» News: URCNA Synod Adopts Justification Declarations

The URCNA Synod, meeting this week in Palos Heights, IL, adopted the following statement concerning the doctrine of justiication on Thursday:

Synod affirms that the Scriptures and confessions teach the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone and that nothing that is taught under the rubric of covenant theology in our churches may contradict this fundamental doctrine. Therefore Synod rejects the errors of those:

1. who deny or modify the teaching that "God created man good and after His own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness," able to perform "the commandment of life" as the representative of mankind (HC 6, 9; BC 14);

2. who, in any way and for any reason, confuse the "commandment of life" given before the fall with the gospel announced after the fall (BC 14, 17, 18; HC 19, 21, 56, 60);

3. who confuse the ground and instrument of acceptance with God before the fall (obedience to the commandment of life) with the ground (Christ who kept the commandment of life) and instrument (faith in Christ) of acceptance with God after the fall;

4. who deny that Christ earned acceptance with God and that all His merits have been imputed to believers (BC 19, 20, 22, 26; HC 11-19, 21, 36-37, 60, 84; CD I.7, RE I.3, RE II.1);

5. who teach that a person can be historically, conditionally elect, regenerated, savingly united to Christ, justified, and adopted by virtue of participation in the outward administration of the covenant of grace but may lose these benefits through lack of covenantal faithfulness (CD, I, V);

6. who teach that all baptized persons are in the covenant of grace in precisely the same way such that there is no distinction between those who have only an outward relation to the covenant of grace by baptism and those who are united to Christ by grace alone through faith alone (HC 21, 60; BC 29);

7. who teach that Spirit-wrought sanctity, human works, or cooperation with grace is any part either of the ground of our righteousness before God or any part of faith, that is, the "instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness" (BC 22-24; HC 21, 60, 86);

8. who define faith, in the act of justification, as being anything more than "leaning and resting on the sole obedience of Christ crucified" or "a certain knowledge" of and "a hearty trust" in Christ and His obedience and death for the elect (BC 23; HC 21);

9. who teach that there is a separate and final justification grounded partly upon righteousness or sanctity inherent in the Christian (HC 52; BC 37).

The statement makes no reference to current controversies by name, but the discussion concerned a possible response to the Federal Vision controversy that has been discussed in many reformed denominations. References to "HC" are to the Heidelberg Catechism, "BC" refers to the Belgic Confession, and "CD" refers to the Canons of Dort.

The advisory committee reported to the floor of Synod a recommendation not to adopt the RCUS report concerning Norman Shepherd; grounds were supplied, but RN does not have access to those at present. Synod agreed and the RCUS report was not adopted. The nine declarations above were considered and honed by the committee and approved by Synod leading some to argue that forming a committee to study the Federal Vision would be unnecessary. The committee also recommended against a study committee to study the Federal Vision. Cornelius Venema's arguments in favor of forming a committee set the tone for passage of the idea at the Synod level. A committee was appointed to study the Federal Vision only with regard to the issue of justification by faith. The committee will report back to Synod after a period of three years. The committee consists of 14 members; as soon as the names are released, RN will be able to report on the committee's makeup.

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