation was not a one time event, but a continual process of being refined and purified by God’s Word. If the Puritans were right, and they surely were, then the Reformation cannot be over. It remains a living project, calling the church in every generation to be shaped and sanctified by Scripture.

Why It Still Matters

This is why the central principles of the Reformation remain vital. Justification by faith alone is not a settled issue that can be filed away as history. It is the heart of the gospel, the very truth by which the church stands or falls. As long as the gospel matters, the Reformation matters.

To be faithful, the church must continue the Reformers’ task, letting God’s Word confront us, purify us, and reform us. The work is not finished, because the Word of God is always at work.

This article is part of our Always Reforming: Fidelity to God’s Word in Every Generation series visit the page at Servants of Grace or for more content at our YouTube.

This article was originally published at Crossway and is posted here with permission.