Edgemont Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Why “Reformed?”
To say that a church is “reformed” likely evokes some questions, perhaps even misunderstandings.
While there were forerunners in the 14th and 15th centuries (such as John Wycliff and Jan Hus), October 31st, 1517 marks the traditional date of the Protestant Reformation’s beginning. This was the day that Martin Luther nailed a paper to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, listing 95 observations – topics that he wanted considered by the Roman Catholic Church and the academic community. These 95 “theses” as they were called, exposed theological perversions taught, and corruption routinely practiced by the church. From Luther’s action spawned much debate, some peaceful and some not so much, the result of which was a vibrant desire for the truths of God that spread throughout Europe in the 16th century. Men such as John Calvin, John Knox, and Ulrich Zwingli (to name but a few) were stalwart influences who shed light on the Bible, making it accessible and understandable to people in their own language.
The Protestant Reformation was a call to reclaim the Bible to what it has always been—that is, God’s inerrant and infallible Word, meant to teach humans about God. The cry of the Reformers, which remains our cry today, is that God’s people are to always be reforming. That word, “reformed,” should not be understood as the Bible’s changing, or some latest morphing of how it should be taught. But instead, the church uses the term reformed as it applies to our being changed by the Word of God. We are always being called to grow up—to evolve in our conformance to Jesus—to be holy (1 Peter 1:13-16).
Christians are to be reformed according to the Word of God. And that is the very essence of being reformed—allowing our thinking, our living, and our worshiping to be shaped by the Bible. And so the Protestant Reformation may have started hundreds of years ago, but its tenets are based on the Scriptures as taught by Jesus and the apostles and which still very much apply today.
A helpful summary of Reformed theology is what are known as the Five Solas:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). At the core of the Reformation was the belief that God’s Word is the ultimate authority for faith and practice.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Our salvation is not based on works, but entirely on faith.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone). We have done nothing to deserve salvation. We are saved by the grace of God and not by any of our own merits.
Solus Christus (Christ Alone). There is only one atonement for our sins that satisfies the requirements of God the Father, and that is found in His Son, Jesus.
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone). This expresses the truth that all salvation is performed by God and by His will. As such, all glory is ascribed to Him.
Essential to the Reformed faith is that we take seriously what the Bible says about sin—that it has affected our heart at the core of our being. And that God chose whom He would save based on His will. That salvation is wrought in Christ as the atoning sacrifice for those elected souls, and by such, God’s purpose to save His people will not be thwarted by human will or schemes of the devil. And that God will deliver His elect unto final glory by sovereignly preserving us in perseverance to live as we ought, which means that a person cannot lose their salvation because God is the one who upholds His children.
Edgemont Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is humbled by these truths, yet thrilled to proclaim them to the glory of God—to the glory of Jesus who is the head of the church.
If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to contact our pastor directly.