The Ten Essentials of Reformed (or Presbyterian) Christianity
Reprinted from a letter to the congregation by The Rev. Tim Hart-Andersen dated February, 1992
As persons who live in the age of information, with new ideas and trends bombarding us on a daily basis, we should take care to remind ourselves on a regular basis who we are and what we believe.
We live in a nation whose "civil religion" is often assumed (mistakenly, I think) to be synonymous with the Christian gospel. We are part of a church with hundreds of years of history, and a faith tradition that spans millennia. It is easy to take for granted the fundamentals of our Christian belief.
Below are listed the ten basic features of our Presbyterian Christian belief:
Held by all Christians:
- Trinitarian God: that God is one, but experienced in three ways or persons.
- Incarnation: that God took on human form in the person of Jesus.
Emphasized more by all Protestant Christians:
- Justification by grace through faith: that we are saved by God's grace, not by anything we do.
- Scripture as the rule of life and faith: that the word of God as contained in the Old and New Testaments is the primary authority for Christian life.
Emphasized more by Presbyterian or Reformed Protestant Christians:
- Sovereignty of God: our God is one God, and has dominion over all creation throughout all eternity.
- Election of God's people: God has chosen us for salvation and service.
- Covenant life: God's covenant of love and justice is the model for our life together.
- Stewardship of God's creation: God has entrusted us with the responsible care for all creation.
- Human tendency to sin: all human beings are sinners and stand in need of God's grace.
- Obedience to God's word: In responding to God's word we are to live and work for justice and transformation of society.
This brief list is our rich tradition of Christian faith, and provides us with a foundation on which to build as we live into the future, trusting in God's love. May God guide us on our way.
