We have reached the end of reviewing the core values of Charles Town Presbyterian Church. Our sixth core value is Reformed Heritage: Embracing our identity and history as Presbyterians.
There is a very important reason this core value is last – before we are ever Presbyterians, we are Christians first. By placing this value at the “bottom of the order,” as it were, we communicate that the five core values that precede this one are more important. It is important to remember our identity, to know who we are. Every church and every denomination have history, whether that spans years or centuries. Regardless of the time span, it is important to realize that we are shaped by the history.
Every denomination or theological classification comes down to two basic points:
- How we understand God’s plan of salvation, and
- how we make decisions.
For example, Congregationalist traditions make most decisions through congregational meetings, whereas most Reformed churches have some kind of hierarchy that includes committees. And things like baptism and the Lord’s Supper are understood very differently by Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists.
Perhaps the most distinctly Reformed theology is understanding the four “solas”:
- Sola Scriptura is that idea that our first, best place to turn for information about God.
- Sola Fide means that we are justified to God by faith alone;
- Sola Christus reflects the object of that faith – that we are saved by Christ alone, for there are no other Gods except for him.
- And finally, sola gratiaby grace alone. It is God’s grace that saves us, and nothing we do on our own or for ourselves that can bring us to life eternal.
The four solas are a summation of some basic, important doctrinal distinctives we embrace as Presbyterians. Our Reformed Heritage is often minimized, but I believe it is one of the most helpful tools for understanding our Christian faith.
I hope reviewing our core values has been as source of blessing for you!
Warmly,
Pastor John