Reformed Theology is called “Reformed” because it stems from the Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries, when key thinkers were seeking to reform the church by returning to the Bible’s teaching.
John Piper helpfully notes that loving Reformed Theology is rather like loving a particular picture of one’s wife. It is not a love of a system of truths in itself, but a love of them because more than any other system, they best portray the beauty of God and his purposes.[1]
To my mind the heart of Reformed Theology is found in the following verses:
“‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’ For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.” (Rom 11v35-36)
Reformed Theology is concerned that God alone receives the glory in all things, and especially salvation. And this means that we should never presume to engage with him by way of merit, as if he should repay us with salvation or anything else. It is all from him and not us, through his provision and not ours, and for his credit and not ours.
This is seen in a number of key ideas.
1. Covenant theology.
Reformed Theology traditionally speaks of Adam and Eve’s experience in the garden as a covenant of works. God promised eternal life or death that depended on their not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
After the fall, God then enters into various covenants with humanity despite their utter unworthiness. This displays that salvation can only come by faith alone - a faith that is in Christ whether by promise in the Old Testament or in person from the New Testament.
As those God covenants with trust him to forgive and include them in the blessings he promises, he credits them with a righteousness that is not their own. The New Testament reveals this to be the righteous standing of Christ.
To be counted or declared righteous in this way is what the Bible calls being “justified.” It is to be counted as one who has fully obeyed God’s will. It is therefore to be acquitted in God’s court and counted as worthy of everlasting life. In short, it is to have the verdict of the final judgment brought forward to the moment of initial belief, meaning complete acceptance by God.
The apostle Paul makes the point that salvation had always been this way by quoting words from Genesis 15v6-10:
“Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
So, God alone is glorified for salvation as he gives it to those who are unworthy, and in response to faith that comes open-handed for the gift of a righteous standing, rather than works that seeks to merit it through one’s own.
The Reformed taught that this Bible theme reflects a covenant of grace by which God promises eternal life and salvation to sinners on condition of faith in Christ as their redeemer.
It should be said that both the covenant of works and of grace are presumed rather than stated in the Bible. But they are a helpful in understanding the way of salvation.
There are five key scriptural covenants that reflect this covenant of grace. Each called people to love and obey God if they were to continue in certain earthly blessings. This only proved that acceptance by God could never be by works because the people always failed. Yet, each covenant also pointed to ultimate acceptance by God being through faith alone.
1. The Noahic Covenant: God promised the preservation of the earth and the human race despite sin, so that God’s promises could be fulfilled. Yet in making a burnt offering on leaving the Ark, Noah displayed an understanding that he and his family were saved by grace not merit (Gen 8v20-21).
2. The Abrahamic Covenant: God promised a nation to inherit Canaan, and through whom the whole earth would be blessed. When Abraham’s believed God and was credited with righteousness, it was made clear that the blessing would come by faith alone (Gen 15v6).
3. The Mosaic Covenant: God promised Israel long life in their land as his treasured possession. However, the people were redeemed from Egypt simply by faith in God accepting the Passover lambs for their sin. Moreover, the law of Moses only highlighted people’s sin, driving the faithful to trust God to forgive them on the basis of the daily sacrifices and one day renew their hearts (Deut 30v6).
4. The Davidic Covenant: God promised one of David’s descendants to forever reign over his kingdom. David himself gave the supreme display that he could only be accepted by God through faith not works after his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. And so, in Psalm 51 he acknowledged his unworthiness and cried out to God for the forgiveness and renewal that the Mosaic covenant spoke of (Psalm 51v7-12).
5. The New Covenant: With this, Christ fulfills all the others. He is the new Adam and Noah as head of a new creation, the descendant of Abraham to bring blessing to the earth, the one who offers himself as the perfect sacrifice and renews his people’s hearts, and the only perfect descendant of David to reign over his kingdom forever. And because he does absolutely everything necessary for acceptance by God, he displays salvation could only be by faith alone and in him alone.
1. Christ’s death achieves full atonement, satisfying God’s requirement of justice for sin. So, his blood cleanses believers, meaning that they can be entirely forgiven.
2. Christ’s life achieves full obedience, satisfying God’s requirement of perfection if people are to be acceptable to him. So, his righteousness clothes believers, meaning that they can be counted as worthy of everlasting life.
