A
STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL TENETS AND REFORMED DISTINCTIVES
Adopted November 20, 2005 by the Session of First Presbyterian Church,
Morehead City, NC, as a
A GUIDE FOR CONGREGATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING, and a
DECLARATION OF ESSENTIAL TENETS RECEIVED AND ADOPTED BY THE
OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH
Section 1: Essential Tenets
Section 2: Reformed Distinctives
• Authority of Scripture
•
Election for Salvation and Service
• God
• Covenant and
Covenant Life
• Trinity,
Creation/Providence/Sovereignty
• Sacraments
• Grace, Worship
• Sanctification and the Work of the Holy Spirit
• Humanity
• Priesthood of All Believers
• Original Righteousness and Fall into Sin
• Mission of
the Church
• Jesus Christ
•
Stewardship
• Incarnation of the Eternal Word
• Jesus Christ—His Atoning Work
Section 3:
Scruples
• Salvation by Grace through Faith
What are the Essential Tenets?
Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed
faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic
and
reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and
will you be instructed
and led by those confessions as you
lead the people of God? (Book of
Order, G14.0405b)
This question is one of our ordination vows. Every ordained
Presbyterian—deacon, elder, minister—must respond yes, which means
that
they choose to respect, know, “sincerely receive and adopt” certain
truths or doctrines which
our constitution calls “tenets.”
The essential tenets are our foundational convictions, contained in our
creeds and confessions, that bear witness to God’s grace in
Jesus
Christ. “They guide the church in its study and interpretation of the
Scriptures; they summarize the essence of Christian tradition;
they
direct the church in maintaining sound doctrines; they equip the church
for its work of proclamation.” (G-2.0100(b))
We have adopted this summary of the essential tenets of the Christian
faith and of our Reformed distinctives for use in our church. It
distills the 300 pages of the Book of Confessions to a helpful
summary—six essentials and seven distinctives. This document is based
upon one produced by the San Diego Presbytery.
A Confessional Heritage
Reformed Christians have never been at a loss to explain what they
believe. We love explaining our faith. It is a distinguishing mark of
our heritage. John Calvin’s Institutes, the most influential and
seminal work of Reformed theology, established the theological
precedent with a near-exhaustive and systematic explanation of the
cardinal truths of Christianity. Since Calvin, the proliferation of
Reformed creeds, confessions, catechisms, and other theological works
is a robust continuation of this thoughtful and devout impulse
to
explain our faith— speaking in the language and to the issues of each
generation.
The Reformation began as a bold profession of Christian faith based on
“the plain Word of God.” It was also a fearless “protestation,”
explicitly rejecting and disavowing what institutional Christianity had
become—a religion of human accretions and accommodations.
This is why
for centuries Reformation Christians were called Protestants.
If men…pretend to forge for us new articles of faith, or to make
decisions contrary to the Word of God, then we must utterly deny
them
as the doctrines of devils, drawing our souls from the voice of the one
God to follow the doctrines and teachings of men. (Scots
Confession,
3.20)
Explanation is Proclamation
This then is no idle or esoteric exercise. The spiritual blessings from
it flow broad and deep:
• To explain is to proclaim. The gospel—which is
“the power of God for salvation” (Rom 1:16)—is released into the church
and
into the
world;
• Our faith is clarified and strengthened;
• We prove ourselves faithful stewards of the “sound
teaching…guarding with the help of the Holy Spirit what was entrusted
to us”
by the
prophets and apostles (2Tim 1:13-14);
• We fulfill one of the great ends of the church—
“the preservation of the truth” (G-1.0200) and we “identify the church
as a
community of
people known by its convictions”
(G-2.0100b);
• We obey Jesus’ command to “love the Lord our God
with...all our mind” (Matt 22:37); and • The revealed truth of God is
articulated
and distinguished from the ideologies
and errors of the world.
We explain our faith with humility and with a profound reverence for
its mysteries, while at the same time we boldly declare what the
Word
of God has plainly revealed to us as truth.
Membership vs. Leadership
The constitution of the PC (U.S.A.) distinguishes between the criteria
for membership in its churches and the standards for its leaders.
