My two minute speech during debate on 10-A-(removal of our fidelity and chastity clause): Just as I posted my five minute presentation on Belhar below, I am posting this with the hope it might help someone. With this particular speech I decided that the best action to take was to simply confess Jesus Christ. I was so impressed by all those who stood for Christ and the authority of his word, but in particular by those two pastors who read the scripture for their main emphasis. Here is the speech:
The proposed substitute for our fidelity chastity standards, 10-A, begins by suggesting that our standards for ordination reflect “the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” But if we remove the standards that the church is now in conflict over, biblical standards on sexuality, we are rejecting the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
First, to say Jesus is Lord is to recognize him as God, the eternal Son of the Father. That means that the words of Scripture are his words. They should not be rejected, twisted or ignored. When Jesus speaks of marriage being between a man and a woman as he does in Matthew 19 it is his words, but it is also his words in Leviticus 20: 13 as well as Romans and all the rest. So if the Church calls Jesus Lord, and she must, she will obey his word.
Second, the word of God is illuminated within our heart and mind by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would glorify him. That the Holy Spirit would take what is Christ’s and disclose it to his disciples. (John 16: 14-15) He also stated that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. (John17:8)
In the midst of a culture so totally given over to deviant sexuality, to resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit opens the words of Scripture to the hearts of this generation, is to reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Affirming the Lordship of Jesus, the church must be willing to live a life that is loving and yet counter-cultural, strong in faith yet winsome, holy and obedient. We cannot live that life with contradiction. Either Christ is Lord or he is not. Please vote no on amendment 10-A.
7 comments:
Thanks Viola....we vote on the ammendmant April 5th. We have 2minutes but only 30 minutes total for the discussion. Council felt all would have their minds made up coming in. Please pray. We defeated nfog by 2 votes. Belhar vote comes up in June.
I will be praying for all of you Suzanne. In June also. I'm glad that you defeated nfog. We did also as well as Belhar. But as you probably know not 10-A.
Many thanks to Viola.
We have defeated nFog, 10A and the Belhar. I was an observer at our presbytery meeting early this month and saw one leadership from NCKPC which had sent an open letter last year regarding the Belhar confession to PCUSA. I have read both the NCKPC Open Letter and your response to it. Thank you, Viola, responded nicely well done. We have to pray for others to join to defeat the 10A, nFog and the Belhar.
Hi Kim,
I keep meaning to ask you what presbytery you are in.
Sorry, Viola, for not mentioning what presbytery it was. Living in New York and Eastern Korean Presbytery is that I belong to.
Thank you.
Thanks Kim.
Thanks Kim,
I am so glad you defeated all three. The blessings of Jesus Christ on you and your Presbytery.
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