OFFICIAL STATEMENT
ON
HUMAN SEXUALITY
WE WILL RECOGNIZE THAT DEFINITIONS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR
MARRIAGE ARE SPIRITUAL:
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”
Ephesians 6:12, (NLT).
1. Satan desires to deceive people in order to destroy the institution of marriage as God’s foundation of the family. Any alternatives or substitutes for God’s plan for mankind are sinful.
2. “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments”2 Corinthians 10:4, (NLT).
WE WILL BE BIBLICALLY FAITHFUL IN BELIEF AND PRACTICE:
“’Haven’t you read the Scriptures?’ Jesus replied. ‘They record that from the beginning ‘‘God made them male and female.’’ And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one’” Matthew 19:4-5, (NLT).
3. We ground our beliefs and our definition of marriage on God’s Word. While governments and courts may choose to recognize other definitions of marriage, we exercise our freedom and right to promote, educate, facilitate, and solemnize only marriages that comply with Bible-based definitions and convictions about marriage.
4. We reaffirm that, instead of focusing our attention on guarding tradition, we are called to extend the redemptive love of Christ to a dying world.
WE WILL EMPHASIZE WHAT WE ARE FOR, OVER WHAT WE ARE AGAINST
“Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them” Romans 15:18, (NLT).
5. We place primary focus on God’s definition of marriage between one man and one woman, celebrating faithful marriages, over our opposition to marital alternatives.
6. Although there is a place for political forums and coalitions in support of biblically based values we devote our primary attention to the redemption of all people who do not know Christ as Savior and Lord.
7. Our starting point in conversations will be as witnesses for Christ instead of opponents of unbiblical human sexuality.
WE WILL RESIST EFFORTS THAT INTIMIDATE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13, (NLT).
8. We do not allow the course of events and condemnations of biblical principles to intimidate us into acceptance or silence.
9. We do not violate our convictions if society demands approval of alternatives to biblically defined marriage.
WE WILL AVOID CLASSIFYING TEMPTATIONS AS A BASIS FOR JUDGMENT
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” 1 Corinthians 10:13 ( NLT).
10. We do not judge people because the nature of their sexual temptation is different from the nature of our sexual temptation.
WE WILL BE LOVING, NOT ANGRY, WITNESSES FOR CHRIST
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” Ephesians 4:15 (NLT).
11. If we choose to speak about human sexuality on social media and elsewhere we will do so with a tone and language that are Christ-like.
12. We repent for when our hearts, thoughts, and speech were marked by revulsion against human sexual practices that violate God’ s Word.
13. We pray for our hearts to be compassionate, to see not just sinful lifestyles, but instead see people whom Jesus loves and longs to redeem.
MARRIAGE ARE SPIRITUAL:
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”
Ephesians 6:12, (NLT).
1. Satan desires to deceive people in order to destroy the institution of marriage as God’s foundation of the family. Any alternatives or substitutes for God’s plan for mankind are sinful.
2. “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments”2 Corinthians 10:4, (NLT).
WE WILL BE BIBLICALLY FAITHFUL IN BELIEF AND PRACTICE:
“’Haven’t you read the Scriptures?’ Jesus replied. ‘They record that from the beginning ‘‘God made them male and female.’’ And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one’” Matthew 19:4-5, (NLT).
3. We ground our beliefs and our definition of marriage on God’s Word. While governments and courts may choose to recognize other definitions of marriage, we exercise our freedom and right to promote, educate, facilitate, and solemnize only marriages that comply with Bible-based definitions and convictions about marriage.
4. We reaffirm that, instead of focusing our attention on guarding tradition, we are called to extend the redemptive love of Christ to a dying world.
WE WILL EMPHASIZE WHAT WE ARE FOR, OVER WHAT WE ARE AGAINST
“Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them” Romans 15:18, (NLT).
5. We place primary focus on God’s definition of marriage between one man and one woman, celebrating faithful marriages, over our opposition to marital alternatives.
6. Although there is a place for political forums and coalitions in support of biblically based values we devote our primary attention to the redemption of all people who do not know Christ as Savior and Lord.
7. Our starting point in conversations will be as witnesses for Christ instead of opponents of unbiblical human sexuality.
WE WILL RESIST EFFORTS THAT INTIMIDATE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13, (NLT).
8. We do not allow the course of events and condemnations of biblical principles to intimidate us into acceptance or silence.
9. We do not violate our convictions if society demands approval of alternatives to biblically defined marriage.
WE WILL AVOID CLASSIFYING TEMPTATIONS AS A BASIS FOR JUDGMENT
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” 1 Corinthians 10:13 ( NLT).
10. We do not judge people because the nature of their sexual temptation is different from the nature of our sexual temptation.
WE WILL BE LOVING, NOT ANGRY, WITNESSES FOR CHRIST
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” Ephesians 4:15 (NLT).
11. If we choose to speak about human sexuality on social media and elsewhere we will do so with a tone and language that are Christ-like.
12. We repent for when our hearts, thoughts, and speech were marked by revulsion against human sexual practices that violate God’ s Word.
13. We pray for our hearts to be compassionate, to see not just sinful lifestyles, but instead see people whom Jesus loves and longs to redeem.