“First we declare that for the rule of our faith and religion, we wish to follow the Scripture alone, without mixing with it any other thing which might be fabricated by the interpretation of men apart from the Word of God.”
So as that is the case, we must therefore ask the question: what is Reformed theology? What does it teach? Well, there are several aspects and dimensions to Reformed theology. First of all, there is historic Calvinism, or predestinarian teaching. Second, there is a focus upon the centrality of Christ’s work. Third, Reformed theology is covenantal. Fourth, Reformed theology is confessional.
First of all, there is Calvinism, or predestinarian teaching. What we mean by “Calvinism” is simply holding to the doctrines of grace, or the belief that God sovereignly ordains man’s salvation from beginning to end and is the Author and Designer of salvation. God determines who receives salvation, not man. It is the will of God, not man’s will, that determines who is saved. As Romans 9:16 states, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Rom 9:16 KJV) Calvinism teaches God’s sovereign ordination of all things. As the Westminster Confession states,
“God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.” (3.1)
God is sovereign over all.
But second, Reformed theology teaches more than just Calvinism. It teaches the centrality of the work of Jesus Christ. And this is seen clearly in justification, where God justifies us solely upon the basis of Christ’s righteousness. We are justified upon the basis of what Christ has done for us, not upon the basis of our own works. We are justified by faith alone upon the finished work of Christ alone. As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom 4:4-5 KJV) We are justified upon the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ alone.
And we receive this as we are united to Jesus Christ. The Christian faith teaches that we are united to Christ and given every manner of blessing in Him. Romans 6:4-6 states that we are united to Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. We therefore receive the benefits of that death and resurrection life. Through union with Christ, we have the benefits of salvation of what Jesus has done for us. Everything that Christ did, He did for us, and we receive these things through union with Christ. As John Calvin states in his Romans commentary on 8:4, “Christ communicates His righteousness to none but to those whom he joins to himself by the bond of His Spirit.” In other words, the blessings of righteousness come to us through union with Christ.
And the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished this salvation through His mediatorial office as the Prophet, Priest, and King of the church. Reformed theology emphasizes the role of Christ as the “one Mediator between God and man.” (I Timothy 2:5) As the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 8 states,
“It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom he did from all eternity give a people, to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.” (8.1)
It is through the work of Jesus Christ alone that our salvation is accomplished. Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man, and it is only through His mediatorial work that we receive salvation. Christ’s work as the Prophet, Priest, and King of the Church makes our salvation secure and certain.
And then thirdly, Reformed theology is Covenant Theology. Reformed theology recognizes the covenantal structure of Scripture, and the fact that God has been pleased to condescend to His people by way of covenant. Scripture clearly teaches that God has revealed Himself to His people through covenants. And there are chiefly two of these: First, there is the Covenant of Works, or the Covenant of Life, which God made with Adam in the Garden. In this covenant, God promised to give man a reward for His obedience: “Do this and live.” But man sinned and fell, and so God instituted another covenant with man: a Covenant of Grace, in which man does not trust in his own works for salvation, but in the work of another on his behalf: namely, Jesus Christ the Mediator. This covenant of grace is characterized by God’s precious promise: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12; Hebrews 8:10) This is the heart of how God relates to His people: through the covenant.
And then fourthly and finally, Reformed theology is confessional. Reformed theologians have repeatedly confessed what they believe to be the teaching of Scripture. As Reformed theology is based upon Scripture alone, Reformed theologians have developed summaries of what Scripture teaches. These summaries take the form of confessional statements. These statements are not meant to supplant Scripture as the rule of faith but are instead meant to reflect the teaching of Scripture faithfully. The most prominent confessional statements are the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms and its derivatives, the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, and the Savoy Declaration.
The point of all of this is to communicate the nature of Classic Reformed Theology. Classic Reformed Theology is most faithful unto the teaching of Scripture. Scripture has so many great and glorious truths to teach us about our Triune God, about Christ, about the salvation which Jesus has won for us, and about everything necessary for life and godliness. It is therefore our great privilege to explore these things at Viator Christian Ministries. We hope that you will join us as we go deeper into Scripture to more fully know our Lord and God!
