| I agree with moderator Jack Rogers,
who recently spoke of the dangers of making an oversimplified
statement of faith. Yet, when he was my professor in 1984, he
oversaw my work of distilling my beliefs into a three-paragraph
token statement of faith for the Candidates’ Committee of
the Presbytery of the Pacific. I created that short statement
in the context of Scripture, as guided by the Book of Confessions,
but not to replace either of them.
In this spirit, Judy and I offer the three affirmations below,
not as a statement of faith in itself, but to add our voice to
the present conversations in our beloved denomination. We are
guided by our understanding of Scripture, by the Book of Confessions
in general, and by the Westminster Confession of Faith in particular.
Affirmation One
Scripture (WCF 1:2 [BOC6.002]):
God’s written word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments,
is the Church’s only standard for faith and life (2 Timothy
3:16). In the Bible, we find the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17;
Deuteronomy 5:1-21) and the commands of Jesus (throughout the
Gospels), with which He tells us to train disciples (Matthew 28:20).
Jesus focused in particular on His new commandment that we love
each other “as I have loved you” (John 13:34; 14:31;
15:12). Without love, we are, no matter how orthodox our theology
or righteous our actions, nothing but noisy gongs or clanging
cymbals (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Affirmation Two
Jesus Christ (WCF 8:1 [BOC6.043]):
We are saved by no other name under heaven (Acts 4:12) than Jesus
Christ, who alone is Lord (Philippians 2:11) and the only mediator
between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Though God does not wish
that any should perish (1 Peter 3:9), people do perish because
of their refusal to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thessalonians
2:10; Jeremiah 29:13); however, Jesus still loves even those who
refuse to follow (Mark 10:21).
Affirmation Three
Holiness (WCF 12-13 [BOC6.074-6.077]; WCF 24 [BOC6.131, 6.133]):
Upon adoption (Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:5; John 1:12), we receive
the Spirit of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:15), which
makes us heirs of salvation (1 Peter 1:3-4; Hebrews 1:14). This
begins the war of the Spirit against the flesh (Romans 7:23; Galatians
5:17; 1 Peter 2:11) in which we strive for the holiness without
which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 73:1; Matthew
5:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 7:1). Thankfully, it is He who began
the good work in us who will bring us to completion at the day
of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8).
In one area of holiness (WLC Q 134-136 [BOC7.244-7.246]), we
speak for protection for the unborn. We open our mouths to protect
the lives of the innocent (Proverb 31:8-9, cf. Exodus 21:18-36)
unborn children (Psalm 139:13-16), since God knew us even before
He formed us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5).
In another area of holiness (WLC Q 137-139 [BOC7.247-7.249]),
we speak for righteous relationships. Scripture limits marriage
to that between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6).
Outside of this bond, Scripture forbids adulterous contact (1
Corinthians 6:9-10) including even unclean imaginations, thoughts,
purposes, and affections (Matthew 5:28; 25:19; Colossians 3:5).
I cannot cast any stones, since I have also sinned (John 8:7).
But if we do confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John
1:9), upon which Jesus tells us, as he told the woman caught in
the act of adultery, to go and sin no more (John 8:11; cf. John
5:14).
In these and in all areas of holiness, God calls us to love him
with our whole heart, with our whole self, and with our whole
everything (Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 13:13; 30:2,6; Matthew 22:34-40;
Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37). Best of all, God promises to let
us find Him when we seek Him with our whole heart (Deuteronomy
4:29; 30:9-10; 1 Samuel 7:3; 1 Kings 2:4; 8:22-61; 14:8; 2 Kings
22:1-23:25; 2 Chronicles 6:12-7:3; Jeremiah 29:13-14; Psalm 9:1;
Proverb 3:5-6; Jeremiah 29:11-14; Joel 2:12-14; Zephaniah 3:14-20;
Ephesians 5:18-20).
We offer these three affirmations in the spirit of Love.
Sincerely,
Andy & Judy Carrick
Evangelistic PC(USA) Missionaries to Japan
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
92 |
