Reformed Theology

Okay, I promised to make a post explaining what Reformed Theology since I am primarily looking at reformed seminaries and Reformed Theology isn't exactly something you use in regular conversation.

I didn't know what Reformed Theology was until I started attending Christ Community Church in Wilmington, NC three years ago.  I was initially attracted to the church by the high emphasis on teaching from the Bible.  I had never been to a church where the preacher took the text and literally just explained line by line what the Bible was saying.  It was so refreshing to hear the Bible preached instead of some man's life thoughts with scripture mixed in.  This is a characteristic common in Reformed Theology.  I will try to explain concisely, and will borrow heavily from Reformed Theological Seminary's article found here.

Reformed Theology (RT) is rooted in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.  Many believers in the church protested against some false teachings and unethical practices.  Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin and other reformers lead the movement back to the true gospel found in the Bible alone.

The central commitment that came out of the reformation can be summarized in the three doctrines of Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, and Sola Fide.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) "expresses [Reformed Theology's] strong commitment to the unquestionable authority of the Bible. The early Reformers saw many errors in the church of their day. Many of these false teachings stemmed from a denial of biblical authority. The outlooks of human leaders in the church had risen to a level of authority equal to the Word of God. These human traditions led the church away from truth, and Protestants countered these false views by affirming the unique and supreme authority of the Bible."

"We believe it is very important to reaffirm the Bible as the final authority for God's people. In many circles, the place of Scripture has been usurped by human traditions once again. Modern science, philosophy, and popular opinion have led many to deny the authority of Scripture. In response to these current problems, [Reformed Theology] affirms with the Reformers that the Bible is the only unquestionable authority. The apostle Paul told Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16). In line with this apostolic witness, we affirm that the original manuscripts of the Bible are the inspired Word of God, without error. They stand as the final judge of truth in all areas of life. We have but one unquestionable rule of faith and life - the Scriptures."


Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) "declares the Reformers' belief that the entirety of salvation is God's gracious gift through Christ. The Reformers encountered the false teaching that human beings could contribute to their own salvation. Believers were taught that they had to add their own merit to the work of Christ in order to receive eternal life. In response to this view, the Reformers insisted that salvation is by grace alone. As the Scripture teaches, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). We are without any hope in ourselves; redemption is a gift freely given by God through grace alone."


"In our day, we need to hear this message of grace as never before. Many seminaries today teach that redemption is a mixture of divine help and human effort. Some schools teach their students a social gospel: deeds of kindness and charity will bring us salvation. Others teach that God's gracious favor is found through a system of legalism: do this... don't do that. In one way or another, good moral living becomes a way for us to earn God's grace and contribute to our own salvation.  [Reformed Theology] is committed to resisting any idea that diminishes the wonder of God's grace in salvation. The apostle Paul tells us that the eternal promises of God belong to those who "put no hope in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). We will not turn away from complete reliance on God in order to put hope in human strength. We look to Christ, and Christ alone, to overcome the ravages of sin in our lives and in the world."

"There isn't one of us who is not in need of a lot of patience and mercy - both human and divine. God stooped low, really low, to scoop us up. He went to immeasurable lengths to give and forgive. How then can we not respond with grace toward the others in our seminary community? Indeed, freely we have received; freely we must give (Matt. 10:8)."


"[Reformed Theology teaches] that biblical obedience comes as a response to God's grace, not as a prerequisite for receiving it. We are to be motivated by love for God and gratitude for all He has done. We have no greater honor than to submit ourselves fully to the commands of a good God and let Him conform us to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). At the same time, we avoid all forms of legalism that insist on life habits which go beyond the teachings of Scripture. Instead, we promote Christian liberty and affirm the dignity of the believer's conscience in applying the incontrovertible truths of Scripture. [Reformed Theology] stands with the Reformers and relentlessly affirms that we are saved by grace alone."

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) "teaches that justification before God is a one-time event that takes place through faith alone. The early Reformers protested against a church that believed the people's eternal standing before God varied moment by moment. No one could be confident of eternal salvation. Doing good gained the favor of God; doing evil earned His anger. In response, the Protestants reaffirmed the biblical perspective: "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). In assuring believers of their unchangeable status with God, Paul goes on to say, "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Rom. 8: 33-34). Everyone who trusts in Christ by faith for salvation receives immediate and full forgiveness of all their sins. God's declaration of righteousness is the complete and final verdict for all who have genuine faith in the Savior."

