Burtchurch Rooted and Grounded (Colossians 2:7)


Lesson 19 — Presbyterian Essentials
February 21, 2008, 10.02. 29.
Filed under: 19 - Essentials

   When we ordain people in our church to leadership positions we ask them several questions of faith which includes: 

            (3) “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 by those confessions as you lead the people of God?”

            The author Jack Rogers, who among his many claims to fame served as Moderator of the denomination, did his best to distinguish them and delineated the following ten:

                        Sovereignty                              Trinity

                        Incarnation                               Justification

                        Scripture                                  Election

                        Covenant                                  Stewardship

                        Sin                                           Obedience

Here, then are the Ten Essentials of Reformed Faith…

Presbyterians are people of three books:

  • The Bible
  • The Book of Confessions
  • The Book of Order

The Book of Confessions and The Book of Order comprise the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church.

The Book of Order lists ten doctrines (beliefs) which we Presbyterians take to be essential to our faith:

    Two are shared with the one catholic, apostolic Church:

  1. The mystery of the Trinity.
  2. The Incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-14)Two are identified with our affirmation of the Protestant Reformation:
  3. Justification by grace through faith. (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9)
  4. The Scriptures as the final authority for salvation and faithful living. (II Timothy 3:16)

    Sola gratia — grace alone
    Sola fide — faith alone
    Sola scriptura — Scripture alone

    Six express the faith of the Reformed tradition:

  5. The Sovereignty of God. (Psalm 103:19)
  6. God’s choosing (Election) of people for service and for salvation. (Ephesians 2:10)
  7. The Covenant life of the Church, ordering itself according to the Word of God.
  8. A faithful Stewardship of God’s creation.
  9. The sin of idolatry, our tendency to make created things ultimate, rather than worshipping only the Creator.
  10. The necessity of Obedience to the Word of God.

“Thus the creeds and confessions of this Church reflect a particular stance within the history of God’s people. They are the result of prayer, thought, and experience within a living tradition. They serve to strengthen personal commitment and the life and witness of the community of believers.” The Book of Order, Chapter II (G 2.0500)

                       

Leave a Comment