The
only essential requirement for membership is a profession of faith—
“all persons who respond in
trust and obedience to God’s
grace in Jesus Christ and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry of his Church.” (G-5.0103) The
standards for church
leaders, on the other hand, are understandably
stricter:
• “Those who are called to office in the church are
to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the
historic
confessional
standards of the church.” (G6.0106b)
• “It is necessary to the integrity and health of
the church that the persons who serve in it as officers shall adhere to
the essentials of
the Reformed
faith and polity as expressed in The Book of
Confessions and the Form of Government.” (G-6.0108a)
Theological Boundaries and Liberty of
Conscience.
In pressing for confessional fidelity, we are occasionally challenged
by a historic phrase from our tradition and the Book of Order: “
God
alone is Lord of the conscience.” The implication is that no one but
God may bind our theological conscience in terms of what
is to be
believed. And we agree! The full quote explains the proper context and
understanding of this phrase: God alone is Lord
of
the conscience and hath left it free from the doctrines and
commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or
beside it, in matters of
faith or worship. (G-1.0301(1))
In other words, precisely where God’s Word has spoken and precisely in
matters of faith and worship—that is where our conscience is bound and
not free. Being an ordained Presbyterian means doing ministry within
specific theological boundaries: In becoming a candidate or
officer of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) one chooses to exercise
freedom of conscience within certain bounds. His or her conscience is
captive to the Word of God as interpreted in the standards of the
church so long as he or she continues to seek or hold office in that
body. The decision as to whether a person has departed from essentials
of Reformed faith and polity is made initially by the individual
concerned but ultimately becomes the responsibility of the governing
body in which he or she serves. (G-6.0108b)
In this paragraph our constitution indicates: (1) becoming an officer
imposes limits on our theological liberty; (2) our confessions are the
authoritative standard for interpreting the Bible; (3) as long as we
are in office, we are bound by that authority and those standards; (4)
determining whether a person is theologically in or out of bounds is
initially the responsibility of that individual; and (5) evaluating an
officer’s confessional integrity is ultimately the presbytery’s
responsibility.
Choosing to be Presbyterian
We are not called to challenge anyone’s sincerity as a Christian or to
dispute their right to believe what they choose. But when a person
chooses to be an ordained Presbyterian, they must in good faith and
with a
clear conscience
receive and adopt our confessional identity.
We do not have the right
to pick and choose the foundational truths we will believe in, with the
expectation that other foundational truths
can be ignored or will soon
be changed. That is bad faith.
There may be ordained Presbyterians who, in their education and
personal development, realize that their true convictions never were or
are no longer Presbyterian. This is an issue of confessional integrity
that they must wrestle with and resolve. Will we be led and guided by
our confessions—even though our personal conviction changes? “The grass
withers and
the flowers fall, but the word of our
God stands
forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
Some may complain that this document is too focused on doctrine. That’s
because this is a document about what Presbyterians essentially
believe. Yes, the Christian faith is about much more than doctrine. It
is about God finding us and our finding salvation, community, healing,
love, and life in all its fullness. But these wonderful realities are
founded on certain truths revealed in God’s Word. That’s why theology
matters and why doctrine is foundational and critically important.
Choosing to be Presbyterian means understanding and embracing
Presbyterian doctrine.
Therefore, it is entirely appropriate and even necessary for the
ordained leadership of the church to diligently direct, teach, correct,
and
make inquiry concerning the doctrines that elders, deacons, and
ministers of Word and Sacrament “sincerely receive and adopt”—that
these doctrines are consistent with the Bible and our Reformed
standards.
This document—6 essentials and 7 distinctives—is our thoughtful and
intentional effort to fulfill that responsibility.
Section
1 – Essential Tenets
Authority of Scripture
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are God’s uniquely revealed
and written Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and are the
church’s
first and final authority in all areas of faith and life including, but
not limited to, theological doctrine, mission, church order,
character,
and ethical behavior.
The Bible speaks to us with the authority of God himself. We seek to
understand, love, follow, obey, surrender, and submit to God’s
Word—both Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, and the Scriptures, the
written Word of God, which bear true and faithful witness
to Jesus
Christ.
