Pilgrim Soldier

“The renewal of the Church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount. It is high time people banded together to do this.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I’m not even sure where I saw this quote now, but I was struck by the different emphasis that Bonhoeffer places on how renewal will come to the Church. Now, I believe that the source of true renewal in the Church is the Holy Spirit, but this quote made me think the signs that should be seen in the life of believers.

True renewal within the Church is not simply about the signs and wonders that are often trumpeted as the proof of revival, although these are part and parcel of it. Instead, true renewal should bring about significant changes in the lifestyle of of the individual believer. If the signs and wonders experienced by people don’t result in a commitment to the teaching of Christ that is deeper than what has gone before then surely they have no real meaning.