Scriptures alone!
I want reaffirm the basic Christian truth of inerrant Scripture to be the sole
source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The 66 books of the Bible
are the only inspired and fully authoritative words that ought to guide
every church and every Christian. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are
equally and in every part the Word of God, without any error, a sufficient and final revelation of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. They
must be received as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
No other writings should be accepted as Word of God or as having any such
authority.
The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary
for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior
must be measured. We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a
Christian's conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or
contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual
experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.
Scripture alone
is the inerrant rule of the church's
life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice,
the church is guided, far too often, by the culture or by emotion with the
advent of Charismatic movement, commonly called the Word of Faith or health and
wealth gospel or prosperity gospel. Many purport to be prophets as if more
divine revelation is being given or as if the Scripture is not sufficient and final. Miracles have the biggest role to play among many Christians
because many follow those who purport to perform miracles even when they don’t!
Miracles, even as used by the Lord, were signs to authenticate both the message
and person of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Saviour of
Sinners. This is why the Lord said that the Scripture cannot be broken, that it
is infallible!
Pastors have
neglected their rightful oversight of worship, including the doctrinal content
of the music. As biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, as its
truths have faded from Christian consciousness, and as its doctrines have lost
their saliency, the church has been increasingly emptied of its integrity,
moral authority and direction. The result is ‘worship’ that is sensual and
man-centred. Such worship can neither be pleasing nor acceptable to God.
Worship has to be both truthful (guided and informed by Scriptures alone) and
spiritual, guided and actuated by the Holy Spirit.
Rather than
adapting Christian faith to satisfy the felt needs of consumers, we must proclaim the law as the only
measure of true righteousness and the gospel as the only announcement of saving
truth. Biblical truth is indispensable to the church's understanding,
nurture and discipline.
Scripture must
take us beyond our perceived (physical) needs to our real needs (spiritual) and
liberate us from seeing ourselves through the seductive images, cliche's,
promises and priorities of mass culture. It is only in the light of God's truth
that we understand ourselves aright and see God's provision for our need. The
Bible, therefore, must be taught and preached in the church. Sermons must be
expositions of the Bible and its teachings, not expressions of the preachers’ opinions or the ideas of the age;
it must neither be drama nor miracles, but the Word of God that is able to make
people wise for salvation. We must settle for nothing less than what God has
given us.
The work of the Holy
Spirit in personal experience cannot be disengaged from Scripture. The Spirit
does not speak in ways that are independent of Scripture, for He is the One who
inspired their writing (2Peter 1:21). Apart from Scripture we would never have
known of God's grace in Christ. The Spirit illuminates Scriptures so that we
are able to understand and believe it. The Spirit was given to lead us into all
truth by teaching and reminding as the Lord told His disciples. The biblical Word, rather than spiritual
experience, is the test of truth. Scripture alone is the rule of faith and
practice for Christians.
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