Scripture
Matthew 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Confessions
Second Helvetic Confession 5.001, 5.003, 5.010
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.006, 6.009
Larger Catechism 7.113-114
What is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that seeks to invalidate or subvert scriptural teaching concerning
what is to be believed or how we are to live;
•that attempts to subordinate biblical authority to any human
authority, cultural norm, or ideology— whether religious,
ecclesiastical,
governmental, political, economic, psychological,
sociological,
scientific,
historical, philosophical, or other—as though the church
should listen
primarily to another voice than the voice of the Lord Jesus
Christ as
expressed in Scripture;
• that seeks or asserts a revelation from the Spirit of God which
contradicts the Bible as Word of God, or that attempts to separate
the
Spirit from the Spirit-inspired words of Scripture,
or that elevates
the authority or modernity of the Spirit’s revelation above the
revelation of Scripture;
• that rejects as historical fact the witness of Scripture to the
incarnation, birth, ministry, miracles, death, resurrection, and
ascension
of Jesus Christ (as, for example, summarized in 1
Corinthians 15:3-7 and Acts 10:38);
• that seeks to follow a “Jesus Christ” apart from the Person, Work,
and Will of Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture.
• that regards Scripture as subjectively, but not objectively, God’s
written Word, or that maintains the Scriptures contain the Word
of God,
but are not in themselves the Word of
God.
Orthodox reformed faith does not include any notion of a Church
“reformed
and reforming” that moves outside the boundaries of
the
authority of Christ and
confession of his Lordship which are clearly
revealed in Scripture. Or
any ecclesiology or morality that attempts to subvert
the headship of Jesus Christ and the
authority of
Scripture in the interests of an “inclusive” and
overbroad institutional concern for “unity,
peace, and purity.” Jesus Christ is Lord of
the church, and
he rules the church through the written word of Scripture, illumined by
the Holy Spirit.
God We worship the
one, only living and true God who is revealed in the
Bible and who is the source of all life, glory, goodness,
and
blessedness.
Trinity. With the
holy catholic church in all ages, we confess the mystery of the holy
Trinity—that there is one God alone, infinite
and eternal, Creator of
all things, the greatest good, who is one in essence or nature, yet who
exists in a plurality of three distinct
persons—the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Creation/Providence/Sovereignty.
God in the beginning created the universe and everything in it for the
manifestation of God’s
glory, eternal power, wisdom, and goodness. He
is the sovereign ruler of creation, working all things according to the
counsel of
his omnipotent and righteous will. In gracious
providence
God continually upholds, directs, oversees, and governs creation—all
creatures, actions, and things.
In sovereignty God has seen
fit to accommodate free will among moral creatures, resulting in great
cultural and cosmic good and
terrible evil, disorder, and disobedience.
Nevertheless, God is in no way the author of evil or sin, but continues
to govern creation
in such a way as to cause all things to work
together for good for those who love God and are called according to
his purpose.
God opposes all evil and will certainly triumph over
it
and bring creation to a glorious consummation.
Grace. God is a God of love. In
grace God chooses to show love and mercy. When we were dead in
trespasses and sin, God
made us alive with Christ, saving us by grace
through faith, as a sheer gift of sovereign love.
Worship. God—and God alone—is
worthy of worship. We respond to God by consciously and intentionally
seeking to declare,
explore, celebrate, and submit to God’s righteous
and gracious kingship over all of creation and over every aspect of our
individual and corporate life, and thereby “ to
glorify him and enjoy
him forever.” (Westminster, 7.01) This is true worship.
Scripture
Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:4-5; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm
47:2; Isaiah 45:5
Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:35; John 14:26; Romans 1:23;
8:28; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:7-11; Jude 1:25;
Revelation 4:11
Confessions
Nicene Creed 1.1, 1.3
Scots Confession 3.01
Heidelberg Catechism 4.027
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.011-6.014
Larger Catechism 7.01
Brief Statement of Faith 10.1
What Is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that denies this doctrine of God’s triune nature, or refuses to
confess the Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
• that minimizes this doctrine as an unessential or secondary Christian
tenet;
• that asserts that all religions are essentially true, that all
religious beliefs are essentially in accord; or that the views of God
held
by the world’s major religions are equally
valid;
• that confesses or celebrates belief in multiple gods or goddesses, or
that identifies God as a goddess, or that worships God’s
uncreated
glory through idols or images
representing creatures or creation.
The biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty excludes:
• the notion that, if God is sovereign, our human efforts are in vain;
• the deistic notion that God created the cosmos like a watchmaker but
is no longer personally involved in its operation or unfolding;
• any theology that denies or downplays the reality of evil or the
enmity between evil and a holy God or the moral responsibility
of
humankind for sin.
Humanity – Original Righteousness and
Fall into Sin
Human beings were created by God in God’s own image—in true
righteousness and holiness—to know, love, and obey God and be
righteous
stewards of the creation. Our earliest forebears, instead of
acknowledging, worshiping, and obeying God, became
disobedient sinners
and brought sin and death upon themselves and all creation.
There is now a radical brokeness and corruption in human nature that is
the result of and results in sin. Sin is rebellion against God.
No
human effort can fully resolve or redeem this defect. Sin is
destructive,
contagious, parasitical,
polluting, disabling. Human beings
are sinners by nature, by influence,
by choice, by action.
While there is an inalienable glory and nobility to human beings
because they are God’s image bearers, this image is now broken and
distorted, and even our best and noblest actions are contaminated by
sin. Every part of our human being—our personality, intellect,
emotions, will, motives, virtues, and actions—is corrupted by sin. The
human will, originally free and righteous, is now crippled and
defective.
As a result, human beings are in bondage to sin and subject to God’s
holy judgment. Without God’s intervening grace and salvation, they
are
lost and condemned.
Scripture
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalms 51:5, 143:2; Jeremiah 17:9
Matthew 15:19-20; Romans 3:10-23; 5:18-19; 7:18-23;
8:7; Ephesians 2:1-3
Confessions
Scots Confession 3.03
Heidelberg Catechism 4.005, 4.006, 4.010
Larger Catechism 7.135, 7.137
Confession of 1967 9.12-13
Brief Statement of Faith 10.3
What Is Not Affirmed
• The notion that human nature is basically good and self-redeemable
through good effort, discipline, improved environment, etc.
• The notion that man’s defective nature is the result of heredity or
environment to such a degree that human beings are not morally
responsible for their nature or
behavior.
• The notion that God is the author of sin or that sin is part of his
original plan to educate and improve humankind.
Jesus Christ – Incarnation of the
Eternal Word
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. In the person of Jesus of
Nazareth, the eternal Son of God uniquely entered human history
and
became a real human being. He is truly the Word of God (John
1:1-3)—that is, the perfect and culminating expression of God’s
mind
and heart, of God’s will and character—present in the intimate
fellowship of the Holy Trinity from eternity and fully engaged with
the
Father in the work of creation and redemption.
Becoming human, Jesus was “all of God in a human body” (Colossians
1:19) and “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)—a living tabernacle
of God’s
holy presence, “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14-18). His
divine-human identity is corroborated by the true witness of
Scripture—in his divine conception and virgin birth, in God’s own
testimony concerning Jesus, in Jesus’ supernatural works of healing
and
deliverance, in his obedience to the point of sacrificial death, and in
his bodily resurrection from the dead, ascension, and exaltation.
He is
now Lord over everything in creation.
The early church in the creeds of Nicea and Chalcedon accurately
interpreted and expressed the apostolic testimony concerning
Jesus—
fully God and fully human. The significance of this is: in Christ we
are dealing with God himself;
in Christ we have a human being who
truly represents us.
Jesus Christ is God’s only Mediator between God and humankind and God’s
unique agent for the salvation of the world. He is also the
perfect
expression of what humanity was designed to be. In his complete
obedience, he became the representative Human Being, a
second Adam,
modeling for us human life and offering to God on our behalf human life
that is rightly in God’s image— reflecting God’s
glory in a wholly
submitted life of steadfast love and righteousness.
