What is a Reformed Church?

Thankfully, over the past few decades, the Reformed faith has been making a comeback in the religious world. Many young evangelicals today are embracing Reformed theology, to the extent that Time magazine has ranked it number three on its list of ten ideas that are changing the world. (2009)

* But what is a Reformed Church? Or – What are the vital elements that make a church Reformed?

Of course Reformed churches are those that have their roots in the Protestant Reformation – therefore in the Five Solas of the Reformation. Scripture alone, Christ alone, Grace alone, Faith alone, to the glory of God alone.

1. A Reformed church believes that the Bible is the very word of God. We believe in the divine inspiration of Scripture. Scripture, being God’s own Word, is the perfect or infallible rule of faith and practice. We hold to – Sola Scriptura – that Scripture Alone is divinely authoritative in the church. By what means do we determine the faith and practice of the church? The Bible alone is the standard by which the church is ruled. The Bible is sufficient for life and godliness, therefore we need not look for any new special revelations of the Spirit. 

2. A Reformed Church believes that salvation is accomplished by Christ alone and therefore is found in Christ alone, apart from human works or merit. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification.

Heidelberg Catechism Q29: Why is the Son of God called "Jesus," that is, Savior?

A29: Because He saves us from our sins, and because salvation is not to be sought or found in any other.

Westminster Shorter Catechism Q21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?

A21: The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever.

3. A Reformed Church believes that we are saved by Christ by grace alone. We believe in the depravity of man which means that God owes us nothing except judgment. Anything else is grace – a free gift. God was not obligated to save one sinner. That he chose to do so is due only to his free and sovereign grace. As Scripture says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” That leads to the next sola – sola fide, or faith alone.

4. A Reformed Church believes that we are saved or justified through the instrument of faith only. What must I do to receive what Christ accomplished on the cross? We receive the benefits of Christ’s redemption by faith alone.

SC, Q30: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A30: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

5. A Reformed Church acknowledges that God alone deserves the glory for our salvation. Romans 11:36 says, ‘to Him be the glory forever! Amen.’ These words follow naturally from the preceding words, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.” We agree with Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory.”

Besides these Five Solas, what else marks a Reformed Church? Besides the Five Solas, we would agree with what is commonly called the Five Points of Calvinism.

6. A Reformed Church holds to the Five points of Calvinism, better known as TULIP.

Total Depravity – we are sinful, lost and incapable of saving ourselves.

Unconditional Election – God chooses his elect for his own reasons and for nothing in us.

Limited Atonement – Christ died particularly for the sins of the elect.

Irresistible Grace – When God calls by His Spirit, His elect come to Christ.

Perseverance of the Saints – We cannot lose salvation, but by grace will persevere to the end and be eternally saved.

Of course the Reformed Faith is not limited to the Five Solas or the Five Points.

7. A Reformed Church is God-centered. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” We exist for His pleasure. He created us, sustains us and has redeemed us. Our purpose is to “glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Reformed churches typically do not focus on the “felt-needs” of man. We understand that if our focus is on God, and if we seek first His kingdom, all our needs will be met. This is the pattern we find in the Lord’s Prayer. We are God-centered in that we believe in the sovereignty of God over all things. He has “foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” This includes the salvation of souls. Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Mt 16:18) We do not have to resort to man-centered, manipulative methods in order for people to be saved and join the church. We rely on the sovereign God, who works when and where He pleases. If we are not consciously God-centered, we will become self-centered.

8. A Reformed Church emphasizes the “ordinary means of grace” in its ministry. The ordinary means of grace are simply the ways and means God has given us in Scripture for the health and growth of the church, especially the preaching of the word, prayer and the right administration of the sacraments. We are called to a faithful use of the God-ordained means of grace, and not to innovation or invention of our own means.

Ligon Duncan writes:

In sum, there are basically three views of Gospel ministry. There are those who think that effective cultural engagement requires an updating of the message. There are those who think that effective ministry requires an updating of our methods. And there are those who think that effective ministry begins with a pre-commitment to God’s message and methods, set forth in His Word.

