Pillars of Reformed Christianity

Faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, revealed as the Triune (three-in-one) Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit.

Trust in God's saving work uniquely present in Jesus of Nazareth, who was and is God-with-Us, redeeming humanity by his ministry, death and resurrection.

Ongoing experience of God through the ministry of Word and Sacraments, as it is experienced in the enduring community of the Church.

In the sixteenth century, Protestant Christians sought to reform the Church and recover the original power of the message of Good News.  This movement is known to history as The Protestant Reformation.  The Reformers, who recognized the creeds of the early Church, stressed six principles of the Reformation, distinctive emphases stressed by Reformed and Lutheran churches.

To God Alone Be the Glory!
The Reformers critiqued the veneration of saints and relics.  While recognizing the saints as role models, the Reformation believed that all holiness and everything of value is derived from God's goodness, and therefore all praise should go to God.
 

By Grace Alone!
God's grace (or favor) flows from God's free and original love for us as humans. Our salvation and well-being do not depend on our ability or merit. We are loved, not because we are lovable or because any goodness on our part, but because God is loving.  From this experience of God's love, we respond with gratitude by showing love toward others and living a holy life.
 

By Faith Alone!
Experiencing the love of God in our lives is not the result of a complex system of spiritual merits and demerits.  We experience God's love by means of simple trust in Jesus Christ.  And even that trust is a gift of God.
 

Scripture Alone!
The foundation of the Christian faith, Protestants affirmed, rests in the Bible.  The record of Jewish and early Christian experience of God, in these Scriptures God continues to speak to God's people.  Other authorities, teachings, and confessions have only derivative authority.
 

The Church Reformed Is Always Reforming
The Church exists as a gift of God and a means of grace for God's people.  But it does so as a human institution, that ever seeks to live out faithfully its calling as the gathered people of God.  That means that it constantly tests itself, seeking ways it can be ever more faithful in the context of a changing world.
 

The Priesthood of All Believers
Each Christian has a unique set of personal and spiritual gifts, and all those baptized into the Church have a role in its ministry.  Every ministry -- whether of lay people or those ordained -- seeks to "build up" the community and to share the Good News of God's gracious love revealed in Jesus Christ.

**This page is adopted from one produced by The Society of Friends of the Calvin Museum of Noyon, France, and maintained by the Reformed Church of France.