This doesn’t mean we don’t hold our own views or that we flip flop to everyone else’s. It means that we hold our views in humility, admitting – at least to ourselves – that we may not have all of the answers. That some of the things in our traditions may be incorrect.

On that note, N.T. Wright recently shared something he heard while visiting the Vatican city not long ago:

I spent three very happy weeks as the Anglican observer at the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops last October. They were talking about the Bible: about how for so long they have more or less banned the laity from reading or studying it, and how now they want to change all that, to insist that every Catholic man, woman, child, cat and dog should have the Bible in their own mother tongue and be taught to read it, study it, pray with it, individually and together. Hallelujah! Who knows what might happen!

Question: why did nobody say this in 1525? If they had, we’d have been saved a lot of bother.

Let’s engage cheerfully in as much discussion with our Roman friends as we can. They are among my best ecumenical conversation partners, and some of them are among my dear friends. – From Kingdom People Blog

We have all come along way and we all have much more ground to cover. But which person do you want to be, the one who they say about, “why didn’t he/she take that position back in 2010? It would have saved everyone a lot of bother”, or “here is a person who was more concerned about the Truth then defending the truths of their traditions”.

Join me in determining in ourselves to commit to making 2010 a year of Biblical and Theological Reform and Spiritual Renewal like never before.

Happy New Year!

Make it one to be proud of!

You often charge: Faith is a work. I agree. You say: Salvation is of God, but conditioned by our response. I say “amen”. Then I scratch my head in bewilderment: what are we debating?

Yes the so-called neo-reformed are out in full bloom. Sure their doctrines of sola fide and sola scriptura have no teeth. But I need to remind you that…

NOT ALL REFORMERS ARE THE SAME!

The Reformation stood on principles. PRINCIPLES! We are not crafted in cookie cutter fashion. We do not all agree on doctrines, we agree on principles.

• Principle 1: Sola Scriptura – Scripture is our highest authority (without rejecting the testimony of Tradition)

• Principle 2: Semper Reformanda (Always Reforming) – The Reformers recognized that there was much work to be done, and so we are challenged to keep in an attitude of reform, always returning to Principle 1!

• Principle 3: Sola Gratia – Salvation is by God’s good grace alone. Had God not sent his Son into the world to die for the world of undeserving people, no one would be saved.

• Principle 4: Sola Fide – Salvation, in order for it to take effect, calls for a response of faith from man. No one is saved by work of moral effort, nor can anyone will power themselves into the Kingdom.

You and I, we have very many differences. But when we discuss our differences, please keep in mind that I may not fit the mold of others you have debated in the Reformed Tradition.