These two truths deal with the two key problems of the Mosaic Covenant, which the Bible terms the Old Covenant. It couldn’t fully deal with sin nor enable faithfulness. It is in this particular sense that the covenant in Christ is new and superior.
Reformed Christians do differ a little in their understanding of the covenants, and particularly the degree of continuity between the Old and New: Is there a continuity in the idea of the family so that the children of believers should be baptized and deemed covenant and church members on the presumption of faith? Or was that simply for the Old Testament when the promises were to progress primarily through descent as symbolized in circumcision? Is there a continuity in the idea of the nation so that a nation can claim to be Christian and confess the Lordship of Christ in its government in a similar way to which Israel confessed the Lord? Or was the national expression of faith only for a time because the gospel has now gone global and is gathering people for a heavenly kingdom? These are questions to ponder.
2. The five points.
These are often called the five points of Calvinism. This is because they reflect the teaching of John Calvin, who was probably the greatest theologian of the Reformation. However, in reality they are truths scripture teaches. They weren’t actually formulated by Calvin, but as a response by Reformed thinkers in the early 17th century to a man called Jacob Arminius, when he challenged Calvin’s teaching.
They stretch us to the limit of our ability to grasp God’s purposes, and their implications can be hard to accept on first consideration. So, we need to remind ourselves of the key principle running through Reformed Theology:
“‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’ For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.” (Rom 11v35-36)
Each of the five points ensures that God alone receives glory for salvation without any sense of us contributing something we could take credit or glory for.
They are remembered as an acrostic of the word TULIP.
1. Total Depravity: Humanity's nature is so corrupted by sin that we are unable to choose God or respond to the gospel, and so require God to intervene to enable us to. (Rom 8v7, 2 Cor 4v4). As Christ said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.” (Jn 6v44). This emphasizes that we can take no credit in turning to Christ, for left to ourselves we would continue in sin and unbelief.
2. Unconditional Election: God therefore chooses individuals for salvation based on his own will, not on any foreseen merit, desire or effort within them, as they cannot of themselves do anything of merit before God (Rom 9v10-18, Eph 1v4-6). Christ affirmed this when he said: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matt 11v27). As Ephesians 1v4-6 notes, this means that God alone should be praised for each Christian’s salvation, because it is an act of pure and personal grace to the undeserving.
3. Limited Atonement: Because God has chosen those who he is going to save, it follows that Christ came into the world and died specifically to effect atonement for their sins, not for all people universally. (Jn 17v9, Eph 5v25). Jesus taught this when he said: “I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (Jn 10v14-15). This means that Christ’s death was for the world in the sense of being for all people without distinction who are chosen by God, whatever the nation, not all people without exception. Limited atonement upholds the fact that Christ’s death was effective in bringing about salvation, and personally intended for each Christian. If it was effective for everyone, we could ask why unbelievers still face judgment. Moreover, if its work could be rejected, those who accept it could take credit for doing so.
4. Irresistible Grace: Because our sinfulness means we cannot turn to God, God's grace effectually overcomes human resistance and draws individuals to Christ, ensuring they respond to the gospel and are saved. God does this by regenerating their hearts by his Spirit so that on hearing the gospel they definitely and willingly respond (Rom 8v29-30, Acts 13v48, 16v14, 2 Cor 4v4-6, Eph 2v8-10). Speaking of those who drew back from him in unbelief, Christ therefore said: “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” (Jn 6v65). Again, this means that God alone is to be credited for our faith and salvation, as he gives it as a gift of his grace. Ephesians 2v8-10 explains that this means we cannot boast in our faith as a work we have done from ourselves.
5. Perseverance of the Saints: Because God gives faith as a gift, he ensures that all who are truly saved will persevere in that faith until the end, which means that their salvation is eternally secure (Jn 10v27-29, Rom 8v29-39, Phil 1v6). Christ taught this when he said: “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” (Jn 6v38-39). So, God is to receive all the glory for our remaining believers too. We can take no credit in that either.
There are two things that need to be said at this point by way of clarification.
