Our Name
When God called us into a covenanted fellowship of believers in the early Eighties, we chose the name by which we would be known to ourselves and others very carefully, and after much deliberation and prayer. That name is REFORMATION COVENANT CHURCH.
Reformation
The term REFORMATION signifies our identification with those great saints of the 16th century who delivered God's people from the international corruption and superstition that had spread through the Roman Catholic Church. This deliverance from spiritual darkness was brought about in three basic steps:
First the Reformers diligently studied the Bible. They rediscovered the great truths of God's sovereignty and justification solely by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Through their further study of God's Word, they acquired a knowledge of God's commandments for individuals, families, schools, businesses, churches and governments.
Second, these men and their disciples spread these rediscovered truths throughout their nations.
Third, people embraced these truths and, consequently, Christians matured in the faith. Their hearts were turned to their children and their education. Their homes were once more places of family worship. Churches were enlivened and restructured, businesses flourished, and civil governors felt once more the restraint of God's laws (see Psalm 2). Biblical law was implemented. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Scotland and Germany the laws were changed in regard to criminal justice, taxes, labor, welfare, health, education, etc.
These laws resulted in a reduction in crime and taxation, expanded production of farm and factory goods, higher living standards for more people, reduction of disease epidemics, better education for more people, and many other blessings. The United State is, in many ways, the product of this Reformation. During the early days of the War for American Independence, the King's agents characterized the struggle as a "Scotch Presbyterian uprising." America grew from the theology of the Reformers, particularly John Calvin of Geneva and John Knox of Scotland.
Today we realize that many of these blessings have been lost as a result of turning away from the grace and law of God's Word. Men are setting up as law the opinions of mortal men. Many churches have retreated from their duty to disciple the nations, and only concentrate on preparing people for the next life. Christianity here and throughout the world is in need of another reformation.
At RCC, we are diligently applying ourselves to the task of reforming our own lives, our families, our church, the communities in which we live, and our culture. We keep in mind the old motto of a "reformed church, always reforming" and attempt to apply this dictum to all of our lives. The standard, of course, for this ongoing reformation is the Bible, which the Holy Spirit of God graciously writes upon our hearts and empowers us to live by.
Covenant
COVENANT is the second name given to our church because of the prominent importance of covenants in the Bible. God has dealt with man from the beginning of time through covenants. The most important covenant for God's people is the covenant proclaiming salvation, through Jesus Christ, throughout all generations. This promise of redemption through Christ was first proclaimed to the initial man and woman, when God said to Satan (in the form of the serpent): "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel." (Gen 3:15) Thus was promised the victory of Christ over Satan.
Later this covenant was made in greater detail to Abraham, when God said, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen 12:3) The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Gentile Christians are also children of Abraham (the Jews) and so partake of this covenant: "Therefore, be sure that it is those of faith that are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'all the nations shall be blessed in you.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham the believer." (Gal 3:7-9)
God has graciously chosen to reveal Himself to us by way of covenant. The covenantal structure of our relationship with God forms a pattern for how we ought to structure human relationships as well. Biblical marriage, for instance, is a relationship within the context of covenant. We believe the Scriptures teach a covenanted church membership, and that business can be characterized as a series of covenantal transactions. Civil governments are also covenantal, with rights and responsibilities of both the governed and the governors. Of course, covenantal faithfulness is a preeminent characteristic of our Creator, and so should characterize our lives, as image-bearers of Him, as well. (Ps. 15:4)
Biblical times of reformation, such as the times of Nehemiah, are times of covenant renewal, these covenants being defined by Biblical law, and carrying implicitly within them blessings for obedience and cursings for disobedience. While we believe the reformation that is needed in America must put a very strong emphasis on Biblical law as the terms of all covenants, it is very important to understand that Biblically, we do not enter into the blessings of the covenant based on our personal obedience. The blessings of God are ours because of Jesus Christ, for He has kept Covenant with God as our substitute. We are given the rich benefits of God's blessings based on the work of Christ. But God warns us that failure to maintain the gracious grant of blessings in Christ through a stiff-necked disobedience to His standards, His laws, will result in temporal judgments upon us and our culture. The law of God is not a means of entering into the blessedness of relationship to Him, but should rather be seen as the God-ordained standard for life by which these blessings
are maintained and enjoyed. Even here, it is God who is at work in us, "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
Church
We are a CHURCH. We meet on the first day of the week to celebrate the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath, to break bread (to have a common meal and partake of the Lord's Supper), to bring our tithes and offerings for the work of the ministry, and to worship our great God and King in the power of the Spirit. (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2, 1 Cor. 11:20-30, 1 Cor. 14:26).
Psalms as well as spiritual songs are sung (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16), the Scriptures are read aloud and a sermon (i.e., exhortation and teaching) is heard (1 Tim. 4:13). This instruction is by men, since the Bible forbids women to teach or exercise authority over men in the church (1 Cor. 14:34-38, 1 Tim. 2:11-15). Needs are shared and public prayers made (James 4:2;5:16), and mutual encouragement is given for strength and comfort (Heb. 3:12,13; 10:24,25). We believe the Scriptures teach an "every-believer ministry" and the job of the Elders and Deacons is to equip and organize the saints for ministry.
Finally, of course, the church is a worshipping community and at RCC, we have tried very hard to follow Biblical patterns of worship. An explanation of how we worship at RCC, and why we worship in this manner, is contained in "REFORMATION COVENANT CHURCH - HOW WE WORSHIP."
We believe there is a need for a new reformation in our day. The apostate Roman Catholic Church in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries acted as if it was God. Today, civil rulers have unlawfully appropriated to themselves sovereignty in the affairs of men. In most cases, this is with the full consent of the population. Their cry appears to be "Vox Populi, vox Dei," "the voice of the people is the voice of God." This sin-sick world needs to hear once more a call to reformation of their lives, involving a repentance for their violation of God's covenant, this message being sounded forth from God's people, His church.
