Reformed Theology
The Rev. Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Theology is the study of God. Reformed Theology is the view of God recovered by the 16th century Reformers such as Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and Knox. Upon a closer look Reformed Theology is simply biblical theology. That is, Reformed Theology is the study of God as He has revealed Himself in His word. Reformed Theologians see the truth of God’s sovereignty in every aspect of life. A significant aspect of this perspective concerns salvation. God saves men by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for His glory alone. Notice the repetition of the word “alone”. Men are born dead in sin. God alone acts to save those whom He has chosen.
There are many biblical texts that point out this obvious, yet revealed, fact. One such revelation is recorded by the Prophet Daniel in the book that bears his name. The passage is Daniel 4:34-35:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”
These are the words of king Nebuchadnezzar who thought that he was a god, and everyone and everything was subservient to him. God drove him insane but restored him after Daniel’s prophesied period. This great king was brought to his knees by the sovereign God!
As a pastor of a church, a member congregation in a Reformed denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, I am often asked by visitors what is Reformed Theology? Why are we so adamant in describing ourselves as reformed? My response, as stated above, is Reformed Theology is biblical theology recovered by the Protestant Reformers. Reformed Theology is grounded in the absolute sovereignty of God. We are adamant about our name because we are adamant in teaching, preaching, and living the truth revealed by the God who humbled the great king Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar learned this truth the hard way. God humbled this man who was full of pride. God caused him to live like a wild animal. His appearance changed. Daniel described the king with these words, “He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Daniel 4:33).
We can choose to believe whatever we want to believe, but we are not free to define God in our own image or comfort. God has revealed Himself, and one fundamental attribute of God is His sovereignty. Sovereignty means rule. When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we are referring to His absolute rule of all His creation.
You may be thinking, “Doesn’t every church believe that God is sovereign?” You’re right. Every church that professes belief in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ also believes in the sovereignty of God. So then, what’s this “Reformed Theology” all about? Those who claim to be reformed in faith and practice look at every aspect of life through the lens of the sovereign character of God.
We worship the God who breaks into the life of a man causing him to see the truth of life in Jesus. We do not have the ability within us to believe in God’s only begotten Son, Jesus. God must raise us from spiritual death to spiritual life to see the Kingdom. Only a sovereign God can promise that nothing will ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39), and being the sovereign God, He always keeps His word.
In fact, I can’t think of anything in life that doesn’t depend upon the sovereign God. The Prophet Jeremiah was in mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem. He wrote, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come” (Lamentations 3:37-38)? Jeremiah declared that God ordains everything that happens!
I can hear the skeptics saying, “If the sovereign God ordains everything then what’s the point of doing anything?” God did not create robots. God’s sovereignty does not contradict our wills. Every single human being will do whatever he desires. God holds us accountable for what we do. But God’s will is above man’s will. He acts without any encumbrances. Whatever He wills is done.
God’s rule is absolute and inclusive. The fact that all men do not submit to God’s rule does not nullify it. There will come a time when God’s sovereign rule will be seen. When Jesus — the sovereign King — returns, every creature will submit to Him. Until then the visible rule of God is seen in the church. Reformed theology affirms that the church is the visible kingdom of God. This is the God we worship, praise, adore, and rely upon!
