The Council of Reforming Churches Pt. 3
Where do you want to go today… a mind is a terrible thing to waste… be prepared… good to the last drop… we love to fly and it shows… what‘s in your wallet… America runs on Dunkin. . . For Christ, the Church and the Truth. Are any of your favorite mottos listed above?
Motto’s can be useful tools for communicating the essence of a company, city/state or ministry. It can boil down a group’s purpose and mission into an easy to remember statement. Yet, can we realistically boil down the doctrine of Scripture into one easy to remember motto? Perhaps, perhaps not. One might say that John 3:16 comes as close to what we might call a motto for biblical faith and theology. However since it is several lines it doesn’t quite fit the modern definition for a motto.
Biblically reformed theology presents a similar challenge. It can’t easily fit into a one line statement that’s easily remember although I’ll suggest one at the end of this article.
But since we must begin someplace I’ll start with some of the main principles or tenets that grew out of the Reformation.
We’ll begin with the ‘five solas’: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, To God Be the Glory Alone. These were the substantive issues that framed the Reformation and pitted the theology of the reformers against the theology of the Roman Catholic Church. It is my view that these are still the salient theological issues of our time and are especially necessary for the church today. Moreover, these great theological themes along with the doctrines of grace must be the theology that forms the basis of our unity with other Reformed believers whether they are Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran or Pentecostal/Charismatic.
The Council of Reforming Churches is a broadly reformed fellowship of churches that among other things hold to the five solas of the reformation. Functionally, we hope to plant and renew churches that stress that Scripture and Scripture alone forms the basis of our thought, belief and practice. Scripture, not our impressions or supposed visions, dreams or new revelations dictate what we believe and how we practice our beliefs. Standing on Scripture alone means that we reject any notion that God is communicating any kind of new, authoritative truth that is in any way binding on His people. We are not called to get a ‘new word’ from God, but to be faithful to the word already given in Scripture. Biblically driven Reformed churches stress our conviction of Scripture alone by having pastors who faithfully preach through Scripture in a systematic, expository manner. They allow the themes and form of a particular passage to determine the theme and form of their sermons. Additionally, we focus on preaching through books of the Bible which gives ample opportunity to highlight God’s character and nature even as it emphasizes the centrality of the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
Emphasizing Christ Alone enables our churches to place the weight of our eternal salvation and our people’s only hope on the shoulders of our sovereign, sinless Savior Jesus Christ. Preaching Christ and His cross brings us into direct conflict with deviant, perverse unbiblical theology. For the Christ of Scripture is the historical Jesus, the eternal Son of God who was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate and was crucified, dead and buried. On the third day He physically rose from the dead with the same body in which He was buried. His sinless life, vicarious death and powerful resurrection have achieved and secured a salvation from sin for His people. He is the Head of the church and we are bound to follow His agenda, not co-opt Him into following ours. We categorically and vigorously reject any notion that salvation is primarily a deliverance from poverty, sickness or the pathway to a trouble free ‘victorious’ life. Furthermore we declare emphatically and preach intentionally that Christ and Christ alone is humanity’s only hope for a permanent right relationship with God the Father.
Scripture declares that Jesus saves His people by Grace Alone. Salvation is a work of the triune God completely. God the Father chose a people to save before the creation of the world. God the Son lived a perfect life and died a substitutionary death for those people and God the Spirit applies this great salvation to God’s people by giving them new life and bringing them to faith in the finished work of Christ, (see 2 Thes. 2:13-14). Preaching salvation by grace alone frees our churches to trust fully in the work of God’s Spirit through the proclamation of the word of God. We are thus liberated from using manmade gimmicks and techniques to assure ourselves that God is at work in the hearts of His people. Proclaiming salvation by grace alone also liberates God’s people from captivity to manipulators who deceive them into believing that there is something they can do to assure God’s favor and grace. CRC encourages churches to preach that we are rescued from God’s wrath and given a permanent right standing in Him by grace alone.
This salvation by grace alone, grounded in Christ alone is obtained by Faith alone. It doesn’t depend on our family values or the fact that we’ve been born as apart of a historically oppressed minority. Considering our present context it is important to emphasize that Biblical faith is not a special magical or supernatural force that changes our present reality. Nor is the issue how much faith we have or the quality of our faith. Biblical faith for salvation is a conviction of certain eternal realities concerning our sin, God’s holiness, Christ’s perfect work and God’s response to that work. By declaring that salvation is through faith alone we are affirming that people are justified (i.e. declared to be in a permanent right relationship with God) by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. There is nothing to be added nor is our faith a manifestation of our spiritual power, but God’s gift to us.
Finally, the Council of Reforming Churches promote and proclaim that all of life and salvation is to and for God’s glory alone. God’s glory and not our selfish quest for wealth, comfort, convenience, prestige and power is the point, aim and pursuit of our lives. Our churches highlight God’s glory alone by featuring worship services that focus on praising, adoring, reflecting on and stressing His character and nature as well as the Person, work and supremacy of Jesus Christ. Instead of appealing and catering to the interest of religious consumers we encourage churches to make active followers of Jesus Christ. These are disciples who follow our Lord through passionate worship, a diligent holy walk and consistent bold witness. Moreover, they make major and minor life decisions based on how they further the witness of the gospel. Lord willing these churches will be filled with disciples whose chief desire is to see the glory of our Lord cover our communities as the waters cover the sea.
So there it is. A part of a part of biblically reformed theology. Our theology leads with the principle of Scripture alone that’s focused on Christ alone who secured a salvation by Grace alone that is to be received by Faith Alone all for the Glory of God Alone. A motto you say…
Soli Deo Gloria.
For Christ, the Church and the Truth
Pastor Lance Lewis