HERE WE STAND

By Dr. Peter Hammond, South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Professor Martin Luther’s historic “Here I Stand!” in 1521, we affirm:

1. The Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of Almighty God. The Bible is the objective standard and rock-solid foundation for Church, community, country and continent. The Law of God is absolute, applying to all people, in all places, at all times. Truth is neither relative, nor subjective. God alone determines and defines good and evil, justice and injustice. All laws and ethics must be derived from the unchanging moral Law of God as revealed in the Bible and summarised in the Ten Commandments. Biblical ethics are absolute and objective. Therefore, we must oppose abortion as the murder of preborn babies and sexual perversions on the grounds that they are morally incompatible with the absolute, universal ethical teachings of the Word of Almighty God. The Scriptures are the sum total of the Revelations of God which were infallibly recorded in a God­ breathed, written form, designed to be a permanent deposit of divine truth and the permanent Rule of faith and life for individuals, families, congregations, communities, countries and continents. There is no further content to be added to the Biblical Revelation of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consummation. We maintain the sufficiency of Scripture. Scripture contains all the Words of God intended for His people to have at every stage of redemptive history and it contains everything we need for Salvation, discipleship and for the fulfilment of the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Men and women were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and are therefore equal in personhood, importance and dignity before God. There is one way of Salvation for all, both men and women (Galatians 3:28). However, equality before God does not mean identical roles, or functions. God created men and women to have different and complementary roles. Men are to take leadership of the family, of congregations (1 Timothy 2:11-14; 3:2; 1 Corinthians 11:3-16; 14:33-38; Titus 1:6) and of the state. Leaders in the church must therefore be men who fulfil the Scriptural requirements for Deacons and Elders as specified in the pastoral epistles of Timothy and Titus.

3. Masculinity, femininity, marriage and the family were ordained by God at Creation (Genesis 1 and 2). The Word of God distinguishes between male and female, defines what constitutes a family, sets rules for who can marry whom, defines the roles and responsibilities of husbands, wives, parents and children and extended family members and limits the grounds for divorce and remarriage. Families need to learn, worship, fellowship and serve. There are only two genders.

4. Education of children must be controlled by their parents, assisted by the Church, but independent of the state. God has delegated to parents the authority and responsibility to teach, instruct, train and discipline their own children, in accordance with the Word of God (Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25; Proverbs 1:8; 4:1-4; Ephesians 6:1-4; Psalm 78). It is impossible for education to be religiously or ethically neutral. Education is either Christian or non-Christian, subject to the Law of Jesus Christ or not. Education needs to be Bible­ based, Christ-centered, controlled by parents and include moral, ethical and character training.

5. Worship must be God-centered, Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led. It is dangerous for churches to adopt man-centered, entertainment orientated, or “seeker-friendly” (Romans 3:11) God must be worshipped in the manner that He prescribes in His written Word.

6. Creation: God created the entire universe out of nothing, in six literal, 24-hour days.

7. The Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ are priorities which can never be suspended, or side-tracked. No government on earth has the authority to interfere with the priority of the Church in making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).

Authority

On the 500th anniversary of Professor Martin Luther’s historic stand, 18 April 1521, we reaffirm the foundational Christian doctrine of the Authority of Scripture. Sola Scriptura! Scripture alone is our ultimate authority. All authority that God delegates to moral beings is limited authority. All authority is delegated by God and is answerable to the Creator and Eternal Judge.

Inspired, Infallible and Inerrant

 Scripture is the truth that sets us free. Popes and councils have often erred and contradicted themselves. We are subject to the Infallible Word of Almighty God. We affirm that the 66 Books of the Bible, in their original autographs, are the inerrant and infallible Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 10:34-35; Matthew 15:3-6; Romans 9:6). Accurate translations of the Bible must be based on those faithful Hebrew and Greek texts and be translated according to the formal equivalent method, essential literal translation to be understood through Biblical hermeneutics. God has providentially preserved the Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture, keeping them pure in all ages. “For assuredly, I say to you, till Heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18

The Foundation of Law

 The Bible is the objective standard for truth and justice (John 17:17).

