The Family Manifesto
(sample text)
Note: To buy a 4-color, magazine-style copy of the Family Manifesto ($1.00 ea. – including shipping), contact us at Family Ministries * PO Box 2910 * Cleveland, TN 37320-2910, USA * Ph: 423-559-5331.
Preface
During the latter half of the twentieth century global culture has suffered an unrelenting decline. Although scientific and technological advances have created an outer veneer of prosperity and progress, our inner moral values and convictions have rapidly crumbled. Once, many nations based their sense of right and wrong on Judeo‑Christian principles, which provided them with a solid, biblical foundation for life. Today, a growing number of people see morality and ethics as relative and subjective and have developed their own version of “morality” with little regard to absolute standards.
This idea of moral tolerance has been eroding the foundation of both the family and society. Many today have little or no concept of how to maintain a successful marriage and how to raise children to become responsible adults. In addition, a growing number of educators, politicians, and members of the media are attacking and redefining the family, creating a vast amount of confusion about what a family is. Many people today proclaim that “family values” are important, but the gradual shift to moral relativism has led to a great debate about what “family values” ought to be.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people.” It is our conviction that the family is the backbone of the Christian church and of society as a whole. History shows that, if any society wants to survive, it must uphold, strengthen, and continue to build upon the biblical institutions of marriage and family.
The Bible begins in Genesis with the marriage of a man and a woman and ends in the Book of Revelation with the marriage of Christ and His bride, the Church. In between, God provides timeless blueprints for family life, which, if followed in a spirit of humility and obedience, provide us with the only true way to maintain healthy family relationships.
This document affirms this biblical model and challenges us to consider how we should live within the walls of our own homes. It is offered in a spirit of love and humility, not of judgment or contention. Furthermore, it is not intended to be a comprehensive doctrinal statement about what the Bible says about marriage, family, and related subjects.
Unquestionably, this document attempts to face critical cultural issues. We invite response from anyone who wishes to affirm the truths of marriage and family from the Scriptures. It is our hope that this document will serve to accurately represent the truth God has revealed to us in Scripture, will provide insight into what a biblical family looks like, and will show how we can honor and glorify Him in our family relationships.
We freely acknowledge that we, like all people, have often denied the biblical truths of family life by the way we live. We desire, however, to live by God’s grace in accordance with the principles stated herein and to pass these principles on to future generations so that He will be honored and glorified as our families reflect His character.
The Bible
We believe the Bible was written by men who were divinely inspired by God the Holy Spirit, and we believe it to be authoritative and errorless in its original autographs. We believe the Bible contains the blueprints for building solid marriage and family relationships. It teaches principles for marriage and family life that transcend time and culture. We are committed to communicating biblical truth in order to strengthen and give direction to a marriage and family. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12)
Family
We believe God is the originator of the family. It was established by God in His inaugural act of the marriage between a man and a woman. The Bible further defines the family through God’s instruction for married couples to have children, whether by birth or by adoption. We believe the purpose of the family is to glorify and honor God by forming the spiritual, emotional, physical, and economic foundation for individuals, the church, and any society.
It is at home that children see manhood and womanhood modeled. It is at home that moral values are taught by parents and placed into the hearts of their children. It is at home that people see the reality of a relationship with Jesus Christ modeled. It is at home that people learn to live out their convictions. Therefore, we are committed to upholding the concept of family as God’s original and primary means of producing a godly offspring and passing on godly values from generation to generation. (Ephesians 3:14-15; Genesis 1:26-28; Romans 8:15,23; John 1:12; Galatians 3:29; Psalm 78:5-7; Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Marriage
We believe God, not man, created marriage. We believe marriage was the first institution designed by God. We believe the Bible teaches that the covenant of marriage is sacred and life long. The Bible makes it clear that marriage is a legally binding public declaration of commitment and a private consummation between one man and one woman, never between the same sex. Therefore, we believe God gives a wife to a husband and a husband to a wife, and they are to receive one another as God’s unique and personal provision to help meet their mutual needs.
To receive a copy of the Family Manifesto, click here.
NOTE: The Family Manifesto was originally written by, and is owned by, FamilyLife. With their permission, it has been adapted for use by the Church of God of Prophecy. By permission of FamilyLife, certain changes were made to reflect the global membership and the doctrinal distinctives of the Church of God of Prophecy. Changes from the original document are indicated by italicized text.