The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission decision says that there is no clear, discernible standard in God’s Word upon which the entire denomination can be held to account. Each ordaining body may decide for itself those standards, on a case by case basis, when faced with an ordinand.

The old country song is right, “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” In the very earliest days of the Church, Paul was concerned that some people, after having received the Gospel, then fell victim to false teachers who perverted the truth. He said to the Christians throughout Galatia, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which really is no gospel at all. Evidently,” he continues, “some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ.” (Gal. 1:6-7)

Paul knew that those who do not know what they stand for are prone to fall for anything.

Where then does the Presbyterian Church (USA) stand? On Christ alone? On the Word alone? On faith alone? On grace alone? To the glory of God alone? Or, like some immature believers in the first century church of Ephesus, has she been “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming?”

Some in the PCUSA stand with the Occupy Movement, some stand with those who oppose Israel, some stand in opposition to evangelism (if by that you mean conversion from paganism or Islam or some other religion to Christ), some stand with the effort to redefine marriage and some stand against what others stand for. We are very diverse people. Surely, though, we still have a handful of things that we stand together for. But what?

As Presbyterians, what do we stand for? What are the non-negotiables? What is that list of core theological truths that we will not amend and for which we will contend? Although every ordained officer in the post-Reunion version of the PCUSA vows to “sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith,” the denomination has never enumerated a list of essential tenets. And on April 29, 2012 the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly (GAPJC) confirmed that no normative national list exists. Not even one that might be culled from the Bible itself.

In that case, it was unsuccessfully argued that the Scriptures and the confessions are sufficiently clear on matters related to sexuality. That even though the Book of Order “fidelity and chastity” language was removed, those continue to be the manners of life consistent with Christian leadership. The GAPJC said “The Book of Confession reflects that the church listens to a multitude of voices in shaping its beliefs.” Having failed to affirm what Presbyterians stand for, many in the denomination now fall for anything.

The historic posture of the Church universal and the PCUSA as an authentic branch of it, has been to turn to God’s Word found in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as the unique and authoritative source of God’s revealed will. To the contrary, the GAPJC decision says that there is no clear discernable standard in God’s Word upon which the entire denomination can be held to account. Each ordaining body may decide for itself those standards, on a case by case basis, when faced with an ordinand. Yes, that means that each of the PCUSA’s 10,000 sessions will determine the standards for ruling elders and deacons and each of its 173 presbyteries will determine the same for teaching elders. In the days of the Judges it was said that “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”

Some people within the PCUSA believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation; but not all. Some believe that the Bible is the Word of God; but not all. Some believe that Jesus rose bodily from the dead on Easter; but not all. Some believe that the Biblical description of a complementary monogamous relationship between one man and one woman is God’s order for marriage; but not all. Some believe that Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead; but not all.

What then does the PCUSA stand for, because it would appear that she’s prone to fall for anything.

Martin Luther once profoundly said, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” He stood for Christ alone. He stood for the Word of God alone. He stood for grace alone in faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. And yes, he stood alone.

With him in Spirit, let us also stand, even in the midst of a denomination that falls for anything.

Carmen Fowler LaBerge is president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and executive editor of its publications.