This same Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, as attested in
Scripture, is to be the center of the Christian Church’s
proclamation,
worship, discipleship, and mission. As we eagerly and prayerfully
anticipate that “he will come again to judge the living
and the dead”
and to establish God’s righteous kingdom in fullness and perfection, we
say, “Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
Scripture
Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1-3, 14-18;
Romans 5:18-19; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:15-20;
1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 John 4:2-4
Confessions
Nicene Creed 1.1-1.2
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.044
Confession of 1967 9.07-9.08
Brief Statement of Faith 10.2
What Is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that affirms the deity but not the full humanity of Christ, or the
humanity but not Christ’s full deity (as, for example, the Jehovah’s
Witnesses do);
• that asserts that Jesus was an inspired or extraordinary or holy man,
but was merely human in nature and not the incarnation in
history of
the eternal Son of God;
• that attempts to supplement the authoritative revelation of the Old
and New Testament Scriptures concerning Jesus Christ and
proposes a
corrected or revised revelation of Jesus (as, for example, the Book of
Mormon and Mormon
teaching do);
• that discounts or discredits as untrue or as myth all or portions of
the New Testament record concerning Jesus;
• that does not affirm as biblical and true the death of Christ as the
central saving act of our Christian faith, or
• that asserts that Jesus is merely one example, however noteworthy, of
a divinely approved or divinely enlightened life;
• that asserts that Jesus is one Mediator between God and humankind
among other religious options or among other spiritual or
enlightened
teachers or mediators;
• that contends that the Jesus Christ attested by Scripture is
essentially and significantly different from the historic Jesus of
Nazareth;
• that misrepresents Jesus’ mission in terms compatible with pantheism
or as a message of human self-fulfillment and divine
self-realization,
that God is one being with the world or that human beings are
essentially divine, and that all religious truth is
harmonious and
convergent.
• that detracts from Jesus’ supreme authority over every human
authority, over the church, and over our individual moral lives.
Jesus Christ – His Atoning Work
Jesus’ death on the Cross was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the
world. In this act of obedience to God’s will and love for
humankind,
Jesus acted as the divine agent for the salvation of the world. In his
death he perfectly fulfilled the office of High Priest
and was also the
perfect sacrifice for sins— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world.” (Jn 1:29) The Cross
became an altar on which his life was
sacrificed as a substitute for ours, and satisfaction and expiation for
sins were completely
accomplished. On the sole basis of the finished
work of Christ on the Cross, sinners may now be reconciled to a holy
God and set
free from their bondage to sin and death to live for God in
holiness and joy.
Exalted to the place of honor beside God the Father, Jesus Christ the
eternal Son, now Lord of heaven and earth, continues his
saving work,
advocating and interceding on behalf of the church and functioning as
our eternal prophet (God’s living and revealed
Word), priest (ever
making intercession and mediation for us), and king (ruling his church
by Word and Spirit and with sovereign
love and power).
Scripture
Matthew 1:21; Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 1:23-25; 2:2;
15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; Galatians 3:13; 6:14;
Ephesians 1:19-23; Hebrews 9:11-12; 1 Peter 3:18; 1
John 2:2
Confessions
Scots Confession 3.09
Heidelberg Catechism 4.031, 4.037
Confession of 1967 9.09
What Is Not Affirmed
Any theology—
• that does not affirm as biblical and true the death of Christ as the
central saving act of our Christian faith, or
• that rejects these teachings—atonement, substitutionary sacrifice,
expiation for sins on the basis of Christ’s death—as obsolete,
unworthy, unessential, or
irrelevant, or
•that seeks to substitute some other basis or to promote some “more
culturally relevant paradigm” for our salvation, justification,
and
reconciliation with God than Christ’s death on the Cross for us.
We also do not affirm the notion that Christ’s atoning work is
universally applied to all or most of the human race, so that all or
most are saved, regardless of their religion or non-religion and apart
from hearing the gospel and
believing in Christ.
Salvation by Grace through Faith
Salvation is God’s gracious work through Jesus Christ to reclaim
humankind and all creation from sin and its consequences.
Salvation is
a gift of God’s grace received by faith. Christ’s righteousness and
atonement are the sole basis for human salvation.
Faith in Christ is
the only instrument by which this righteousness is received by
individual believers, resulting in their justification.
Justification is the righteousness of Christ imputed to a sinful woman
or man through faith alone in Christ. Their faith appropriates
Christ’s
atonement, resulting in their sins atoned for and forgiven and God
reckoning them to be righteous.
