Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Why Some Reformed Are Not Reformed

Carl Trueman laments that many of those who call themselves reformed are reformed on the doctrines of grace, but not reformed on other issues.  Here is a quote from an article he recently wrote:

"The problem with the way `Reformed' is often used today is that it divorces certain things (typically the five, or more often, four points of Calvinism) from the overall Reformation vision of pastoral care, church worship, Christian nurture and all-round approach to ministry.  The Bible becomes sufficient for the doctrines of grace; but what works, what pulls in the punters, becomes the criterion for everything else, especially ecclesiology and pastoral practice.

One question I have, as the reformed movement grows, is can it continue to hold to the doctrines of grace, while rejecting the reformers "overall vision of pastoral care, church worship, Christian nurture and all-around approach to ministry?"  My gut says no.

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Let the saints be joyful in glory, let them sing aloud on their beds, let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind the kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron. Psalm 149:5-8