Presbyterianism is technically a form of church government, but it has also become a catch-all phrase for Presbyterians who are Reformed in conviction and adhere to Westminster Standards in doctrinal standards. Which means, being a Presbyterian is a lifestyle. It is adhering to that particular church government, and it is living your life in the light of God’s glory in His sovereignty and works of providence. It’s having an orthodoxy that leads to orthopraxy. It’s a Calvinism that is lived out for the glory of God and the enjoyment of Him forever. Being a Presbyterian isn’t always just about a session and diaconate and presbytery and synod … it’s also about being Biblically Reformed in the style of the Westminster Standards in all of our life. 

I love being Presbyterian! In this day and age when it’s popular to loudly and boldly let other people know what you stand for, I’ll say it again for the people in the back row – I LOVE BEING PRESBYTERIAN! 
I am a later convert to being Presbyterian. I was first raised in a non-churched home where we eventually started going to a Southern Baptist church in my hometown of Sumter, SC. Because of the wonderful ministry of that church, I will always be grateful to the SBC for their emphasis on the Gospel, loving Jesus and His word. It was in college at Winthrop University that I got involved with Reformed University Fellowship, which led me to a local Presbyterian church. That was the beginning of the end for me! From that point, I have been immersed in all things Presbyterian, and, I will say again, I love being Presbyterian! 
A friend of mine, John, tells the story of his journey becoming a Presbyterian. He, like me (and maybe some of you as well), was raised in a Southern Baptist church. For college, he ended up at Columbia Bible College, now known as Columbia International University. Through different classes and professors, my friend was exposed to Reformed theology and Presbyterian ecclesiology. Somewhere along the way, John realized he was no longer a Southern Baptist, but had been “converted” to Reformed Presbyterianism! This shook him up, so he went to a trusted professor and friend to talk this through. They had a good discussion, and at the end of the conversation, this professor said to my friend, “John, if you’re going to be a Presbyterian, then be a good Presbyterian to the glory of God.” That bit of advice has stuck with me since my friend, John, shared that story with me. 
What does it mean to be a good Presbyterian to the glory of God? How can we winsomely (a favorite Reformed Presbyterian word!) love being Presbyterians? I offer a few categories to think through:
Biblical
We are good Presbyterians to the glory of God when our Presbyterianism is rooted in the Scriptures. We think of Acts 15 and the church leaders meeting together as a council to discuss a Biblical issue in order to advise and direct as a council. Much like how Presbyterian synods and assemblies and presbyteries operate now, we take from Acts 15. The church officers were chosen by the people – we see that in the story of Matthias in Acts 1. When talking about church officers, Paul would use the term “presbyteros” meaning “elder.” These were the men who were called by God and chosen by their congregations to spiritually lead that particular congregation. We also see in Paul’s letters that there were a plurality of elders in the church. There are other scriptures that we could go to that shows the Biblical precedent of Presbyterianism. All told, we are good Presbyterians to the glory of God when we are Presbyterians because that is what Scripture teaches for church government. 
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We have a responsibility to be good stewards of nature. And, I think we are called to have a certain conviction to enjoy nature. Some of us may enjoy it more than others and that’s ok—just as long as we enjoy what God has given us and surrounds us with. 

One of the first Shorter Catechism questions to lodge in my mind (after #1, which all good Reformed Presbyterians know!) was #35, “What is sanctification? Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” I am sure for many of us who read this blog, this one is familiar to you as well—it has been helpful in your own spiritual growth and in counseling others in their spiritual growth as well. It reminds us that sanctification is a life-long process of God that may be painful at times, but, in the end, is all worth it, because we are being renewed after our created image.

In my own Christian life, I have been surprised by some aspects of God’s sanctification. It’s not always the “how”—I have found that primarily happens through the means of grace. It’s been more in the “what”…that as I die to certain sins, God introduces me to an aspect of His being and/or creation for me to delight in. It’s the classic “put off/put on” of Scripture—that as I “put off” a sin, God shows me something to “put on” in its place.
What has been most surprising for me in this is God showing me the delight of His creation that is around me. As I “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”, I find that I am enjoying nature more and more. That’s surprising to me because I wasn’t necessarily raised to delight in nature. I had, in some ways, the quintessential all-American childhood—out riding bikes all day long…playing baseball, football and basketball at the park and in the neighborhoods…climbing trees & exploring little patches of woods that were scatted throughout Shaw Air Force Base. I did some camping with the Royal Ambassadors from our Baptist church—going to Lake Wateree, fishing, cooking hobo meals on the fire, tents circling our campsite. When I think of my childhood, some part of those memories are of being outside, surrounded by pine trees and kicking up the sandy soil of Sumter, SC.
But, I was by no means an outdoor enthusiast. I didn’t delight in my natural surroundings. They were just part of the scenery of playing ball, riding bikes, engaging in pretend battles. And, as I got into my teens and young adulthood, more and more of my time was spent inside homes or cars, hanging out with friends. There were bonfires—but that was more for mischief than anything else. I enjoyed the changing of seasons reflected in nature, but, by no means, was I anything close to being a nature lover. It was just part of the scenery of life.
Now, I am 45 years old, and 24 years into a serious walk with Christ…and I find that I am delighting more in nature. And, that has surprised me because I didn’t see that coming. Yet, it has, and the more I read Scripture, the more I find it makes sense.
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