The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Are you Reformed?

The answer is "Yes" and "No"!

"Reformed" is generally understood in its wider definition as being synonymous with "Calvinism"; the doctrines of sovereign grace, which is espoused in ALL the historic confessions of denominations/churches that came out of the Protestant Reformation. I'm sure you are familiar with at least most of them, correct?... 39 Articles, Belgic Confession, Westminster Confession, London Baptist Confession, Savoy Declaration, etc. In this sense, "Reformed" is defined by what those confessions teach. Thus, to be "Reformed" one usually adheres to one of those historic Confessions AND holds to how they are traditionally understood. Those holding to the damnable heresy of Federal Vision, for example, usually claim to hold to one of these confessions, but their doctrine is antithetical to what the confession(s) actually teach.

Okay, so with that said, most always, to be "Reformed" means one holds to one of these Reformed Confessions. However, one may not be familiar with any of these confessions yet doctrinally hold to what they teach. So, in that unusual situation, one could be considered "Reformed" but not confessional. In most cases, when that type of individual is taught of the great history of the Reformation and the confessional documents which resulted from it, they identify with one of them. When someone refuses to adopt one of the great Reformed Confessions, there is most always one of more doctrines which they believe that is antithetical to historic Reformed Theology.

IMO, simply giving assent to the "5 Points of Calvinism" does not make one "Reformed". In our day, the "New Calvinist Movement" claims to hold to the "5 Points" but they are not "Reformed" for myriad other doctrines and practices that they adhere to, e.g., the repudiation of the Regulative Principle of Worship, espousing antinomianism in its many forms, etc., etc., ad nauseam.