For Reformation!

Confessional Statement

“… it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4

In the 500th jubilee of the Reformation, we, undersigned Hungarian protestant ministers, curators, elders, church office-bearers and church members of the Carpathian Basin, commit ourselves again—asking for the help of God—to Jesus Christ and to the faith, which God revealed in the 66 canonical books of the Scriptures, and which has been systematically exposed in the confessions (e.g. Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, Augsburg Confession) of our Reformer fathers.

We are convinced that this commitment is a renewal of our decision for the eternal Triune God, who graciously chose us; by the blood of His Son redeemed us; justified us; by His Holy Spirit sanctifies us; and finally, will save us—for the glory of His name.

We are convinced that with our commitment, we are in fellowship with those, who earlier in history insisted that the content of Scriptures as explained in these confessions of the Reformation is true, and even with those, who in our days still hold it true and believe it.

We are convinced that this commitment is not returning to the past, but a prospective stand for the Bible, which is the eternally true Word of God, and for the eternal gospel; as the content of the Christian faith has not changed in time, since “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” Heb 13:7-9.

We are convinced that this renewal of our commitment is actuated chiefly by the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself, who made the Scripture God’s inspired Word by His Holy Spirit, and He declared it to be inerrable, infallible and supreme authority for us. Furthermore, He affirmed in our heart the fact that the above mentioned confessions systematically and correctly expose the biblical, apostolic, historical and Jesus-centered Christian faith. Concerning this, our calling is to believe in, follow, guard and stand for the revelation of the Scriptures zealously in our church and in the society.

We are convinced that our churches are under the wrath of God because of criticising, effacing, and even betraying and dealing treacherously with the most precious treasure, God’s Word and Jesus Christ’s exclusive gospel, therefore they are gradually sliding into a spiritually and ethically tragic state. “God is not mocked” Gal 6:7.

We are convinced that only the Lord Jesus Christ, who even today performs biblical reformation among us, can help to turn away the fulfillment of this destruction and justful judgment. The crucial point is to turn back with repentance to His Person, that is, to His infallible revelation in the Scriptures and its doctrines, in our individual, social and church life.

We are convinced that based on our commitment we have to clearly deny all those theological and ethical teachings and practices which are in contradiction with the Bible and with its systematic exposition in the Confessions of our Reformer forefathers; and all those church governing and political trends which loosen our bonds with the Lord, the Bible and the confessions, and hinder our biblical godliness and service.

We are convinced that we cannot return to the eternal divine standards without sincere humiliation, repentance in our heart, grasping the grace by faith, categorical turning away from the recognized doctrinal heresies and ethical iniquities, and devoting ourselves to follow the written Word as exposed in our confessions, even if the consequences are that we are to suffer.

As subscribers to this statement, we confess with humility and repentance that we turned away from the Saviour and Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, and the infallible Scriptures in theological, ethical, church structural, liturgical, missiological and other issues. Now, asking for His forgiveness and relying on the promise of the gospel, we again bow our heads before Jesus Christ and before the unquestionable authority of the written Word.

Asking for God’s help, we commit ourselves not only to the Bible and to the Reformed confessions, but also to the life according to the Word. We undertake to deepen our fraternal relationship, and standing by each other, heeding to our co-believers, reproving and encouraging and supporting them; and accepting all these from them, we try to follow and represent the biblical and Reformed truth in our churches and our environment in love, always focusing on God’s glory.

As subscribers to this statement, we ask all those, who are prepared by the Lord in their hearts to join to this statement, and to support the possibility of renewal.

“If God be for us, who can be against us?” Rom 8:31

Szeged and Pécel, in the 500th jubilee of the Reformation
17 September 2017

Joined to the statement