What does it mean to be Reformed?

I am now reappearing after a long hiatus, with the hope that as I prepare to re-engage the ordination process, I can reflect of substantive things along the way.

What does it mean to be Reformed? For many confessionally-Reformed folks (myself included), it means subscription to either the Westminster Standards or Three Forms of Unity. Lest some denigrate this position as mere verbal assent to an extra-biblical authority, these Reformed folks consider the confessions to be faithful summaries of the systems of doctrine espoused in Scripture--not as replacements for Scripture. Subscription to these biblical doctrines is also not an end in itself, but is meant to cultivate the theology, piety, and practice that is provided for in Scripture. In a sense, these confessions are the collective voice of the Reformed Church, declaring "These are the truths of Scripture. Our conscience is bound by them. We can do no other."

But what of the times when we are asked to express the distinctiveness of Reformed theology in a sentence or two? I was recently asked by a non-believing soldier "What is the difference between Presbyterians and Baptists?" To my shame, I was caught off-guard. I spoke of God's sovereignty over all things, including salvation (though my Baptist chaplain friend reads Michael Horton and R.C. Sproul and believes the exact same thing) and also mentioned church polity. Confessional fidelity would make no sense to this soldier as a matter of distinction, nor would it be an effective segue to the Gospel. At the same time, he is not asking why I am a Christian or what it means to be a Christian. Thus the gauntlet is laid down--one which I willingly take up.

On to the Dr. R. Scott Clark's book, Recovering the Reformed Confession.