ReformedRev's View of the Christian Faith

As a Reformed believer I hold this view; the final authority for my faith is the Bible--known as the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God.  As the Apostle Paul shares in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

As a Reformed believer I believe that God is three in one--God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. These persons of the trinity are one in essence, essential in nature, in purpose, and in agreement. In other words God is only one being, not three. There is only one God! Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

As a Reformed believer I hold a Reformed perspective regarding the work of Jesus Christ, seeing it as the centered of our understanding of the love and justice of God toward us. It is here we experience his atoning work, see John 3:16 and Romans 3:25. Through his death Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins. He died as a propitiation, to remove from us the wrath of God. In his death he reconciled us with God and redeemed us out of the bondage of sin.

As a Reformed believer I believe we are saved by the irresistible grace of God through faith alone, not by what we think or do to earn God's favor, see Ephesians 2: 1-10. Our good works don't earn our salvation, but are a way to thank God for this free gift of salvation.

As a Reformed believer I believe in the Reformed tradition of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. They remind us of God's promises and help us to claim those promises as our own. These sacraments are an outward sign of an inward act in the life of the believer.

As a Reformed believer I am confessional, which means I believe we have statements of belief, called creeds and confessions. These statements help to guide our understanding of faith and shape its practice.

As a Reformed believer I see the church as "Reformed and always reforming," seeking to know the mind of Christ as it strives to be faithful in a changing, complex, and often troubled world. The church must also be communal. “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer.       

As a Reformed believer I believe worship is corporate. Worship is not a performance with the minister as actor or actress and the congregation as the audience. God is the audience and the whole congregation is involved in the service, in prayers, songs, and offerings.

As a Reformed believer I believe worship is liturgical. The word "liturgy" means "the work of the people." Reformed worship is liturgical in the sense that our worship involves the whole people of God in the activity of worship. While traditions and styles may vary by congregation, worship is still the work of the people of God.

         As a Reformed believer I believe worship is sacramental. When we celebrate the sacraments in worship we are reminded of God’s love, his righteousness, his promises, and our faith is awakened and renewed.

RefRev