Grace Life Church of Brookhaven

Statement of Faith

A written church confession serves as a succinct summation of what a local church agrees to teach and believe. A confession does not replace the scriptures, but points to them. The confession of Grace Life Church of Brookhaven, found below, is based upon the New Hampshire Confession of 1833, with revisions developed by Grace Life Church of the Shoals, and it has been further revised by Grace Life Church of Brookhaven, which revisions include the addition of revised and updated portions of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

  1. The Scriptures
  2. The True God
  3. The Fall of Man
  4. The Way of Salvation
    1. Grace in Regeneration
    2. Repentance and Faith
    3. Justification
    4. Sanctification
    5. The Perseverance (Preservation) of the Saints
    6. The Glorification of the Saints
  5. God’s Purpose of Grace
  6. The Harmony of the Law and the Gospel
  7. A Gospel Church
  8. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
  9. The Lord’s Day (Christian Sabbath)
  10. Civil Government
  11. The Righteous and the Wicked
  12. The World to Come
  13. The Family and Sexuality
  14. Social Justice and the Gospel
  15. Footnotes

The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible, comprised of the sixty-six books contained in the Old and New Testaments, was written by men who were divinely inspired by God; that it is God’s revelation of Himself to man; that it is a perfect treasury of heavenly instruction (1); that it has God for its author, salvation for its end (2), and truth without any mixture of error for its substance (3); that it stands above all worldly philosophies, human wisdom, and traditions of men; that it is not subject to any man, human institution, or earthly system; that it is sufficient for all matters pertaining to life and godliness; that it reveals the standards by which God will judge all mankind (4); that it is, and shall remain until the end of the world, the true center of Christian union (5) and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be judged (6); and that all of Scripture is a testimony of Christ, who is, Himself, the focus of divine revelation (7).

  1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Samuel 23:2; Acts 1:16; 3: 21; John 10:35; Luke 16:29-31; Romans 3:1-2; Psalm 119:1-2
  2. 2 Timothy 3:15; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; Acts 11:14; Romans 1:16; Mark 16:16; John 5:38-39
  3. Proverbs 30:5-6; John 17:17; Revelation 22:18-19; Romans 3:4
  4. Romans 2:12; Romans 3:4; John 12:47-48; 1 Corinthians 4:3-4; Luke 10:10-16; 12:47-48
  5. Philippians 3:16; Ephesians 4:3-6; Philippians 2:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Peter 4:11
  6. 1 John 4:1; Isaiah 8:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:6; Jude 3-5; Ephesians 6:17; Psalm 119:59-60; Philippians 1:9-11
  7. Luke 24:27; John 5:39; John 12:41; Acts 3:18; Acts 8:35; Acts 13:27

The True God

We believe that there is only one living and true God; that He is an eternal, infinite, intelligent, and personal spirit Being; that He is the Designer, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Sovereign, Supreme Ruler of the universe consisting of the heavens and the earth (8) and the seas and all that is in them; that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness (9) as revealed in the Scriptures, and is worthy of all honor, confidence, and love (10); that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, unchanging, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things past, present, and future; that the eternal triune God reveals Himself through the personal and relative distinctions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (11), equal in every divine perfection (12) and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (13).

  1. John 4:24; Psalm 147:5; 83:18; Hebrews 3:4; Romans 1:20; Jeremiah 10:10
  2. Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:6-8
  3. Mark 12:30; Revelation 4:11; Matthew 10:37; Jeremiah 2:12-13
  4. Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 1 John 5:7
  5. John 10:30; John 5:17; John 14:23; John 17:5, 10; Acts 5:3, 4; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; Philippians 2:5-6
  6. Ephesians 2:18; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4-5

The Fall of Man

We believe that man was the special creation of God, made in His own image; that God created man, both male and female, as the crown of His creative work; that gender is a gift from God, is a part of God’s holy and good creative work, and is therefore defined by God and its definition is not subject to the whims of men or of cultures; that man was created in a state of innocence and enjoyed intimate fellowship with God, under the law of his Maker (14), but by voluntary rebellion against God’s law man fell from that holy and happy state (15), not by constraint but by choice (16), being by nature utterly void of the perfect holiness required by the law of God; that as a result, sin, rebellion, and death were brought into the entire human race (17); that all mankind is completely predisposed to the ways of the world, a slave to his own lusts and sinful desires, and held captive to do Satan’s will and is therefore under just condemnation to eternal punishment (18), without defense or excuse (19).

