Statement From Session

1. That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the only way of salvation as affirmed in Scripture and the Constitution of the PC(USA).

That “God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and made Christ Head of the Church which is his body” (G-1.0100); that “the church is called to tell the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord” (G-3.0300); and that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given among humans by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12; cf. BOC 8.10-11, 9.10-11), for, as Jesus himself proclaims “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6).

 

2. That Holy Scripture is the Triune God’s revealed Word, the Church’s only infallible and sufficient rule of faith and life as affirmed in Scripture and the Constitution of the PC(USA):

That “the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal” (G-14.0405b2); and that “the authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, depends not on the testimony of any church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof, and therefore is to be received, because it is the Word of God” (BOC 6.004, cf. 9.27); and that “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God maybe proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

 

3. That God’s people are called to holiness in all aspects of life.  This includes, but is not limited to, honoring the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate, as affirmed in Scripture and the Constitution of the PC(USA):

That “truth is in order to goodness; and the great touchstone of truth is its tendency to promote holiness, according to our Savior’s rule, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’” (G-1.0304); “that all unchastity is condemned by God, and that we should therefore detest it from the heart, and live chaste and disciplined lives, whether in holy wedlock or in single life” (BOC 4.108, cf. 5.245-246, 6.133); that “anarchy in sexual relationships is a symptom of man’s alienation from God, his neighbor, and himself” (BOC 9.47); and “Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4).