Presbyterian Beliefs

Before heading into the Presbyterian Church beliefs, let us have a snapshot of what the Church is all about. The Church is a unique institution founded by Christ that unites us humans on Earth together in God and in fellowship with one another. No organization, community or mission institution can replace the Church because it's an establishment that God has instituted. Mission organizations, etc. are not set up to replace the Church, but they partner with the Church to strengthen the body of Christ and spread the gospel. Moving back to the Church, the Church which is the house of God is not a building as many are mistaken to believe. The people of God are called the Church.

If the Church is one institution, then what do we make of the different denominations existing in the Christian community? The various denominations that have emerged as a result of the Protestant Reformation (spearheaded by Martin Luther) such as the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc. All these denominations believe that the "Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts". The different denominations also believe in holy trinity and that only faith in Christ leads to salvation of souls. Then, there are some minor differences among these denominations that separate them from one another. Nevertheless, we are to focus of the major issues that unite all, rather than pick on the minor issues that divide.

Brief History of the Presbyterian Church
The genesis of the basic Presbyterian beliefs can be traced all the way back to the 16th century to the profound thoughts of the French reformer John Calvin. John Calvin agreed with Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation movement (1500s). Not only did he agree with Luther, but he also refined the theology put forth by him and added some new ways of thinking about the very nature of God and God's relationship with mankind. This led to the theology called 'Reformed theology' put forth by Calvin. This theology stresses on God's supremacy on everything and the sole purpose of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy fellowship with Him forever. It was only in 1706, that the first American Presbytery was set up at Philadelphia by Rev. Francis Makemie.

Basic Presbyterian Beliefs
The basic beliefs of the Presbyterian Church are as follows:

They believe that the Bible is the revelation of God's truth in written form, inspired by the Holy Spirit. They also stand by the infallibility of the Bible and its supreme authority on matter of Christian faith and the life we are to live on Earth.

They believe in the Holy Trinity, which means they believe in One God, who exists as one unit, with three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who though are three persons, they are one. Consider an atom with protons, electrons and neutrons. Though protons, neutrons and electrons have their own identities, they form one unit called the atom, such is with the trinity.

They believe that we are all born in sin due to the sin committed by Adam. Thus, all are sinners and all have fallen short of the glory of God. The penalty of sin is death, which means man is due to die. Thus, even if you are born in a Christian family, it doesn't mean you will go to Heaven. Only Jesus Christ conquered death on the Cross, by shedding His blood for us sinners. He who had no sin, took up our sin on the cross and wiped them away from our lives. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Only through faith in Jesus Christ do we have eternal life.

They believe that there is nothing man can do to save himself from eternal death. Salvation is God's gift given through faith in Christ Jesus. Often people believe that by doing good works, one can attain salvation. However, Christianity is not about doing good works and increasing golden points in heaven. To be saved all one has to do is believe in one's heart that Jesus is Lord and confess it with one's mouth. It's as simple as this! We are saved by grace through faith and not by our good works or individual merit.

Once we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we are saved. God sends the Third Person of the Holy Trinity to dwell in us. Thus, in every believing Christian lives the Holy Spirit, who guides them, comforts them, corrects them and makes them smile. The Holy Spirit fills the Christian's heart with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is the One who gives the Christian the ability to smile in the midst of a storm and strength to press on through horrendous times.

They believe that Jesus Christ will return one day, (the day and time is not known) when He will judge all of mankind and take His people with Himself. However, till the day Jesus comes or till our final day alive on Earth, we God's children are to live for the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Presbyterians or the Presbyterian belief is distinctive from other Christian denominations in two major areas, which are as follows:

Reformed Theology
The Presbyterians follow the reformation theology set by John Calvin. This theology as we already read above focuses on the supremacy of God in our lives and how our prime purpose of existence is bringing glory to God. There are certain confessions that express the faith of the Reformed tradition. The crux of this tradition stands the affirmation of God's power, majesty, holiness, sovereignty, righteousness, love and grace.

Church Government
Presbyterian form a government body that lays stress on the active, representational leadership of priests as well as congregational members. In this Presbyterian system of church government, laypersons are elected by the people and are known as elders. These elders together with ministers exercise leadership, discipline and responsibilities for the betterment of the church. These elders are both elected and ordained, wherein by being ordained they are set apart officially for the service of God.

Take any Christian denomination and you will find that the basic Christian beliefs are the same. The foundation is the same, Jesus Christ is the truth, the way and the life and that it is only through Him that we are saved by grace through faith. No matter what Christian doctrine you hear around you, test it with what the Bible says. Any teaching, concept or theory that contradicts what is stated in the Bible is not to be accepted. Often people give up on Christianity after a bad encounter with Christians. Check for yourself what God says about Christianity in His word. We all have everything we need to live with, but nothing to live for. Try trusting in Jesus once and you will find what your heart was longing for all these decades.