Thus, liberalism said that the Gospel won’t work unless the message is changed. Modern evangelicalism (and not just in its “seeker-sensitive” and postmodern permutations) has often said that the Gospel won’t work unless our methods are changed. But those committed to an “ordinary means” approach to church life and ministry say the Gospel works, and God has given us both the method and the message.

9. A Reformed Church is committed to worshiping God on His terms as prescribed in Scripture. We must not “worship Him in any other way than He has commanded us in His Word.” (Heidelberg Catechism) “But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will.” (Westminster Confession of Faith) This is called the “regulative principle of worship.” In John 4:23-24 Jesus said, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Reformed worship, therefore, is plain and simple. Unlike the largely external worship of the Old Covenant, our worship is more spiritual and inward, though we still observe one day in seven as a Sabbath to the Lord. Our motto is found in Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

10. A Reformed Church is committed to upholding the moral Law of God as summarized in the 10 Commandments. The law serves three purposes: 1) To show us our sin, and therefore our need of a Savior, 2) As a restraint on evil in society, and 3) As a guide for the Christian, to show us how to please the Father. The law leads us to Christ and Christ leads us back to the law as a guide to demonstrate our love for Him. We must not compromise the moral law as other churches are doing in the area of marriage and sexuality. The moral law is God’s perfect rule of righteousness. “The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof.” (WCF) We stand against antinomianism, which weakens, rejects and distorts the law of God.

11. A Reformed Church holds to Covenant Theology. The Westminster Confession of Faith identifies two covenants:We understand that throughout the Bible God always relates to man by way of covenant. We see that the idea of covenant is the common thread that unites all of Scripture. The Scripture refers to two main covenants, what we call the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. The covenant of works was broken by Adam and as his descendents we are all covenant breakers. The WCF says “Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ.” There were various forms of the covenant of grace throughout the OT, which all signified Christ to come, and culminated in the New Covenant established through Christ’s shed blood on the cross. There is one church of the ages, which has existed both in the age of promise (the Old Testament) and in the age of fulfillment (the New Testament).

12. A Reformed Church seeks to apply a biblical world and life view to all areas of life. Because our Reformed faith teaches us that Jesus Christ is king of the whole world and over every area of life, reformed Christians therefore seek to subject the entire created order to the lordship of Christ. We see all of life from God’s perspective and we serve Christ in all areas of life. All of life is sacred.

13. A Reformed Church holds to the biblical view of marriage and family. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman for life. Husbands and wives have unique biblical roles to fulfill in the bond of marriage. Parents, especially Fathers, are to bring up their children in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Reformed churches have therefore placed an emphasis upon Fathers leading in family worship in the home as well as the teaching that takes place throughout the ordinary course of life.

14. A Reformed Church holds to a Presbyterian form of government. The church is ruled by elders, who serve as God’s representatives. They are to shepherd the flock of God. Deacons assist the elders and serve in practical ways for the good of the church. Church discipline is practiced. Discipline is seen as one of the vital marks of the church. Without it, a church cannot be faithful to Christ.

15. A Reformed Church believes in Evangelism as the duty of the whole church.
Evangelism occurs through the teaching and preaching of the Word on the Lord’s Day and through all of our teaching ministries. All believers are engaged in sharing the gospel with those outside the church. Reformed churches have always been involved in sending foreign missionaries and supporting them in their work.

16. A Reformed Church is confessional. That is, we have a written confession of what we believe. Because of the sinfulness and deceitfulness of the human heart, all believers and churches have a propensity to drift from the truth of God’s Word. To guard against this, we believe it is necessary to hold to an open and written confession of the doctrines which we believe are given to us through the Holy Scriptures. All man-made statements of faith posses no authority in and of themselves, only to the degree which they reflect the truths revealed in Scripture. The statement of faith which we hold to as a community of believers is the Westminster Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Ongoing Conflict in the Believer

This is a sermon I preached back in 2001 on Romans 7:14-25. It deals with the question of who Paul is talking about here - believers or unbelievers?
Ongoing Conflict in the Believer

What to say if you are accused of bibliolatry.....