First, the Bible does teach that our decisions matter. People are responsible for their sin and unbelief because God doesn’t make them act in that way. Moreover, they need to be urged to repent, believe, and keep believing the gospel, because that is God’s means of bringing those he has chosen to Christ and keeping them for eternal life. And when regenerate, his people are responsible for not grieving the Spirit, but rather keeping in step with him and so following his desires. What TULIP clarifies, is that when it comes to salvation it is all of God. If this wasn’t the case, we would have no reason to pray that God would turn those we love to him. Instead, these truths encourage us to prayer, knowing that our prayers are also part of the means he has ordained to bring those he has chosen to him.
Second, the struggle with these truths is over why God doesn’t choose and bring everyone to faith. What they make clear is that it isn’t because others are somehow worse or less inclined to God than those he does save. Rather, it is because of some purpose that we are unable to fully grasp. This should not cause us to doubt God, because we see his goodness and wisdom displayed so clearly in Christ. Rather, we should accept what Christ teaches and trust him with it, knowing that because he weeps over those he hasn’t chosen to reveal the Father to, he must have a good and wise reason for it (Lk 19v41-44, Matt 23v17).
After teaching on these things, the apostle Paul declares the following:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?’”
He then continues with the words we started with:
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’ For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.” (Rom 11v33-36)
His point is that the what and why of doing things this way is beyond our ability to search out and understand. And we should not presume for a moment to counsel God as if we know a better way. No, we must reject any ideas that presume there is something in us that moves him to repay us in some way with salvation. Rather, it is all from him, provided through him, and so for the praise of his glorious grace.
3. The five solas.
The Latin “sola” means “alone.” All that we have learnt is summed up in Reformation thought by five solas. Each one, emphasizes how our knowledge and salvation is all of God.
1. Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone): This emphasizes that the Bible as God’s word is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice, not human tradition, experience, or reason, whether in the church or anywhere else.
2. Sola Fide (Faith alone): This states that salvation is received through faith alone, not through good works or human merit.
3. Sola Gratia (Grace alone): This highlights that salvation is a free gift from God, not something earned or deserved by any person.
4. Solus Christus (Christ alone): This affirms that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity, and we or the church need add nothing to what he has done in order to be saved, as he has done it all.
5. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone): This states that all glory ultimately belongs to God, not to humans or anything else.
4. Reformed worship.
The concern with magnifying God’s glory and grace worked itself out in how Reformed Worship was conducted. Four principles dominated.
1. Scripture: Because of the renewed emphasis on the Bible and its importance and power, it was used heavily in the order and prayers within services (the liturgy). Psalms were sung, the Lord’s Prayer was said, and the sermon was central and stretching. The Ten Commandments were also often recited to convict people of sin in readiness for confession or to outline the life they were called to live. The desire was for a simplicity of worship in which nothing was done that was not derived from God’s word.
2. Humility: A confession prayer was said early on which emphasized that because of sin we can only draw close to God through Christ’s work, and assurance was then given of the forgiveness that comes through the sufficiency of all he had done. Likewise, it was stressed that in coming to the Lord’s Supper we are wholly reliant on God’s grace and not our own righteousness.
3. Reverence: The language in prayer and praise would make much of God majestic sovereignty as the one on whom everything depends and who should be thanked with joy for all that is received.
4. Creeds: Statements of faith like the Apostles, Nicene or Athanasian Creeds were also said to show that the Reformed Churches were part of what was called the “catholic” (which means “universal”) church, because Reformed Christians believed the same core truths Christians had from the beginning. The small “c” is important in distinguishing “the church catholic” from “the Roman Catholic Church.”
How did Reformed Theology arise?
It arose as a reaction to Roman Catholicism in the 16th century. To understand why, we need a brief summary of Roman Catholic teaching.
Although not all Catholics understand or believe it, the official teaching of the Roman Catholic church is that people are saved as the church and the individual co-operate with God in salvation.
1. Through the Church’s rite of baptism a child or adult is put in a state of justification, which is understood to mean that they are cleansed of sin and infused with righteousness that they are to increase in more and more. Through the work of Christ within them, they are then to do good works by which they merit final salvation.
2. If they commit major sins known as mortal sins, they entirely lose their state of justification and so salvation, and must display faith in humbling themselves, going to confession and receiving the body and blood of Christ at mass to satisfy God for the sins and regain what was lost.
3. If they commit lesser sins known as venial sins, they fall back in their progress in justification, and must conduct various pious exercises to satisfy God for any temporal punishments those sins would otherwise receive. These include fasting, giving money, receiving the mass, or buying “indulgencies” which draw on the good works of Mary or the Saints to satisfy God on the sinner’s behalf.
