Why | Events |
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Reformation means standing against the spirit of the age, so pastors and church leaders must join together to encourage, equip, and embolden one another in the work of the Reformation. Most importantly, a society brings the Word of God and prayer to bear on the leaders themselves, strengthening them for the work of a faithful shepherd. |
How | Directory |
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Reformation starts in your local church community. The Reformation Societies are the means to achieving the renewal of the Church, which is our Lord’s Bride. Furthermore, our Gospel is timeless in its message, relevance, and sufficiency for the building of Christ’s Church, the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Biblical standard of Gospel preaching, teaching and worship are embodied in the Solas of the Protestant Reformation and are now stated in the Cambridge Declaration of 1996. For in Scripture alone, we learn of a salvation that is by grace alone, received through faith alone, because of Christ alone, and in all this, to God be the Glory alone. Here We Stand, like-minded in His service and confident in His Work. |
List of active Reformation Societies. Reformation Society Coordinator |
Theologians over the ages have debated and some very profound theologians have debated, including John Owen who later changed his mind, as to whether it was theoretically possible for God to forgive sinners by divine fiat--just to forgive them. Having entered into covenant that this would be the way of salvation through the mediation of His Son, He was therefore bound to do it that way, but could He?
B.B. Warfield spoke to students at Princeton in 1915 about redemption at the beginning of the First World War. He said, "There is no one of the titles of Christ which is more precious to Christian hearts than redeemer." Why? Because it is the name specifically of the Christ of the cross. Whenever we pronounce it, we placard the cross before our eyes, and our hearts are filled with loving remembrance, not only of what Christ has given us, but that he paid such a mighty price for it.
This is the question that we have to ask. Why did Jesus have to die? Why did He have to die? Why did He have to die by crucifixion? Couldn't He have died like this dear Godly woman, Tillie, or whatever her name was? Couldn't have He died in His 90th year in His bed like Calvin, speaking to his friends, giving last words of great import and scribes taking down his last words? Why couldn't He have died in that way? Why does He have to shed His blood in violent execution?
What is the ground of justification? How is it possible for God to justify the sinner and remain righteous? That's a predicament, isn't it? That's a problem. You notice in Romans chapter 4, verse 5, how strikingly Paul puts it, "and to the one who does not work, but trusts Him who justifies the ungodly."
Paul addresses justification along three lines of thought. First of all, the source of justification, and secondly the ground of our salvation, and thirdly the means of our justification. Allow me to pursue it along that line of thought.