Scripture also describes salvation as a ransom or redemption from
slavery (Mark 10:45); a sacrificial substitution (Christ’s death
for
our death); reconciliation of sinners with a holy God; our sins being
sacrificially expiated, satisfied, covered over, forgiven, and
removed.
All of these ways describe how God has given us “the forgiveness of
sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation out of
sheer grace solely for the sake of Christ’s saving work.” (Heidelberg,
4.021)
Faith is (1) accepting the message of salvation as true and (2)
trusting God to apply this salvation to us. Faith is “certain
knowledge”
and “wholehearted trust,” that is created in us by the Holy Spirit and
the Word of God. In faith we
accept, receive, and rest “upon
Christ alone for justification,
sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.”
(Westminster, 6.080)
Scripture
Mark 10:45; John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:22-26; 5:1;
Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9
Confessions
Second Helvetic Confession 5.107-109, 5.112-113
Heidelberg Catechism 4.021, 4.060
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.080
Brief Statement of Faith 10.4
What is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that asserts that salvation can be obtained through other religions
or that other religions have equally valid solutions to
the human
problem, or that there is salvation in some other name besides Jesus
Christ
• that denies the radical sinfulness of human beings, their
condemnation before a holy God, that denies that human beings are
lost
apart from Christ, or denies their need for a Savior
• that teaches that God saves or will save everybody (or nearly
everybody) regardless of their faith in Jesus Christ or whether
they
hear the gospel or not or whetherthey put their faith explicitly in
Jesus Christ or not.
Section
2 – Reformed Distinctives
Election for Salvation and Service
Our salvation and sanctification are based entirely on God’s initiative
and God’s grace. It is not primarily about our choice
but God’s choice.
The Reformed understanding of election is that God has chosen us in
Christ for salvation and service—
• To be redeemed,
• To be God’s own “treasured possession,” a holy nation and a kingdom
of priests,
•To live holy and exemplary lives, zealous for good works,
• Resulting in praise for the glory of God’s grace. Our salvation is
not an accident we stumble into or a destiny we create. It is
God’s
gracious purpose for our life and it is for God’s glory.
God has elected us out of grace. God has elected us from eternity. We
are elected in Christ, that is— Christ is God’s elected
Son, chosen to
redeem God’s creation and to be Mediator and Savior for humankind. Our
election is not direct, but indirect—
we are elected on account of
Christ, with the result that those who are now grafted into Christ by
faith are also to be elected.
As those chosen by God, we are predestined to be conformed to the image
of Jesus. Our purpose, then, is to glorify God by
our redeemed and
sanctified life.
Our faith in Christ and our good works are evidence and confirmation
that we are chosen by God to be His.
Election is a doctrine intended to reassure Christians of the security
of their salvation and of the steadfast love of God for them,
and to
instill in them a sense of divine purpose and a zeal for good works.
A person may know with complete assurance, on the basis of the promises
of Scripture and God’s faithfulness, that if they are
trusting in
Christ for their salvation, they indeed are in Christ and are elected.
Scripture
Psalm 139:16
John 15:5, 8, 16; Ephesians 1:4-7, 11-13; Ephesians 2:10;
2 Timothy 1:9
Confessions
Scots Confession 3.08
Second Helvetic Confession 5.052, 5.053, 5.059-60
What Is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that denies God’s initiative in calling persons to Himself.
• that asserts that all people will ultimately be reconciled to God.
• that asserts a profession of faith without bearing any fruit.
Covenant and Covenant Life
Covenant, in the cultural context of the Bible, described the strongest
relationship of love and loyalty between persons.
It was a solemn
relationship and bond, often with explicit oaths and obligations, often
sealed solemnly with the blood of
sacrifice. Reconciliation after
hostility and conflict was often marked by a covenant ceremony. A
covenant was entered
into by faith as a relationship of trust and
solemn promises; it was held together by faithfulness. Covenant
faithfulness led
to blessing and life; breaking covenant invoked a
curse. Covenants described the relationship between rulers and
subjects,
wife and husband, business partners, neighboring nations. God
adapted this covenant model to describe his special
relationship and
bond with the people he redeemed.
