I will rather confess my faith than argue it....

Confession of Faith

I believe in God, the Almighty, Father, Creator
of heavens and earth,
and in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son, our Lord,
conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary,
who under Pontius Pilate suffered and was crucified,
who descended into hell, died and was buried
and on the third day according to the Scriptures rose
from the dead,
who ascended to heaven and sits on the right hand of
the power of God,
hence He shall come to judge the living and the dead,
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
I believe one Christian Church of the elect,
the holy communion of believers,
the forgiveness of sin, the everlasting life and the resurrection,
in the glorified body of flesh.

I believe the Scriptures, the true, only and closed canon
of authority for and in the faith, doctrine and living.
God speaks in the Scriptures
through his Spirit in the Congregation
of the Son in Whom we have life.

The Election of God :
The reconciliation and justification in Jesus Christ of those
according to God’s Eternal Predestination and Purpose
in Covenant of Grace elected and
in the Baptism of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit
sealed and attested in regeneration and sanctification
of repentance and conversion, of redemption from sin, and
of growth and perseverance in faith.

The Lord’s Supper of bread, wine and the washing of feet,
as through faith partaking
of Jesus Christ, of his body and of his blood,
his Salvation proclaiming and Return expecting.

The Lord’s Day
the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,
for God concerning the Seventh Day thus spoke,
and God on the Seventh Day from all his works rested
according to the working of the exceeding greatness
of his mighty power which He wrought in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead
and finished all his works He had made
to reign, the King, for ever and ever.

 

If I believed I will confess. But what is it to confess on one's own? It's not confession. My faith must needs be the Faith of US; my confession is confession ONLY in and with and as the Congregation of Christ's, in the world, before God. Else it's useless, and therefore worthless, monologue.

Now the implication of THIS....!?

 

The implication of this is confrontation with and division within the One Body of Believers.

Is division then a bad thing, or the inevitable GOOD of faithful Confession?

 

GE:

Yes; if you look at the threads on this forum, you will see 'contend' is about all I do. It exhausts one. I find no fun in my contending all the time; it's wearisome. But I guess it's one's duty as a believer.

I try while I engage in contentions, to confess, as far as possible. Many times those confessions developed into Scriptural Analyses. (my terminology) Karl Barth's theology became known as something similar to 'analytical / dialectical theology' .... I just can't remember the exact word now .... However, I would that my 'theology' be characterised by two concepts: Scriptural and Confessional. It leaves the impression of my dual loyalty to the Christian Faith towards the Scriptures first and equally towards the Christian Church as a result. Call it 'orthodox'; but that term has obtained connotations the very contrary of my approach to The Faith. The same for 'orthodox'. 'Fundamental'? Too much of 'jihadian' stuff attached. Therefore simply what I mean in practice: To the Scriptures and faithful to the Body of Christ's Own of all times and eras despite divisions and contentions.