Those who hold to the inerrancy of Scripture are sometimes accused of bibliolatry - of worshiping a book. Here's a good reply from J. I. Packer that answers this objection.

But, it is objected, does not the Christian stand directly under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is not Jesus Christ Lord also of the Scriptures? And if so, how can the Christian be said to be bound to the authority of the Bible?

The answer is very simple. The antithesis is a false one. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Scriptures in the same sense in which any absolute monarch is Lord of the laws and proclamations which he sees fit to issue for the government of his subjects. The ruler's laws carry his personal authority, and the measure of one's loyalty to him is the consistency of one's observance of them.

But Holy Scripture...is Christ's instrument of government: it comes to us, so to speak, from His hand, and with His seal upon it, for He Himself commended the Old Testament to us as having His Father's authority, and He Himself authorized and empowered the apostles to speak in His name, by His Spirit and with His own authority. So the way to bow to the authority of Jesus Christ is precisely by bowing to the authority of the inspired Scriptures.
('God Has Spoken', J.I.Packer, pp.96-97)

see also - http://www.aletheia.org.uk/sole-authority-in-all-matters-of-faith-and-practice.php

Shorter Catechism Question # 4

Q4: What is God?

A4: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.


Question 3 says that there are two major headings in the teaching of the Bible:

1) What man is to believe concerning God.
2) What duty God requires of man.

Question 4 is the first in a series of questions that addresses “what man is to believe concerning God.”

1. The first truth we must know about God is that “God is.”

“In the beginning God…” ~ Genesis 1:1
“He who comes to God must believe that He is.” ~ Heb 11:6
And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" ~ Exodus 3:14

2. The existence of God is known by all men innately, though this knowledge is suppressed on account of sin. Creation, providence and conscience all testify that God exists, but we rebel against this truth. All men “are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.” ~ Romans 1:20-21

3. Though God is revealed to all men in creation, providence and conscience, both the Scriptures and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit are necessary for man to have saving knowledge of God and detailed knowledge of His character.

4. God is revealed most clearly in His Son. We must go to the Scriptures to learn of the Son.

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” ~ John 1:18
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” ~ John 5:39

5. “God is a Spirit.” Therefore, we must not conceive of any images of God in our minds or form any visible representation of Him. (Deuteronomy 4:15-16) Since God is a Spirit, we must worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” ~ John 4:24

6. We were created to know God. We must study the Scriptures and learn of the names and the attributes of God in order to know Him well. We must know Him well if we would love Him and worship Him as He deserves.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” ~ John 17:3
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” ~ 1 Chronicles 28:9

The Shorter Catechism - Q # 3

Q3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A3: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

1. The Shorter Catechism is divided into these two main headings. Questions 4-38 contain a summary of what the Bible teaches us to believe concerning God. Questions 39-107 contain a summary of what the duty God requires of man.
2. Whatever the Scriptures teach, we must accept upon the authority of God Himself, since the Scriptures are His inspired, inerrant and infallible Word.

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:13

3. The two main headings in the teaching of Scripture are “faith and practice” or “doctrine and duty.” Faith, or more properly Christ, is the foundation for duty and not the other way around.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” ~ Titus 3:8

4. Sound doctrine, or theology, is absolutely essential for the Christian to know. We must know the Lord and His covenant of grace before we are fit to serve Him. Those pastors and churches today who disparage and sneer at the study of sound doctrine are in opposition to Scripture.

“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:13

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.” ~ 2 Timothy 4:3

5. Without true faith in Jesus Christ, our good works are only filthy rags and do not please God in the least. Without faith, our works are “dead works.”

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” ~ Hebrews 9:14

“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” ~ Isaiah 64:6

6. Scripture alone prescribes the duty of the believer. Our conscience cannot be bound by the commandments of men.

“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” ~ Matthew15:9

7. True faith is seen or proven by one’s obedience. Faith without works is dead. Works without faith are dead. Faith in Christ comes first, then works will follow. (i.e. only what is done according to God’s command)

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” ~ Ephesians 2:10

8. If we truly love God, and are thankful for His mercy in Christ, we will keep His commandments.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” ~1 John 5:3

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” ~ John 14:15

The Shorter Catechism - Q # 2

Q2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?

