Scripture
Union International
Council at
Harare,
Zimbabwe
in May 1985.
STATEMENT
OF
BELIEF
As the Scripture
Union
family
throughout the world, we accept and proclaim
the historic
truths of
the
Christian faith including the following:
(a) God
and the
human
race
We hold that the
Lord
our
God is one:
Father, Son and
Holy
Spirit,
and that he fulfils his sovereign purposes
- in creation,
revelation,
redemption, judgement, and the coming of
his kingdom -
by calling out
from
the
world a people united to himself and to each
other in love.
We
acknowledge
that though
God made us
in his own
likeness
and
image, conferring on us dignity and worth and
enabling us to
respond
to
himself, we now are members of a fallen race;
we have sinned
and
come
short of his glory.
We believe
that
the Father
has shown us his
holy
love
in giving Jesus Christ, his only Son, for us,
while through
our
sinfulness
and guilt, we were subject to his wrath and
condemnation;
and has
shown
his grace by putting sinners right with himself
when they place
their
trust
in his Son.
We confess
Jesus
Christ
as Lord and God;
as truly human,
born
of
the virgin Mary;
as Servant,
sinless,
full
of grace and truth;
as only Mediator
and
Saviour,
dying on the cross in our place,
representing us
to
God,
redeeming us from the grip, guilt and
punishment of
sin;
as Victor over
Satan
and
all his forces,
rising from
death with
a
glorious body, being taken up to be with his
Father, one day
returning
personally in glory and judgement to establish
his kingdom.
We believe
in
the Holy
Spirit
who convicts the
world
of
guilt in regard to sin,
righteousness
and
judgement;
who makes the
death of
Christ
effective to sinners,
declaring that
they
must
now turn to Christ in repentance, and directing
their trust
towards
the
Lord Jesus Christ;
who through the
new
birth
makes us partake
in
the
life of the risen Christ, and
who is present
within
all
believers,
illuminating
their
minds
to grasp the truth of Scripture,
producing in
them his
fruit,
granting to them
his
gifts,
and
empowering them
for
service
in the world.
(b) The
Scriptures
We believe that
the
Old
and New Testament Scriptures
are
God-breathed,
since
their writers spoke from God as they were moved
by the Holy
Spirit;
hence
are fully trustworthy in all that they affirm; and
are our highest
authority
for faith and life.
(c) The
Church
and its
Mission
We recognise the
Church
as the body of
Christ,
held
together and growing up in him;
both as a total
fellowship
throughout the world, and as the local
congregation in
which
believers
gather.
We
acknowledge the
commission
of Christ
to proclaim the
Good
News
to all people, making them disciples, and
teaching them to
obey
him;
and
We acknowledge
the
command
of Christ
to love our
neighbours,
resulting in service to the church and society,
in seeking
reconciliation
for all with God and their fellows,
in proclaiming
liberty
from
every kind of oppression; and in spreading
Christ's justice
in an
unjust
world
...until he
comes
again.
This
statement was
adopted
by the Scripture Union International Council at Harare, Zimbabwe in May
1985.