Theological Convictions

Out of these central commitments was born a theology, or understanding of God and the Bible, somewhat homogeneous throughout the early Reformers.  Basically, it is the interpretation of Scripture born out of looking at the Bible with those three commitments in mind that can be characterized by the following tenets:


1. Total Depravity:
"We stress the pervasive corruption of sin. Sin reaches every aspect of human personality and leaves no nook or cranny untainted. The prophet Jeremiah writes, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). For this reason, all people are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1) and unable, apart from the inward stirrings of the Holy Spirit, to respond in faith to the offer of the Gospel. We must depend on a sovereign act of God to break the grip of sin."
2. Unconditional Election:
"We believe that the eternal, unconditional love of God for us is the ultimate basis of our salvation. Believers do not establish their own redemption; they utterly depend on God's sovereign, everlasting love in Christ as the ground of their salvation. As Paul wrote, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy" (Rom. 9:16)."
3. Particular Redemption:
"We emphasize that Christ's atoning death did not simply make salvation possible. Rather, His sacrifice on the cross completely accomplished the salvation of believers. Christ died for "His sheep" (John 10: 11, 15), "His Church" (Acts 20:28), and "His people" (Matt. 1:21) to give them eternal life. God sovereignly ordained Christ's death as the full payment for our sins. Thus, it fully satisfied the judgment of God for those who believe."
4. Irresistible Grace:
"We recognize that salvation comes to sinful people because the Holy Spirit sovereignly changes their rebellious hearts. He gives them the spiritual ears with which to hear the call of God. The sheep hear the voice of Christ, are known by Him, and follow Him (Jn. 10:27). We depend on His powerful grace to transform us into new creations and to draw us to our Savior."
5. Perseverance of the Saints:
"We stress that God's power will keep true believers in Christ to the end. While we recognize our responsibility to "work out our salvation" with great seriousness (Phil. 2:12), we also affirm that it is God who is at work within us both "to will and to do His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Thus, we persevere in faith with the assurance of eternal life because God sovereignly works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28)."

Several of these points are often difficult to accept and I and many others admit that they raise more questions than give answers, but they have been arrived at by looking at the Scriptures alone to allow God to speak clearly without human emotion affecting His revelation.  This is not to say that these aren't fallible.  Reformed Theology is not the Bible itself, and therefore is subject to the corruption of our broken nature.

One of my favorite things about the Reformed tradition is that the Reformer's believed that we should truly be always reforming...there's a sense in that we are always looking ahead to our hope of Christ's return and glorification of our bodies where sin will no longer exist and we will live in perfect union with our God.  Until that day, we must remember we have not arrived.  In order to stay committed to the Scriptures we must always be looking at our lives through the lens of Scripture to see where we may grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Most High.

No theological position is perfect (that doesn't mean there aren't some you should completely stay away from), but I hold to Reformed Theology because of its emphasis on the authority of God's Word over man's opinion.  If I really believe that Jesus Christ was sent as God in the flesh to die for my sins, and that I have received the benefits of His work, AND that the very disciples Jesus taught for 3 years did not quite understand what He was doing, then I cannot be confident in any explanation of who God is outside of the inspired Holy Scriptures.

And that is my not so concise nor complete explanation of Reformed Theology.  Feel free to contact me with any questions I've raised.

Recommended Reading:

-Knowing God, by J.I. Packer
A great concise explanation from Scripture of God, man, and salvation for everyday reading.  This is the first book I read that explained the Scriptures from a Reformed perspective.  Excellent read to help you understand God and His Word.

-What is Reformed Theology?, by R.C. Sproul
The best read if you really want to understand the what and why of Reformed Theology.  Sproul has been a leading teacher within the Reformed Tradition for many years.


-The Pleasures of God, by John Piper
An exciting read.  Piper is a leading pastor within the Reformed Tradition and an excellent communicator of how to enjoy God and in doing so glorify Him.