God’s covenants had different forms and details at different times in
salvation history (for example, with Noah, Abraham,
Moses, and David),
but they reflected a single sovereign and gracious purpose to redeem,
sanctify, and preserve
a people who
belonged to God. The divine covenant was always initiated
by God; it was sustained by God’s faithfulness in spite of humankind’s
history of unfaithfulness; it was an expression of God’s steadfast love
(Hebrew, hesed); and it reached a culmination and fullness
in the “new
covenant” (Luke 22:20) established and perfected by Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, the promised Messiah, we encounter personally and directly
the Mediator of God’s perfect and everlasting covenant
(Hebrews 9:15).
Jesus has perfectly fulfilled the obligations of the covenant for us;
he has demonstrated complete faithfulness
to God as a covenant partner.
In his substitutionary death he took on himself the curse for our
covenant breaking, ended the
hostility our sins had caused, reconciled
us and made us right with God. Those who put their faith in Christ are
spiritually united
with him, enter the new covenant where there is
salvation and redemption, become members of the covenant community
called
the church, and enjoy the covenant promises of eternal life and
blessing.
Every believer is called to be a faithful and participating member of a
local church, where “the community of the new covenant”
has local
expression and where they can be discipled into holiness and maturity.
The community of the new covenant is to be a
demonstration of the
supernatural reality and power of the kingdom of God—what the world
looks like and might become where
God is acknowledged as King; a
community of love and wholeness; a ministry extending the healing,
deliverance, and grace that
marked the life of Jesus and his disciples.
Scripture
Genesis 6:18; 9:8-17; 17:1-8; Exodus 19:3-6; 2
Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 31:3134
Luke 22:20; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:12-13; Hebrews
9:15; 1 Peter 2:9-10
Confessions
Scots Confession 3.16
Second Helvetic Confession 5.125-5.126
Confession of 1967 9.31
What Is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that promotes a covenant life which is to be lived out in a solitary
manner, devoid of community;
• that suggests that covenant life need not be different than the life
of the unbeliever in any profound way;
• that would seek to lay the foundation of our covenant life on
anything other than or contrary to God’s Word.
Sacraments
The church receives from the Lord Jesus Christ two sacred and symbolic
actions, called sacraments, which enact and
perform (symbolize and
seal) the promises of the gospel. These sacraments are Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is the sign and seal of incorporation into Christ and of the
washing away of sin through his sacrifice. Baptism publicly
acknowledges that the one baptized is part of the covenant community of
faith. Baptizing infants reminds us
that God reaches
out to us even before we are able to respond in faith.
The Lord’s Supper, using bread and wine, is the sign and seal of our
ongoing communion with the living Christ and of his life
continuing to
nourish us. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper, we give thanks as we
remember that Christ lived for us, Christ died
for us and Christ will
come again.
Both sacraments point to and remind us of the holy sacrifice of Christ
for us. The Holy Spirit uses these sacraments—the
common signs of water
and of bread and wine, combined with the promises in the gospel of
eternal life and
forgiveness through
Christ—to convey grace, salvation, and the real
presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, which are received in faith by the
believing
community in their worship together.
Scripture
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2: 38-39,42; 16:31-33; Romans
6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-26; 12:13
Confessions
Heidelberg Catechism 4.066, 4.069-4.071, 4.074, 4.075
Second Helvetic Confession 5.169, 5.175, 5.205
Shorter Catechism 7.094, 7.096
Confession of 1967 9.51, 9.52
Brief Statement of Faith 10.4
What Is Not Affirmed
• that the physical body and blood of Jesus are actually present in the
Lord’s Supper
• that there are other sacraments besides the two instituted by the
Lord Jesus
• that other sacraments can be instituted as the church deems suitable
such as milk and honey, etc.
• that these sacraments are mere symbols or do not involve a
supernatural presence of Christ or do not supernaturally perform
what
they signify, that is, wash from sins and nourish us with Christ’s very
life
• that the sacraments confer grace whether or not they are received in
faith
Sanctification and the Work of the
Holy Spirit
The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the individual and
collective life of believers effects real transformation—a life of
increasing holiness, righteousness, power, and love, as we are changed
more and more into the image of Christ. Though
Christians are marred by
sin and imperfect until Christ returns, there is a substantial
manifestation of the righteousness and
power of the kingdom
of God in the believer, the church, and the world through the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit connects us to the life
of Christ and releases in us the supernatural and saving power of
Christ’s life, death, resurrection,
and glory.