4. At death, the Catholic enters purgatory to suffer a purging by fire for whatever venial sins they were unable to make amends for in this life. And only when they are all finally dealt with, will the individual enter heaven. But their time in purgatory can be shortened if those left behind conduct more pious exercises for the deceased.
It is not hard to see how these ideas undermine God’s glory in salvation and provoked those who studied the scriptures. They distort the meaning of justification, and portray salvation more as a financial transaction that is hugely dependent on the church’s activity and the efforts of the individual. This burdens people with excessive effort to try and minimize their time in Purgatory, and fear of whether they have done enough to be saved.
Most seriously it removes from the glory of Christ who has done everything for us. Rather than honour him for his death being once for all sin so that we receive full forgiveness when we repent, Catholics believe that at mass the bread and wine are transfigured into his body and blood in order to be offered and received again and again. Moreover, they believe that even when forgiven they need to do works to satisfy God for the wrongs they have done. And rather than honour him for his righteousness being credited to our account so that we can know full assurance of entering heaven when we die, Catholics believe they must enter purgatory and at least implicitly take some credit for how speedily they pass through it.
Many would say the Reformation really began on 31 October 1517 when a studious monk called Martin Luther nailed a paper of 95 theses to a door in protest at this Roman Catholic teaching. As the church challenged him and he responded, his ideas took off until those who followed them could no longer remain in the Roman Catholic church and so started alternative churches. These were known as “Protestant Churches” because they were set up in protest at Catholic abuses.
In time other thinkers like John Calvin developed things further so that the new churches became more thoroughly reformed by the word of God. These theologians were very careful to show that their ideas were not new. Rather it was that Roman Catholicism had veered away from early more biblical Christianity and picked up all sorts of traditions, superstitions, and ideas that were contrary scripture.
Although they held to “sola scriptura” the Reformers therefore supported their teachings by quoting extensively from a group of early church theologians collectively known as “the Church Fathers” (1st-8th century). They gave a particular attention to Augustine of Hippo (354-430), who Roman Catholicism respected but whose writings made much of God’s glory and grace in salvation.
They also affirmed what are known as the “Ecumenical Creeds” that were formed in church history to combat various heresies: The Apostles and Nicene Creeds (3rd and 4th century) outline the basics of the faith, and the Athanasian and Chalcedon Creeds (5th century) give further clarity with respect to the Trinity and the person of Christ.
In the centuries after the Reformation various Reformed statements were also developed. The most famous in Britain are the Westminster Standards (The Westminster Confession and larger and shorter Catechisms) which were largely Presbyterian documents, the Savoy Declaration which was a Congregationalist version, and the London Baptist Confession. The Anglican 39 Articles are also largely Reformed.
Conclusion.
Through Isaiah, God declares: “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another.” (Is 42v8)
This is the principle at the heart of our universe. As God is the source, the centre, and the supreme good, not to give him the glory that is his due is unjust and so sin. Moreover, it would be dishonest as implies he is not worthy of it when he is. Consider how we recognize it is wrong when a parent is presumed on rather than credited for their tireless care, and that injustice is done when a celebrity is denigrated by the media and has to clear their name in court.
It follows then, that God will seek his own glory in all things, but not out of a self-centredness, but out of his perfect commitment to righteousness, justice and truth. Indeed, this is other-centred because it is the Father wanting his Son to be glorified, the Son wanting his Father to be, and both sending their Spirit because they want humanity to share in their joy at glorifying each other - just as we find joy when the parent or spouse we love is honoured. As Psalm 147v1 puts it, it is “pleasant” for us to praise the Lord, but it is also “good” and “fitting.” It is to do what is right.
It is this that was the driving concern of the Reformation. Caught up with a wonder at all the Lord is and all he has so graciously done, the Reformers sought in every way to teach the church and shape its practice in a way that ascribed greatness and glory to God, to the joy of his people.
Of course, the church is always in danger of drifting from scripture, and so the Latin phrase “ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda" was coined. It translates "the church reformed, always reforming." We need to follow the Reformers in remaining continually vigilant of any moves away from the Bible’s teaching, and especially those which remove from God’s glory in order to glorify humanity.
[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-beauty-of-reformed-theology, accessed 6/6/25
What is Reformed Theology?
