Striving….

I’m thinking of sending this to my friend Tony one of the deacons at the small reformed church I’m connect with. I’m curious of what his comment would be on on Mike’s interpretation and the implications…maybe it’s my “stump the pastor” moment…

Despite what Mike says it does seem like it’s a form of works mentality….if I’m not mistaken I think the reformed position is that this isn’t our work…but those truly in Christ, those making a credible profession of faith and faith unto salvation….that last phrase i need to review Pastor Ganger’s sermons for the exact wording. (I did remember the quote, it’s “Wise Unto Salvation”.)

I did an AI dump summary of the Three Forms of Unity on those points below..after this quote from Mike:

“The Greek word translated here as “strive” is αγωνιζεσθε. This verb is in present tense, imperative mood, and active voice, therefore, this is a command to do something in the future which involves continuous or repeated action. This word defines action of contention or struggle for victory. Is our Lord contradicting what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8,9? No! Salvation cannot be according to merit so this striving to enter the narrow door is not in any way a suggestion that salvation could be earned or deserved through it. So, what is our Lord telling us?

Salvation is solely by grace, not by works. However, those who are saved because they are justified by faith must also strive to enter the narrow gate, which is very difficult. The entering it is not what saves them, but all who are truly saved must, nevertheless, enter this difficult way. This is another description of the cost of discipleship. Entering the narrow gate is difficult because of its high cost in terms of human pride, the demand of walking in repentance, and because to do so puts believers in opposition to the world and its ways.

Therefore, what is our Lord commanding us to do? All genuine believers are commanded to undertake a life of walking in repentance as they submit to the Lordship of Christ in all parts of their lives. This is why this is difficult and why so few respond to the real Gospel. Oh, the easy-believism versions of the gospel may fill up church pews or church rolls or evangelism success stories, but if the demands of Christ’s narrow door is laid before them, only a few would be willing to undertake it. This is why He also said that only those who take up their crosses and follow Him are really His disciples.

Within the Three Forms of Unity (the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort), these concepts serve as foundational pillars that define how a person enters the covenant community and how they are sustained within it. [1, 2, 3]

The two phrases are woven directly into these continental Reformed standards and their corresponding church liturgies:[4]

1. The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

The Catechism focuses heavily on the objective nature of faith and what must be confessed to be a part of the church. [5, 6]

“Unto Salvation” (Lord’s Day 1): The very opening of the Catechism sets this trajectory. Question 1 asks, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The famous answer concludes that Christ “preserves me… yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.” [6, 7]
The “Credible Profession” (Lord’s Day 30 & 31): While the exact English wording varies by translation, the concept of a credible profession is the mechanical gear behind Questions 81 and 82. The Catechism asks who is allowed to come to the Lord’s Table. The answer states it is for those who are displeased with themselves for their sins, yet trust that they are forgiven. It explicitly warns that those who do not show a lifestyle matching this profession (unbelievers and hypocrites) must be kept out by the elders using the “Keys of the Kingdom” (church discipline) so the covenant of God is not profaned.

2. The Belgic Confession (1561)

The Belgic Confession acts as the systematic structural framework for church membership and governance. [8, 9]

The Necessity of Profession (Article 28): It states that out of the church, there is no salvation. Therefore, all people are bound to join it, “submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof… and bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ.” In continental liturgical practice, doing this requires making a public, credible profession before the Consistory (the elders) and the congregation. [5, 10]
The Marks of True Faith (Article 29): This article outlines what makes a profession “credible.” It states that true Christians are known by the marks of a Christian: namely, faith, fleeing from sin, following after righteousness, loving the true God and their neighbor, and crucifying the flesh. If these marks are entirely absent, a verbal profession is deemed not credible. [11]

3. The Canons of Dort (1618–1619)

The Canons provide the narrow pastoral and theological defense of how a believer’s faith functions “unto salvation”. [8, 12]

Preserved “Unto Salvation” (Fifth Head of Doctrine): The Canons focus on the Perseverance of the Saints. In Article 7, it explains that even when believers fall into grievous sins, God does not let them completely lose the grace of adoption. Instead, He renews them to repentance, so that they may “seek and obtain forgiveness… and thus work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.”
How Elders Judge a Profession (Third/Fourth Head, Article 15): Dort provides direct instructions on how the church should view the professions of others. It notes that since God gives grace to whom He wills, we must judge the faith of others charitably. Church elders are to view a verbal profession as credible unless proven otherwise by scandalous behavior, noting: “With respect to those who make an external profession of faith and amend their lives, we are bound, after the example of the apostles, to judge and speak of them in the most favorable manner; for the secrets of the heart are unknown to us.” [5, 13, 14, 15]

Summary in Continental Liturgy

In modern bodies that hold to the Three Forms (such as the United Reformed Churches [URCNA], the Christian Reformed Church [CRC], or the Protestant Reformed Churches [PRC]), these historic articles dictate the Sunday morning liturgy. [1, 5, 15, 16, 17]

When the Form for the Public Profession of Faith is read, the minister explicitly states that the candidate has been examined by the Consistory regarding their knowledge and conduct. Because their lifestyle and doctrine align with the Three Forms of Unity, they are pronounced to have a credible profession—admitting them to the Table where they will be fed by Christ unto salvation. [5, 8, 12, 18]

If you’d like, I can pull up the exact questions a candidate is asked to answer in front of the congregation during a URCNA or CRC public profession of faith service. Would you like to see those? [5, 19]

[1] https://learn.ligonier.org

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org

[3] https://zcrcimus.org

[4] https://story.geneva.edu

[5] https://network.crcna.org

[6] https://rcus.org

[7] https://cornerstoneapex.org

[8] https://www.youtube.com

[9] https://www.youtube.com

[10] https://www.youtube.com

[11] https://threeforms.org

[12] https://sb.rfpa.org