The New Testament affirms that the choice of Mary to become the earthly mother of the Son of God was an act of God's Sovereignty. The angel's annunciation was a word of God's gracious predestination. His divine choice is the source of both her blessedness and her fertility. So, in admiring Mary, it is really God whom we praise for His gracious favor shown to her and not her own inherent virtue.
Rev. J. D. Tangelder wrote: I believe that as Reformed Christians, we need to recover a more truly Biblical appreciation of Mary without compromising the heritage of the Reformation. We can understand and honor the Mary of Nazareth in ways that are Scripturally based. Even Martin Luther continued to refer to her as “our Blessed Lady.” But, one thing we may never do, we may not think of the mother of the Son of God in isolation from her Son; she cannot become an object of devotion by herself. We must refuse to consider Mary as an example of the cooperation of humanity with grace. She is neither our co-redemptrix nor our intercessor. She cannot receive prayers nor pass them on. When the apostles preached, they proclaimed that there is only One Name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved: Christ Alone.
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