On Being Reformed - Commitment #1: Submit to Scripture as the ultimate authority in all issues.

In the introductory article for this series, we saw that Christ has designed that His Church functions as a covenant community, with its members committing themselves to each other and the church, under Christ’s lordship. Now, this raises the question: where does the authority come from to determine how the church ought to live? We need to have a clear understanding of this before we can fully understand the commitments we have made in our Membership Covenant. This is why the first commitment in our Membership Covenant addresses this very question. And what we will see is that every commitment that we make ultimately comes from the conviction that God’s Word (the Bible) is our supreme authority on all things.

The basis of this understanding, for Scripture being our ultimate authority in all issues, comes from the Bible itself and specifically 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This is where we see Paul write, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 

Because Scripture is breathed out by God, every word of Scripture carries God's own authority.  We can therefore conclude that we do not need to look beyond Scripture to know God's will for His people or His Church. Because Scripture teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains us in righteousness, it is sufficient to equip God's people for every good work. It is also sufficient for our needs and for the foundation of the life of the church.

This is why Scripture alone should determine how Christ's Church is to worship, organize itself, appoint leaders, exercise discipline, and care for one another. We do not invent the structure of Christ's Church according to our own wisdom or preferences; we receive it from Christ through His Word.

As we saw in the introductory post, Scripture teaches that believers are committed members of a local church, living under Christ's authority together. That covenant commitment only has meaning if Scripture itself is the authority that defines what those commitments are. Since God's Word governs His Church, every commitment we make together must ultimately be rooted in Scripture.

Now the question becomes, what does this commitment to Scripture in the life of the church look like? We tend to gladly submit to Scripture when it agrees with our own thoughts and beliefs regarding things, but when it is something that we don’t necessarily agree with or understand, that is when submission becomes visible. This is when we need to look to Scripture, study it, and let it be what shapes our thinking as a church. It is very easy to let thoughts and ideas from culture, politics, emotions, or traditions be the main influence in our thinking, but we need to avoid this by being rooted in Scripture (Rom 12:2, Col 2:8). Regardless of how “good” something might sound to us, we need to constantly be making sure everything we do as a church is rooted in the Word of God (Acts 17:11).

This commitment also shapes the way we gather as a church. In Acts 2:42 we see that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship together. This devotion was not because the apostles themselves possessed ultimate authority, but because they faithfully proclaimed God's Word. In the same way today, our elders possess no authority apart from Scripture itself. Their authority is ministerial, not absolute, and exists only insofar as they faithfully teach God's Word.

This is why we make sure that the main part of our gathering together, each and every week, is the faithful exposition of Scripture. However, it is also why we are very careful in what songs we sing, what we say in our openings, confessions, doxology, and all aspects of our gatherings. We do this to make sure that in all things, not just the sermon, we are speaking or singing biblical truths. This is vital because the life of Christ's Church must always be centred on His Word. 

Finally, submission to Scripture means we must always be willing to reform ourselves in accordance with God's Word. This is a distinctly Reformed way of thinking. It is what is known as ‘ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda’ (the church reformed, always reforming). This idea is to keep complacency or flaws from creeping into a church. A simple way to understand this is that the church should always be changing (reforming) to be faithful to Scripture. We should never have things “set in stone” and refuse to change, but we should always be willing to change what we do if we see that something doesn’t align with Scripture.

Before we move on to the remaining commitments in this series, it is worth taking a little extra time to understand what biblical accountability looks like within the life of the church. Since every commitment in our Membership Covenant is something we have promised to help one another uphold, this principle underlies every article that follows. Also, the fact that each of the 8 commitments is rooted in Scripture means that anyone who breaks any of them is breaking this one as well. So, rather than repeating it each time, it is helpful to establish that foundation here.

Since Christ is the Head of His Church, and since He has given us His Word to guide us, we must remain firmly rooted in Scripture in everything we do. When anything contrary to God's Word begins to creep into the life of the church, every member shares the responsibility of lovingly addressing it.

Brothers and sisters, this is precisely what we promised one another when we entered into our Membership Covenant. We committed ourselves not merely to personal obedience, but to helping one another remain faithful to Christ. Accountability is therefore not optional for church members; it is part of the promise we have already made to one another. 

We also see the Scripture call us to exhort ourselves daily (Heb 3:13), restore a person/church that are living an improper way (Gal 6:1), and also called to refine and strengthen each other (Prov 27:17). And it is important to note, that we do these things not as a way to police each other, but we do it out of love for each other. Helping to steer the church and each other to godliness, since we know that it is only through God that true love abides.

In Matthew 18, Jesus gives His Church a loving process for dealing with unrepentant sin. It begins privately, with one believer (not necessarily an elder) seeking to restore another. If the person refuses to listen, others become involved, and only after refusal does the matter become one for the church. Formal church discipline, including removal from membership when necessary, is never the starting point; it is the final step after every effort has been made to lovingly call a brother or sister to repentance.

It is important to remember that the goal of church discipline is never punishment. Rather, it has two loving purposes: first, to restore the wandering believer to fellowship with Christ and His Church, and second, to protect the purity, holiness, and witness of Christ's Church. And please, if you have questions about church discipline or accountability, don't hesitate to speak with one of the elders. We'd be glad to walk through these passages with you.

We also see that holding each other accountable is a way to protect the church (Acts 20:28-31). As we see it as what it truly is, the bride of Christ, we need to love it with the same passion that Christ loves His Church. And as such, we need to be careful to protect her against any and all harm that might come her way.

Jesus commands us to protect the purity and holiness of His Church. Christ’s witness to the world becomes tainted and powerless if the church is functioning in sin and disobedience to God. This is why we, as church members, agree to the Membership Covenant, in order to help each and every individual, as well as the church, live a life pleasing to God. We need to pursue holiness together.

As we continue through each commitment in our Membership Covenant, I pray that we increasingly see that they are convictions rooted in God's Word. If Scripture truly is our highest authority, then every promise we have made to one another rests securely upon that foundation. May God give us the humility to submit to His Word, the courage to lovingly encourage one another toward faithfulness, and an ever-growing love for Christ's Church, as we pursue holiness for His glory.

With love for you all,

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor Steven Larson