Reformed Theology

What I Mean by Reformed 02/18/09

Author: Kevin DeYoung

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What is New Reformed Theology? 12/14/08

Speakers: Mark Driscoll & Ed Stetzer

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An Introduction to the Reformed Faith

Author: John Frame

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• When asked in an interview, “Are young people becoming more sympathetic to Reformed theology?” Driscoll responded,

“The two hot theologies today are Reformed and Emerging. Reformed theology offers certainty, with a masculine God who names our sin, crushes Jesus on the Cross for it, and sends us to hell if we fail to repent. Emerging theology offers obscurity, with a neutered God who would not say an unkind word to us, did not crush Jesus for our sins, and would not send anyone to hell. I came to Reformed theology by preaching through books of the Bible such as Exodus, Romans, John, and Revelation, along with continually repenting of my sin. I am, however, a boxers, not briefs, Reformed guy. I am pretty laid back about it and not uptight and tidy like many Reformed guys.”

• In response to Outreach Magazine’s Top Multiplying Churches list, David Fairchild, lead pastor at Kaleo Church in San Diego, comments about Reformed churches topping the list, noting, “their theology is a particular kind of reformed theology, it is reformational not just reformed. This distinction is important. To use reformed theology as a cul-de-sac in our churches is to move against the entire point of God’s work in this world. Good reformed theology is going to be church planting, kingdom driven, multiplying, culture engaging, and grace centered or it is not good reformed theology.”
• The Acts 29 Network describes its doctrinal position in four points: first Christian, second Evangelical, third Missional, and fourth Reformed. On this last point, they define essentially what it means to be a part of the new Reformed resurgence:
  1. We believe that God created the heavens, the earth.
  2. We believe that God created man and woman in a state of sinless perfection with particular dignity as His image bearers on the earth.
  3. We believe that our first parents sinned against God and that everyone since is a sinner by nature and choice. Sin has totally affected all of creation including marring human image and likeness so that all of our being is stained by sin (e.g. reasoning, desires, and emotions).
  4. We believe that because all people have sinned and separated themselves from the Holy God that he is obligated to save no one from the just deserved punishments of hell. We also believe that God in His unparalleled love and mercy has chosen to elect some people for salvation.
  5. We believe that the salvation of the elect was predestined by God in eternity past.
  6. We believe that the salvation of the elect was accomplished by the sinless life, substitutionary atoning death, and literal physical resurrection of Jesus Christ in place of His people for their sins.
  7. We believe that the salvation of the elect, by God’s grace alone, shows forth in the ongoing repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ that leads to good works.
  8. We believe that God’s saving grace is ultimately irresistible and that God does soften even the hardest heart and save the worst of sinners according to His will.
  9. We believe that the gospel should be passionately and urgently proclaimed to all people so that all who believe may be saved through the preaching of God’s Word by the power of God’s Spirit.
  10. We believe that true Christians born again of God’s Spirit will be kept by God throughout their life, as evidenced by personal transformation that includes an ever-growing love of God the Father through God the Son by God the Spirit, love of brothers and sisters in the church, and love of lost neighbors in the culture.
  11. We believe that God is Lord over all of life and that there is nothing in life that is to be separated from God.
  12. We believe that the worship of God is the end for which people were created and that abiding joy is only to be found by delighting in God through all of life, including hardship and death which is gain.
• In this short video, Mark Driscoll presents the main differences between Calvinist (Reformed) theology and Arminian (Wesleyan) theology: