Our Need for Discipline and Leading

Now, because Christians, as long as they live here in this life, never completely divest themselves to be clothed with Christ, never completely die to themselves so that Christ lives in them entirely, but still daily err and sin in many ways, it is necessary to have in the church and congregation of Christ a constant teaching, discipline and leading—that is, a rule whereby Christians are continually prompted and led to learn to deny themselves more and abandon and dedicate themselves entirely to Christ the Lord as their Head.

Martin Bucer (1538)