What We Believe
Denominational Beliefs
First Reformed Presbyterian Church holds to the historic Reformed faith as expressed in the Westminster Standards — the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism. These documents faithfully summarize the teaching of Holy Scripture.
The Westminster Confession of Faith
Adopted in 1647, the Westminster Confession of Faith is the doctrinal standard of our denomination. It sets forth the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures, covering the nature of God, the person and work of Christ, salvation by grace alone through faith alone, the church, the sacraments, and the last things.
Read the Westminster Confession →The Five Solas
The rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation
Sola Scriptura
Scripture Alone
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. All other authorities — tradition, reason, experience — are subordinate to the written Word of God.
Sola Gratia
Grace Alone
Salvation is entirely the work of God's sovereign grace. Man is dead in trespasses and sins and cannot contribute to his own redemption. God elects, calls, regenerates, justifies, and glorifies His people according to His own good pleasure.
Sola Fide
Faith Alone
Justification is by faith alone — not by works of the law or human merit. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer, who is declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ's perfect obedience and atoning death.
Solus Christus
Christ Alone
Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Soli Deo Gloria
Glory to God Alone
All of life is to be lived to the glory of God alone. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Every aspect of the Christian life — worship, work, family, community — is to be offered up to God's glory.
The Sacraments
We observe two sacraments ordained by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is administered to believers and their children as a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. The Lord's Supper is observed regularly as a means of grace for the nourishment of the souls of believers.
"The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture."
— Westminster Confession of Faith, I.6