The wrong paradigm
...Our theology and ethics are done now "from below," being wholly shaped by subjective feelings, personal opinions, and cultural values. No longer is humanity defined by God in his self revelation; instead it is God who is defined by our opinions and experiences and thus made to take a shape and will that affirms our a priori choices, beliefs, and ethics. Our contemporary worldview has made God no more than the One who divinely affirms our choices, attitudes, and beliefs, however diverse, contradictory, and vapid they may be.

In the end, this is not Reformed theology but idolatry, the making of God into the image and being we desire and the raising of our own perceptions and opinions to the level of ultimate. And it is this idolatry that has often shaped the church’s faith and practice, from abortion to ordination standards.

The right paradigm: Addressed by God
The Reformed (and biblical) view of personhood is defined by completely different criteria. In the Reformed tradition existence is not predicated on subjective volition or experientialism but upon the decisive act of God’s addressing humanity as a covenant partner. We are addressed as the intended recipients of the Word of God and it is this address and the consequent relationship it creates that renders us human, persons in communion with God. This address is not limited to age, sex, race, economics, or education, but is addressed to human life, at every age in every place. From the womb until death we remain God’s, alive by his Spirit, our lives defined by his will.

God’s addressing us with His word reveals the utter (ontological) distinction between our two realities. We are ad-dressed as creatures by our Creator, as finite by One who is eternal. But this does not take a high and heavy hand. Rather, we are joyously greeted and addressed as those who have been granted the gift of life by One who desires our relationship.

There are implications to the reality of God as Creator and life giver
The fact that this life is given reveals that it is not us but Another who is Lord. This new life is granted and exists—undeniably in our theology—from conception. For life is not mere bios, life-force, or personal energy. It begins and ever remains a gift of God who sustains every moment and remains involved through its whole course. Human existence is not a right but a loan, not a possession but a gift and as such it is to be lived in response to God’s Word by those who are ontologically and volitionally under it.

Because God has so gifted us and thus revealed himself as Creator and Life giver, our ethic must reflect this dependence and contingency. Personhood is defined not by personal choice but Divine act, not by our will but God’s.

We are much more than "our stories"
God’s address comes not to persons, but a person, singularly addressed as a covenant partner and being in communion. Personhood is defined not by subjective will, reason, or experience but God’s choice and command. This address relates to all, yet not in some vague, anonymous totality but to specific and unique individuals. God’s personal address calls each to that life they were created to know. Each life then must be honored, protected, and given free access to hear this Word. And each person is to be held then to this high and immutable responsibility to care, honor, and defend life as God’s own.

It is not personal rights or experiences we seek to protect but life itself, personally given, individually addressed by a loving Creator Lord who has given His Word that each may know and enjoy Him forever.

On the list could go. God’s address defines our existence, describes its course, purpose and goal, provides its meaning, demands its obedience, and meets its every need. Each of us is more than "our stories," more than the sum of our experiences. "In him," the Scriptures say, "we live and move and have our being." If this is so, it stands opposed to the modern/postmodern worldview that has too long been allowed free reign to shape our theology and ethics.