“Confessional orthodoxy, because its foundation is the Word of God, can be used to remind the struggling believer of what he truly believes, even as that same one is being intensely reminded of the devastating effects of sin that afflicts the Lord’s people.”

Whether formally acknowledged or not, confessional orthodoxy is a matter of  importance to every genuine Christian.  This is true even for Christians who might tend to  be put off or dismissive of the term “confessional” or “confession” on the grounds that it  either smacks of a mainline flavor, or, ironically in the opposite direction, that it sounds  too “Reformed” or “Calvinistic.”  The reason is that all those who take the Bible  seriously, and therefore take the gospel seriously, are committed to some set of  statements that summarize what they believe and which therefore govern why their  particular church functions as it does.  It may be an elaborate confession that is written  down, or it may be a set of views that are more implicit and simply part of the church’s  environment that one becomes more aware of as time goes on.  But it is most definitely  present.

We know that such confessional statements are used to test whether a visitor to a  given church will decide whether or not to settle there as an active member.  If there are  too many points of difference, the chances are high that the individual will opt for another  church where he or she shares more in common.  That in itself is a matter of pastoral  significance.  Too often these days, doctrinal concern is so low, at least in terms of the  published confessional statements one finds on the average church website, that it  appears that the general consensus is that it is better to not put down too much, lest one  lose potential members because the church was too careful and precise about theological  convictions.  Where that is the case, a tremendous amount of theological opinion can  exist under the same roof, and the glue that binds the church together ceases to be doctrine and instead shifts to things such as programs or worship style.

But for those churches who do care about theological formulation, what is the pastoral  importance of confessional orthodoxy for those who are already members of such  churches, and have been happily so for years?  It in fact shapes a number of things, such  as how the worship service is constructed, what the preaching is like, who will serve as  pastors, and what books are used (and not used) in group studies.  The overall practice of  the church, and the things that it values, are shaped significantly by the concern for  confessional orthodoxy.

In addition to directing the church’s primary tasks of preaching and teaching, it also  aids in the kind of pastoral care that is given to individual members of the congregation.   Confessional orthodoxy does not take its cues from the surrounding culture in dealing  with the problems experienced by its people.  It does not look to psychology, sociology,  or prevailing popular opinion to chart the proper course of action.

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