A2: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.

1. Why do we need a rule to direct us in glorifying God? Because as sinners we are ignorant of His will and His ways. General revelation is not enough – we need the special revelation of Scripture.

Ephesians 4:18 “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

Romans 1:21 “although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Psalms 119:130 "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

2. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the “Word of God.” They are God-breathed, therefore infallible, inerrant and authoritative. When the Catechism says that the Word of God is “Contained in the Scriptures”, it simply means that every word in the Bible is the Word of God. The Scriptures are the only place the Word of God is found today, “those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.” (WCF)

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

2 Peter 1:21 “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

3. All doctrine and practice must be judged by the Scriptures.

Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

4. “All synods or councils”, such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, “may err; and many have erred. Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith, or practice; but to be used as a help in both.”
The “Bible alone” or “Sola Scriptura” is a foundational teaching that was recovered by the Protestant Reformers. Holy Scripture alone is our infallible authority for all matters of faith and practice.

5. Why are the Scriptures said to be the “only rule” to show us how to glorify God? Because only God can show us how he himself wants to be glorified. Anything else is “will worship.” God must teach us how to glorify Him.

Psalms 86:11 “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Mark 7:7 “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

The Shorter Catechism - Q # 1

Question 1: What is the chief end of man?
Answer 1: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.

A couple of thoughts -
1. Our chief end ought to be the glory of God, because it is God's chief end in creating, preserving and redeeming us. Proverbs 16:4 says, "The LORD has made all for Himself." 1Cor. 6:19, 20 "You are not your own; for you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

2. We are commanded plainly in Scripture to seek God's glory in all that we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

3. On account of sin, we fail to give God the glory due His name. Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

4. As sinners, we begin to glorify God only when we repent and trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please him."

5. Having believed in Christ alone for eternal life, our faith "works through love." Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) We glorify God by obeying His commands. There is no other way to do so.

6. Just as God made us for His own glory, He also created us to enjoy fellowship with Him. How do we begin to enjoy God? We enjoy Him only as we glorify Him. When we aim at His glory, we find our happiness in Him.

7. As Scottish preacher James Fisher said, we enjoy God especially "In all the ordinances of his worship, public, private and secret; such as the word read and heard, the sacraments, prayer, meditation, fasting, thanksgiving, and the like."

8. Since God is eternal and has also given eternal life to His children, we will enjoy Him forever. The best is yet to come! It is the presence of God that will be the joy of heaven.

"Thou God seest me."

“And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, ‘Thou God seest me.’” (Genesis 3:16) These words were spoken to Hagar, who had just been banished from Abraham’s household. She went out into the desert, pregnant and vulnerable, not knowing the Lord. John Calvin said that “Hagar, who had before been of a wild and intractable temper, begins now at length to acknowledge the providence of God.” At that moment she realized that God’s eye was on her wherever she was and that He saw all that she did. The author of Hebrews says, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) The unbeliever who is constantly on the run from God needs to realize how futile it is to try and hide from the all-seeing eyes of God. David said, in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” His own answer was, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” If you are reading this and you are uncertain of your relationship with God, then now is the time to repent – to turn around and instead of running away from God, run to Him. Jesus said, in Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In John 6:37 He said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Why not turn to God and put your faith in Jesus Christ and be saved today? There is no better time than the present to settle the matter between your soul and God. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” – today. ( for more information read the following very helpful message - Two Ways to Live )

If you are a believer in Christ, then take heart – the presence of God is with you wherever you go and in whatever circumstances you are in. His eyes are on you at all times and He is working all things together for your good. Being constantly aware of the presence of God is a great encouragement to believers as we go through difficult times. The awareness of God’s presence is also a helpful reminder to us when we are being tempted. We will live a holy life when we understand that His eyes are always on us. “Thou God seest me.” Take this thought with you throughout the coming year and you just may experience renewal in your relationship with the Lord.