Are You a True Protestant?
What is a Protestant?
For most people in Ulster, that is an easy question to answer.
However, the answers given may differ widely.
For some people - the name Protestant is one which they use with pride; it identifies them with the community to which they belong.
For others - it is a term of abuse or embarrassment.
For some - it means that they are a Unionist or Loyalist.
For some - it simply means that they support Rangers.
But, what is a TRUE Protestant?
However, the answers given may differ widely.
For some people - the name Protestant is one which they use with pride; it identifies them with the community to which they belong.
For others - it is a term of abuse or embarrassment.
For some - it means that they are a Unionist or Loyalist.
For some - it simply means that they support Rangers.
But, what is a TRUE Protestant?
The Term 'Protestant'
The term 'Protestant' was popularised by German Roman Catholics during the 1500s.
They used it as a nickname to refer to those who followed the teachings of Martin Luther.
It was derived from a word in the RC Latin Vulgate Bible (2nd Chronicles 24:19) - 'Protestari' / 'Protestantes' - meaning "to stand for the testimony / witness".
The testimony / witness referred to was that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.
A Protestant is therefore a person who - like the great Protestant Reformers themselves - stands for God, the Gospel Message, the Bible and the teachings of the Word of God.
They used it as a nickname to refer to those who followed the teachings of Martin Luther.
It was derived from a word in the RC Latin Vulgate Bible (2nd Chronicles 24:19) - 'Protestari' / 'Protestantes' - meaning "to stand for the testimony / witness".
The testimony / witness referred to was that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.
A Protestant is therefore a person who - like the great Protestant Reformers themselves - stands for God, the Gospel Message, the Bible and the teachings of the Word of God.
The Protestant Faith
Whilst the word 'Protestant' didn't enter our vocabulary until the 1500s - the actual Protestant Faith itself has existed since Biblical Times.
The doctrines of Bible-believing Protestantism go all the way back to the Lord Jesus Himself, when He said to His disciples: "ye shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). The infant church of the apostolic era was therefore - in its doctrine - a Protestant Church. In that sense, the Apostles were all Protestants (long before the term itself came into being).
The doctrines of Bible-believing Protestantism go all the way back to the Lord Jesus Himself, when He said to His disciples: "ye shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). The infant church of the apostolic era was therefore - in its doctrine - a Protestant Church. In that sense, the Apostles were all Protestants (long before the term itself came into being).
The Word of God
TRUE Protestants believe that the Bible is the most important thing in the whole world.
They read the Bible.
They believe the Bible.
They love the Bible.
They stand for the Bible.
They treasure the Bible.
Multiplied thousands of Protestants down through the centuries have given their lives for the Bible, and many Protestants still suffer to this day because of their allegiance to the Word of God.
They read the Bible.
They believe the Bible.
They love the Bible.
They stand for the Bible.
They treasure the Bible.
Multiplied thousands of Protestants down through the centuries have given their lives for the Bible, and many Protestants still suffer to this day because of their allegiance to the Word of God.
True Protestantism
Let it therefore be very clearly said, without any equivocation, that TRUE Protestantism is Bible-based Christianity.
Protestantism is the Christianity of the Bible.
It is the Christianity of Christ.
It is the Christianity of the Apostles.
It is the Christianity of the early Church.
It is the Christianity of the Celtic Church.
It is the Christianity of those who held aloft the gospel torch during the dark era of Papal dominance.
And then - in the Middle Ages - it was the great movement of God's Spirit that translated the Bible into the language of the common people, placed a copy of it in their hands, returned the Word of God to its rightful place in the centre of the church, rescued multiplied millions from the dungeon of false religion, and saw whole nations brought back into the arms of real Bible-believing Christianity (referred to in Jude v3 as "the faith once delivered to the saints").
Protestantism is the Christianity of the Bible.
It is the Christianity of Christ.
It is the Christianity of the Apostles.
It is the Christianity of the early Church.
It is the Christianity of the Celtic Church.
It is the Christianity of those who held aloft the gospel torch during the dark era of Papal dominance.
And then - in the Middle Ages - it was the great movement of God's Spirit that translated the Bible into the language of the common people, placed a copy of it in their hands, returned the Word of God to its rightful place in the centre of the church, rescued multiplied millions from the dungeon of false religion, and saw whole nations brought back into the arms of real Bible-believing Christianity (referred to in Jude v3 as "the faith once delivered to the saints").
TRUE Protestantism is therefore revealed to mankind in the pages of the inspired Word of God.
TRUE Protestantism is thus centred upon the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
A TRUE Protestant is therefore a person who does the following 3 things:
[01] A TRUE Protestant Believes Everything That is in The Bible
Loads of people claim to believe the Bible - yet they ignore some parts and misinterpret others.
However, a TRUE Protestant will not fall into this trap.
A TRUE Protestant will always agree with what the Bible says about itself - namely that all Scripture is God-breathed, and that it is the Word of God.
If we accept that the Bible is God’s Word - then we must listen to all that He says, and believe all that He has revealed.
[02] A TRUE Protestant Knows That They Owe Everything to God
Some people like to think of themselves as 'self-made'.
They approach life with the attitude that 'they can look after themselves'.
Increasingly - in our modern era - people are very quick to insist upon 'their rights'.
However, TRUE Protestants will avoid such mistakes. Why's that? Because TRUE Protestants know that they owe everything to God.
If they don't have His love, His favour and His goodness - then they have nothing.
This is true in every area of life - and it is absolutely true when it comes to the matter of whether or not we will go the Heaven when we die.
For that reason, the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone - i.e. not by good works or religious activity. We therefore owe it all to God.
We don't get to Heaven because 'we deserve it'.
We can only get to Heaven because 'Christ deserves it'.
And we - if we are saved - are 'in Christ'.
That's why Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).
[03] A TRUE Protestant Trusts in Christ Alone for Entrance into Heaven
Many people seem to think that, as long as they live a fairly decent life and don’t do anyone any harm, they will get to heaven.
However, TRUE Protestants will know that this is not the case.
They will know that calling yourself a Protestant won’t get you into Heaven.
They will understand that the only way to Heaven is through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone.
What we could never accomplish for ourselves - the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us by His death and resurrection.
In John 14:6, Jesus said that He alone was "the way, the truth and the life".
He followed these words up by stating that "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me".