REFORMED FAITH

Our Reformed Roots
We call ourselves Reformed because our theology is rooted in the Protestant Reformation. In the 16th century, many believers protested against false teachings in the church and returned to the true gospel under the leadership of Reformers such as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. The term'Reformed' was associated primarily with Calvin's work in the church of Geneva, but all Protestant Reformers held certain cardinal views in common. These basic commitments of Reformed theology can be summarized in three basic doctrines: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, and Sola Fide.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) expresses our 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, we affirm 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 alone. 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 churches today teach that redemption is a mixture of divine help and human effort. Some churches teach their members 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. Still others teach that faith originates in man, that it is rooted in a sinner's initiative, rather than in God's initiative to draw a sinner to himself. They believe that in one way or another, our works (even the working of our faith!) become a way for us to earn God's grace and contribute to our own salvation.

We are committed to resisting these and any other ideas 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). Hence, we are committed to keeping the Bible's message of grace central to our preaching and teaching. 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.

We also teach the importance of letting grace saturate our community. 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 others in our city? Indeed, freely we have received; freely we must give (Matt. 10:8).

We teach 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 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.

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) teaches that justification before God is a once and for all event that takes place through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. The early Reformers protested against a church that believed that 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.

All around us people believe their eternal destinies hang in the balance of each day's activities. We, however, serve Christ out of the confidence that God has forgiven us of our sins, and credited to our account the righteousness of Christ. When men and women place their faith in Christ, they are set afire to serve God with a bold assurance, not out of fear and dread. This confidence in our justification by faith alone then equips us to bring the gospel of Christ to our lost and dying world.

Our Reformed Theology
We also call ourselves Reformed because we affirm the theology that grew out of the Reformation. The contours of this body of doctrine are conveniently outlined in The Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, as well as in The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.

The centrality of God.
We can only know ourselves as we truly are in the light of the knowledge of God. We can only recognize ourselves when the supreme majesty and transcendent holiness of the living God confront us as he makes himself known to us in his word by his Spirit. Thereby we are made aware of our sin and wretchedness, of the corruption that pervades our entire being. Our deep-rooted alienation from God is floodlit by the greatness of God. And our true identity is that we are made in his image.

Salvation is entirely a work of God.
Because of the pervasive impact of sin we stand under the condemnation of God, unable to change our status or condition. The end of our alienation from God and the restoration of his image in us are solely his work. Its origin is in God's eternal purpose. He has chosen a people for himself in Christ before the foundation of the world. God¹s choice is made without any regard to anything intrinsic in humans. Christ's incarnation and atonement saves his people from all their sins. This salvation becomes ours in time as we believe the gospel and turn from all that we might center our lives on. The faith to trust Christ and turn from ourselves is a gift from God. The Spirit not only brings us to Christ but also keeps us there.

All of life is to be subject to God.
The very purpose of redemption is to restore what humanity has lost through it alienation from God and his purposes for human life. All of life is to be lived boldly as a pursuit of God's glory and the development of all the rich potential of the creation. The gospel calls to us to return to the task of culture building. In doing so we value every human endeavor and cherish every occupation as ways in which we can bring glory to God by serving him and our fellow human beings.

Christ is the center of our faith.
It is in Christ that we know God most fully. In him we see the true character of God, and God's intense desire to redeem humans. He alone is the mediator through whom we can draw near to God. He reveals what it means to be fully human. We have not understood any passage of the scripture aright until we can see how it points us to Christ and proclaims the gospel to us. We proclaim God's sovereign grace as the only hope for a lost and dying world.

Our Reformed Hope
We admire the early Protestant Reformers for what they did; we stand with them as heralds of the Reformed faith. They had the wisdom and courage to formulate biblical truth amid much opposition. Alongside their powerful convictions, however, they also had the humility to state repeatedly, "The Reformed Church is always reforming." Like the Reformers, we must face the challenges of our day with conviction and humility. We must always look for new ways to apply the timeless truths of Scripture to our own generation. With an innovative and pioneering spirit we must engage the world of the twenty-first century just as the Reformers engaged the world in the sixteenth century. We believe that the best way for the church to do this today is to sink our roots into the great truths of the Protestant Reformation. We also call ourselves Reformed because of our hope for the future. All believers look forward to that great day when Jesus will return in glory. We share this vision with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, throughout the centuries the Reformed branch of the church has sought ways to bring the gospel to all areas of life.

Our Reformed Hope motivates us to expand the Kingdom in two ways. First, we long to bring the gospel to men and women in Atlanta and all over the world. We want to reach every segment of society with the good news of Christ's saving work. Our hope is to see God's Kingdom advance as sinners, hear the gospel proclaimed and embrace it. Second, our Reformed Hope looks beyond preaching and the building of the church. We believe that the Lordship of Christ extends to all areas of life. Christ is Lord not only of the church; he is supreme over the family, the arts and sciences, and human society at large. For this reason, we do not withdraw from the world. Rather we seek to bring the Word of God to bear on every dimension of human culture. We believe we are to take every thought--theological, philosophical, historic, scientific, artistic, political, etc.--captive and make it obedient to Christ under the guidance of Scripture (2 Cor. 10:4). As the gospel spreads, believers are to transform their cultures to the honor and glory of God. We are the bearers of God's image. We are to fill the earth, every aspect of the earth, with the knowledge of God our Creator and Redeemer, and thus fulfill the mandate given to Adam and Eve so long ago (Gen. 1:27-28). Lots of people wonder why we call ourselves "Reformed." We have touched on the basic commitments that underline this name. Now we hope you will learn more about our Reformed roots, theology, and hope. They have much to offer to all Christians as they prepare to serve Christ and his church.

[Adapted from a brochure by Richard Pratt entitled "What Is Reformed about Reformed Theological Seminary?"]