The Bible teaches the Law of God which is the foundation for all legitimate law. The Bible is the only infallible guide for everyday life. It is the source of all wise laws and it is a living power that conquers all who oppose it. “To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

The Roots of Justice

 It is to the Bible that we owe the legacy of the Rule of Law, Lex Rex, compassion, charity, liberty and justice. The Bible is the chief moral cause and the inspiration of everything that is good in this world and the best corrective of all that is evil in society. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

Truth  Does  Not  Fear  Investigation Truth is absolute. It is the same for all people for all places for all time. Truth is not relative or subjective.

Salvation

We affirm the unity of the Bible with one way of Salvation throughout history (Hebrews 13:20). Under the old Covenant, believers looked forward in faith to the Atonement of the Messiah. Under the new Covenant, we look back to Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross as the only way that sins can be forgiven.

The Five Solas of the Reformation

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We stand on the Biblical principles that Christ alone is the Head of the Church. Scripture alone is the ultimate authority. Salvation is by the grace of God alone. Justification is received by faith alone. Everything is to be done to the glory of God alone. Solus Christus! Sola Scriptura! Sola Gratia! Sola Fide! Soli Deo Gloria!

Sola Scriptura!

The Bible alone is the ultimate authority and not the councils or leaders of denominations. The Bible is above tradition. The Scripture is the sure and infallible record, the unerring standard, the Sceptre by which Christ rules His Church. ”All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

Infallible

 We believe God’s Word to be infallible because God Himself is infallible. God is truth and therefore His Words are truth. The Scriptures are God­ breathed. God is fully able to preserve the record of His Salvation and He has promised to do so. “Every Word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His Words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6

Sola Gratia!

 Salvation is by the grace of God alone, accomplished by the Atonement of Christ alone, received by faith alone.

Regenerate Church Membership

 The Church of Christ is composed of the elect, those regenerated by God’s Holy Spirit. “You must be born again.”

 The Priesthood of All Believers

 The priesthood consists of all true believers. We hold to the principle of the priesthood of all believers.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

We call on all who love God and His Word to take a clear stand for Biblical standards in this time of compromise and confusion. “…contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3

Marriage and the Family

 God made all creatures, either male, or female. There are only two genders. Marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Biblical marriage is a loving lifelong partnership between a husband and a wife. The family is the basic building block of society.

Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land

 We need to recognise the Covid Cult for what it is, a smokescreen for advancing communist agenda through lockdown lunacy and economic suicide. It is outrageous that so many businesses and farms have been crippled by government regulations and restrictions in the name of combatting a virus! It is unacceptable that so many millions have abandoned The Cultural Mandate of our Creator and the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ by cowering before communist coercion, peer pressure and tyrannical government regulations. “… and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants …” Leviticus 25:10

The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

 Our highest priority is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The chief end of man is to worship God and to enjoy Him forever. The Great Commission is still our supreme ambition. The last Command of Christ must still be our first concern. No government has the authority to interfere with freedom of conscience, freedom of worship, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of thought, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom of movement, or any of the other essential freedoms which are the foundation of Christian civilisation.

Confuse, Divide and Corrupt

Marxist Critical Race Theory has been used to “confuse, divide and conquer.” Pornography and perversion have been persistently promoted to “corrupt and conquer.” We need to reject the pervasive propaganda and panic mongering. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of  a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

    Christian Civilisation is at the Crossroads

Our communities and churches are being confronted by an aggressive agenda. We need to understand the times and know what God’s people should do.

The choices before us are clear:

Fear or Freedom?

Panic or Perception?

Gender Confusion or God’s Creation?

Medical Dictatorship or Moral Discernment?

Disinformation and Deception or Facts and Truth?

Curfews and Compulsion or Christian Liberty?

Mandatory Vaccinations or Informed Consent?

Communist Coercion or Christian Civilisation?

Revolution or Reformation?

Indoctrination or Education?

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

We need to understand the times and counteract the communist agenda. At its heart, this is a battle over authority. We need to make a clear, bold and Biblical stand on Sola Scriptura! Scripture alone is our ultimate authority. Our consciences are captive to the Word of God. Here we stand!