Scripture
Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Galatians 5:22-25;
Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Confessions
Scots Confession 3.12
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.075-6.077
Shorter Catechism 7.035
Larger Catechism 7.188
What Is Not Affirmed
Any doctrine—
• that proclaims that total perfection occurs in this lifetime. (1
Corinthians 13:10-12)
• that proclaims “As though there were areas of our life in which we
would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords—
areas in which we
do not need justification and sanctification through Him.” (Barmen
Declaration, 8.15)
Priesthood of All Believers
Every believer, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, is called to participate
in his priestly ministry. A priest functions to reconcile people
to
God. Jesus Christ is the eternal high priest of God’s new covenant, who
offered himself as an atoning sin offering on our
behalf and who is our
eternal advocate before the throne of God. “God was in Christ
reconciling the world to himself.” All
believers are called as
disciples to do this ministry of Jesus—to participate in his priestly
work of reconciling the world to God
by proclaiming the gospel, doing
the works of Jesus, and manifesting the reality and power of the
kingdom of God in the world.
This ministry is not reserved exclusively
for ordained clergy and officers, but is the vocational privilege and
responsibility of
every Christian.
Scripture
Exodus 19:6
Matthew 10:1, 6-7; 28:18-19; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 14, 27; 2 Corinthians
5:18-20, 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:5-6
Confessions
Second Helvetic Confession 5.153
Confession of 1967 9.31, 9.38
Mission of the Church
God’s redeeming and reconciling work in the world was accomplished
through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
and continues
through the church, the body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the
salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and
spiritual fellowship
of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the
preservation of the truth; the promotion
of social righteousness; and
the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world.
Jesus Christ, as the Lord of the church, calls the church into being,
declares its mission, and supernaturally equips it for its
work. Its
mission is:
• To be the provisional demonstration of the new reality God intends
for humanity;
• To proclaim the good news of salvation by the grace of God through
faith in Jesus Christ, leading persons to repentance,
acceptance of
Christ as Savior and Lord, and new life as his disciples;
• To make disciples of all nations;
• To demonstrate new life in Christ tangibly through its love for one
another and the quality of its common life together,
sharing in
worship, fellowship, and nurture, practicing a deepened life of prayer
and service under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit;
• To participate in God’s activity in the world through its life for
others. The church is to commit itself fully to this mission, waiting
for and hastening the Lord’s
coming again.
Scripture
Matthew 9:36-38, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15; 2
Peter 3:10-13
Confessions
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.058
Confession of 1967 9.06, 9.43, 9.44-9.46
What Is Not Affirmed
Any witness of the Church—
• that distorts the gospel message or holds it captive to culture;
• that seeks justice apart from the truth of Christ;
• that elevates sociology, psychology, education or any other
discipline above the clear witness of Scripture;
• that self-righteously appeals to others to live faithful and obedient
lives rather than acknowledging the Church’s reliance on the
grace of
God and the power of the Holy Spirit in its own life and witness;
•that is motivated by anything other than the love of Christ.
Stewardship
God has given us all that we have and all that we are. He charges us
with the responsibility of using all our abilities and gifts in his
faithful service and to his glory—and especially to further the work
and mission of the church, to relieve suffering and help the
poor, to
resist the devil and overcome evil. In particular God has ordered us to
manage and care for creation as grateful stewards
and obedient
servants.
Jesus Christ is Lord of every area of our life—our spiritual life and
our physical life; our social life including marriage, politics,
justice,
and culture; our intellectual life; our work life and our recreational
life; the use of our bodies, our
possessions, our resources, and our
money. We are to be stewards of all
of these things to manifest and extend the kingdom of God in the world,
to extend the gospel to
the uttermost parts of the earth, and to bring
glory to the name of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Scripture
Psalm 24:1
Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Titus 2:14; 1
Peter 4:8-11
Confessions
Larger Catechism 7.251
Confession of 1967 9.46
Brief Statement of Faith 10.33, 10.38