Thread: Confessions and The Gospel

I posted this in my ministry blog today, and wanted to also share this with you as well.

I have been asked many times why I read the Confessions I do. Why do I go by them, and not by sola and tota scriptura (only and total scripture). The reasoning is that I do go by tota and sola scriptura, and the confessions put my beliefs found in the scripture in such a format for ease of understanding and comprehension, thus bringing a unity in doctrine with my fellow believers. In other words, the confessions I have within my knowledge are such to bring the full context of scripture to a point that bring unity based only on the totality of scripture.

But, some have asked, are confessions as important as the gospel? Absolutely not. The Gospel is the foremost vital message of the believers in Christ. Without the Gospel we have no message about God, sin, and our desperate need for Christ. After we have heard the Gospel, and God does a work in our heart, confessions help us in our understanding of biblical doctrine and principle, thus allowing us to be in unity of understanding and knowledge in our fellowship and reasoning amongst ourselves and with the world surrounding us.

Confessionalism has a definite place in the discipleship, in the governing, and in the hermeneuticalism of the Church today. Sadly, many churches are leaving the study of the confessions, and are instead opting for a more fly-by-night appraoch to untiy, which has resulted in ecumenicalism and liberal Christianity. It is only when we come into the unity of the faith, such as built and designed through a common understanding and agreement with the doctrines of the Bible and the practices of the Church that we can build upon one another in such a method which brings strength of stature and love for the Church.

In my opinion, you cannot have one without the other in the Church today. The Gospel has become compromised because we have compromised among one another the meaning of the gospel when we ceased establishing a common understanding and unity of belief among the brethren. This has become the cause of much liberal Christianity today. We ceased having the standard of God’s Word common among the believers.

Confessions have a definite and defined place in our Christianity today. While the Gospel is presented and God regenerates the hearts of the elect, confessions help the elect to have a simpler understanding of the whys of the Christian faith. When apathy steps in and we cease to be common in belief and understanding, and every man can go his own way, we become infested in liberal theology and false doctrine, humanism, and cultic worldliness.

I make no apologizes for the fact that I believe, now, in the need for confessions within the Church. Yes, I believe with solid conviction that such are essential for the unity of believers. And, in the day and age we abide in, as believers, a standard and stance of unity on doctrinal matter is viatl to our growth, maturity, and against the onslaught of carnal humanistic liberal Christianity.

Good stuff, William. I would only add that those who say "confession or the Gospel" put way too much of a dichotomy between them. Is it not true to say that the confessions embody the church's agreed upon reading of what the Gospel is?

Originally Posted by greenbaggins

Good stuff, William. I would only add that those who say "confession or the Gospel" put way too much of a dichotomy between them. Is it not true to say that the confessions embody the church's agreed upon reading of what the Gospel is?

I've been teaching the 1689 LBC during Sunday School for nearly two years. I have stated on numerous occasions that the confession is a commentary on scripture, not scripture itself. Consider the fact that, in our post-modern age, Christians approach the scripture with the desire to see what they can get out of it. IOW "what does it mean to me?" The result is an ever moving foundation.

One challenge I like to toss out to those who claim it's "confession or gospel" is to critique the confession -- prove it wrong. Test the confession's conclusion against the clear teaching of scripture. The 1689 LBC has withstood similar tests for 300+ years.

I am relatively new to much of Reformed Theology. I say this totally that I am studying confessions, both Westminster and LBCF. I want to see the unity of the Church and how these strengthen the faith of the believers in comprehension of the Word.