What is Reformed Theology?
Theology is really not my cup of tea. I do not enjoy reading books on theology and I am also not interested in what is Reformed Theology. Though I am a Presbyterian by denomination, I really have no idea what Calvinism and Reformed Theology had to do with my faith in Christ, or rather the faithfulness of Christ in my life. I have heard of five points Calvinism, Double Predestination and know something about Total Depravity, but I do not know what do all these terms really mean. I always find books that teach about these topics uses difficult language, dry and not touching base with my level of language mastery and my heart.
R. C. Sproul’s book, What is Reformed Theology – Understanding the Basics, is probably the only book on theology that makes some sense to me. I must say that Sproul is a very gifted and skilful writer. He has skillfully packaged the foundations of Reformed Theology into five points and introduces five points of Reformed Theology in simpler language and I would say I am able to follow more fifty percents of his presentation and arguments.
I am also glad that I have read this book, because it makes theology more readable to me. I hope that I will pick this up again in the future to revisit some of the points and maybe, if God is willing, I might try to understand Reformed Theology more. As a Presbyterian, I think I have to, or rather it is good for me to; know something more about Reformed Theology.
But what really makes reading of this book so beneficial for me is not the book itself; it is the events that are happening around me that make this book really meaningful to me. I guess I will have to say that all these are predestined or preordained by God, as part of His sovereign plan for me. And the issues raise in this book have really challenged me, in the way I perceive God and His dealing with His people whom He called.
God is sovereign. This is simple but yet profound. As a Christian, I have always declared that God is sovereign, but the reality is how can I reconcile the struggle within my will to do or not to do what I think God wants me to do? It is easy to say God is sovereign when the thing He wants to do is in line with my personality and according to my human will, but it will be totally different story when it is otherwise. The struggle is real. My human will is real, but God’s sovereignty is also real! ‘In Reformed theology, if God is not sovereign over the entire created order, then he is not sovereign at all.’ (p. 27) I guess I just have to be honest and present my struggle to submit to God.
Chapter two of the book deals with the issue of Scripture as the only authority and its inerrancy. This issue was dealt with last semester in detail. The challenge for me remains as how I can handle the Word of God accurately so that its authority can be fully exercised over me and His people. Of course, Greek and Hebrew help. The tension I have is the idea: ‘though a text may have a multitude of applications, it has only one correct meaning.’ (p. 57) I am not too sure I can fully grapple and agree with this. Because my question will be: who determines this ‘one correct meaning’? Unless, the One is God; how can I understand an infinite God fully with my finite capacity of understanding? All I can attempt to do is to try my best to find that ‘one correct meaning’, but meanwhile the so-call other possible meanings of a text which have been revealed are also part of the ‘one correct meaning’. Hence, these are also correct meanings of the text.
I am glad that I am saved by faith alone, by the grace of God. If not, I will not be writing this reflection paper. Of course, the common tension is the relationship between faith and works. I have always been a proponent of that: works is an outflow of a person’s faith in Christ. And I am glad that I am not too far from the Reformers teaching. ‘The Reformers taught that “justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” True faith is never alone. It always manifests itself in works. Works that flow out of faith, however, are in no way the ground of our justification.’ (pp. 70-71) So, I am quite reformed after all.
The identity of Christ has always been the discussion and source of tension throughout the Church History. Maybe my training as a pure mathematician in university days helps me to be able to accept such ideas of Trinity and Jesus being fully God and fully Man readily. In pure mathematics, we deal with abstract ideas that can not be explained by words, but we are used to accept philosophical theorems and abstract formulas without able to give a full explanation. In pure mathematics, the concept is more important than the answer. Of course there is still limitation to grasp such awesome idea of my God who is three-in-one and at the same time the second person of Godhead, Jesus, is fully God and fully Man simultaneously. Nonetheless, God is who He is, no matter how we try to understand Him.
Chapter five is really a challenge. I have no idea what is the difference between Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology. I think I should be a Covenantalist, since my home church is called Covenant Presbyterian Church. All I know is that there are three covenants and have almost absolutely no idea how these three covenants link and relate to each other. But I think I will take some time, maybe in the future, to understand it.
When I read about the five points of Calvinism, it is interesting. The acrostic TULIP is something that keeps me wondering, why TULIP and not other name? Does a tulip have only five petals?
Anyway, the first point of Reformed Theology is about Total Depravity. It ‘refers to the effect of sin and corruption on the whole person.’ (p. 118) I have no issue with this. I admit that I am by any standard a sinner; I have never desired to do anything good. I may seem to be doing some good things, but I am still a sinner and sin. I love this particular statement make by Sproul: ‘We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.’ (pp. 118-119) How true it is!
I am reminded that: I cannot do anything good by my human nature; I am totally gravitating toward sinful nature and sinful acts. It is only by the grace of God that I am still alive. Of course, now I can choose to exercise my will to do something good with the help of God, and I should be doing so.
The second point of Reformed Theology is about God’s Unconditional Election. I am not too sure for those who accept the sovereignty of God, why are they rejecting this unconditional election? I guess the bottom line is the about fairness. People hope to believe that they have some contribution to their own salvation, at least give them some credit to their willingness in their choice to follow Christ. But the tension is this: people have absolutely no input to the decision making process of their election. It is an unconditional election. And in order to make thing worse, this concept will lead to the unfavorable topic of Predestination, especially the topic of Double Predestination – the Predestination of the Reprobate. In another word, people are being predestined to condemnation. Many people are very uncomfortable with this notion, and find it difficult to justify this view. I am not too sure how can I do this in the future, but I will simply present this is the truth.
But to me, this doctrine is to inform me as a Christian, I am saved by grace of God. This doctrine is not here to inform me that there are people out there who will be condemned, that is none of my business. My business is to be grateful and thankful for the grace God has bestowed me.
For the Limited Atonement of Christ, it has unlimited power. ‘The value of his sacrifice in unlimited.’ (p. 165) This is the truth, cannot be denied. I think the question is that why only some are saved and not all? I guess the answer will have to go back to the sovereignty of God. He chooses as He pleases. And there is absolutely no way for us to help God to decide on this matter. But again, I am thankful that I am chosen and a participant of this so-called limited atonement, so that I can be with my unlimited God now.
The fourth point of Reformed Theology is about Irresistible Grace. I wonder who on earth will resist God’s grace? But the idea that we can resist God’s grace makes us more power than God. In another word, the grace of regeneration is irresistible because it is necessary and sufficient for our salvation.
Lastly, the book discusses about the Perseverance of the saints. Am I once saved, always saved? (p. 197) I certainly hope that this notion is true. But when I look at myself, a redeemed sinner, I am not too confident about this notion. Though I know that it is ‘God’s preserving grace makes our perseverance both possible and actual’ (p. 210), the reality sinks in when I look into my own life.
Someone asks if he will still be going to heaven if he dies by committing suicide in his depression? This is a tough question, and I can only say, I don’t know, but God knows. What I know is that God is the one who will preserve His people to persevere to the end. And I know that God will preserve my sister.
Finally, God is good. He is sovereign. I am a sinner, saved by His irresistible grace. And He will preserve me to the very end. This book journeyed with me through this dark period of anxiety as I try to provide support and counsel for other who are in need of grace and love. I know it is God’s providence that I have the strength to complete this book, carry out my other responsibilities in life, and for me to learn to trust Him totally to take care of all my burdens.
What is Reformed Theology? It is a theology of how God deal with His people – me.
