Raising the Standard of Christ, Motion 3 of Chapter Passed

The USA Synod with a majority of clergy and members voting do approve the following:

From a sermon by William Bradford:

Right is right even if no one is doing it, and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Don't forget that! We are living in a wicked generation that calls evil good and good evil. The Bible speaks of this paradox of the sinful human nature. Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Desiring to raise the standard of Christ in America we in the Congregational Episcopal Church declare the need to return to our Puritan roots.  We seek to reform our denomination, churches, and families with the proven Puritan biblical principles and morals of old.

We hereby declare ourselves to be the Puritan Church in America and to be the ancestors and the stewards of Puritan teaching, tradition, and community.  We affirm the need for continual reform of self in light of the scriptures.

In the conclusion of the Jesus’ dialog with Nicodemus, John, the Evangelist, citing the Old Testament Passage- Numbers 21:9-recalls the symbolism of the bronze serpent, which through faith freed those suffering from the deadly bites of the serpents in the desert, to apply it to faith in Jesus through which they have eternal life.

Jesus is the new “bronze serpent” that instead of biting and killing, bring healing. His “bite” eliminates, at once for all, the bites of  the serpent that conquered Adam and Eve, resulting in death for all humanity.

Jesus is That one that touches us with compassion, tenderness, pardon, mercy and the love of God, His Father. His plan is that the sinner repent and is able to live.

Therefore, the dialog with Nicodemus-God wants to touch the deepest part of our being, our heart. A dialog is treated here that translates an invitation to conversion. This dialog puts in front of us two options: he who believes and he who does not believe. He who practices the love and loves darkness and he who practices the truth and draws close to the light. It falls to you to make this choice.

In this age, we are invited to conversion, to birth of the Spirit, to birth for freedom and to love, for we were made for this. Through works done in God, we unite with Jesus and we live with Him for eternity, in unity with the Father and the Spirit.

God is the only solution for our problems. Therefore, pay great attention to this: God has a plan for you. Allow yourself to be touched by the love of God.

“But to all who received Him, He gave them power to become children of God: To those that believe in Him, who were not born by blog, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by God.” (John 1:12-13) God loves you and has a marvelous plan for  your life: “Because God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that all that believe in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Man is a sinner and is separated from God: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Jesus Christ is God’s only solution for man: “And the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us of all sin.” (1 John 1:7) We need to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, through the personal invitation to conversion: “Here I am at the door, and knocking: if one hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house.” (Rev. 3:20) Therefore, do not resist! Open your door and receive Jesus as your Lord.

Our original nature is holiness, but we live in a fallen world. However, many times we do not care for our spiritual life, and, we have lack of attention in this area, we are attacked by a series of problems in our life. Know that the only solution for problems in this life is in Christ. We need to be born anew, born from God! In order that this may happen you need to receive Jesus Christ. Do not wait for later. The moment is now!

We the Puritan Church in America see the need to reform ourselves first, and then to reform our communities.  We shall raise the standard of Christ first in our churches and families then we shall raise the standard in our communities.