  1. Genesis 1:27; Genesis 1:31; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Acts 16:26; Genesis 2:16
  2. Genesis 3:6-24; Romans 5:12
  3. Isaiah 53:6; Genesis 6:12; Romans 3:9-18
  4. Romans 5:19; John 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:15-19; 8:7
  5. Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 1:18; 1:32; 2:1-16; Galatians 3:10; Matthew 20:15
  6. Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:20; 3:19; Galatians 3:22

The Way of Salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is all of grace (20), accomplished through the mediating work of the Son of God (21), the Lord Jesus Christ; that Christ, by the appointment of God the Father, freely took upon Himself man’s nature, yet without sin (22); that Christ fully honored and fulfilled the divine Law by His perfect personal obedience (23), thereby establishing that Righteousness thereafter accounted unto those that believe on Him; that He made atonement for man’s sin (24) by His substitutionary and propitiatory death; that He was raised from the dead and ascended into and enthroned in heaven (25), where He is seated at the right hand of the Father and, united in his wonderful person, are tender sympathies, divine perfections, and he remains a qualified, suitable and compassionate, and all-sufficient savior (26); He ever intercedes on behalf of His bride, the Church (26); that the blessings of salvation are offered freely to mankind only by the Gospel (27); that it is the immediate duty of all to accept salvation in Christ through repentance and faith (28); that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner except his own inherent sinfulness and voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ (29); and that such refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation results in certain eternal punishment, which is the just penalty for sin (30).

  1. Ephesians 2:5; Matthew 18:11; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; Acts 15:11
  2. John 3:16; John 1:1-14; Hebrews 4:14; 12:24
  3. Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 2:9; 2:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21
  4. Isaiah 42:21; Philippians 2:8; Galatians 4:4-5; Romans 3:21
  5. Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 20:28; Romans 4:25; Romans 3:21-26; 1 John 4:10; John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 15:1-3; Hebrews 9:13-15
  6. Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; Colossians 3:1-4
  7. Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 2:18; 7:26; Psalm 89:19; Psalm 14:1-7; Hebrews 7:24-27; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; 1 John 2:1
  8. Isaiah 55:1; Revelation 22:17; Luke 14:17
  9. Romans 16:26; Mark 1:15; Romans 1:15-17
  10. John 5:40; Matthew 23:37; Romans 9:32; Proverbs 1:24; Acts 13:46
  11. John 3:19; Matthew 11:20; Luke 19:27; Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8

The Way of Salvation includes the following essential doctrines:

Grace in Regeneration

We believe that in order to be saved, we must be regenerated or born again (31); that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind (32); and is effected in a manner above our comprehension or calculation, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth (33), so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel (34); and that its proper evidence is found in the holy fruit which we bring forth to glory of God (35).

  1. John 3:3; John 3: 6-7; 1 Corinthians 1:1-4
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 2:28-29; 1 John 4:7
  3. John 3:8; John 1:13; James 1:16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 2:13
  4. 1 Peter 1: 22-25; 1 John 5:1; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-11
  5. Ephesians 5:9; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 3:14-21; Matthew 3:8-10; 7:20; 1 John 5:4, 18

Repentance and Faith

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred responsibilities and are also inseparable works of grace brought about in the souls of men by the regenerating Spirit of God (36); that through regeneration, man is deeply convinced of sin and his guilt before God, the danger of eternal punishment and his helplessness before God, and the way of salvation in Christ (37); that man then, having been enabled by the Spirit, by grace, turns to God in genuine conviction, confession and in seeking God for mercy (38); and that at the same time, man receives the Lord Jesus Christ and the atonement accomplished by His substitutionary death on the cross, relying on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior (39).

  1. Mark 1:15; Acts 11:18; Ephesians 2:8; 1 John 5:1
  2. John 16:8; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 16:30-31
  3. Luke 18:13; Luke 18:18-21; James 4:7-10; 2 Corinthians 7:11; Romans 10:12-13; Psalm 51:10-12
  4. Romans 10:9-11; Acts 3:22-23; Hebrews 4:14; Psalm 2:6; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:12

Justification

We believe that justification is the great Gospel blessing that Christ (40) bestows on those who believe in Him (41); that justification consists of the full pardon of sin (42) and the promise of eternal life; that payment for man’s sin was not waived, but was accomplished by Christ (43); that justification is not bestowed upon any man in consideration of any works of righteousness which that man has done, but solely due to Christ’s redemptive work of atonement on the cross (44), which is applied to the believer through faith in that finished work of Christ; that by grace through faith, God the Father freely imputes the perfect righteousness of Christ to those who believe in Him (45); and that justification brings those who believe into a state of peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needed for time and eternity (46).

  1. John 1:16; Ephesians 3:8
  2. Acts 13:39; Isaiah 3:11-12; Romans 8:1
  3. Romans 5:9; Zechariah 13:1; Matthew 9:6; Acts 10:43
  4. Romans 5:17; Titus 3:5-6; 1 John 2:25; Romans 5:21
  5. Romans 4:4-5; Romans 5:21; Romans 6:23; Philippians 3:7-9
  6. Romans 5:19; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 4: 23-25; 1 John 2:12
  7. Romans 5:1-3; 5:11; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Matthew 6:33; 1 Timothy 4:8

Sanctification

We believe that sanctification is the process by which God sets believers apart for His own purposes and makes them to be partakers of His own holiness (47); that sanctification is a progressive work (48); that it begins in regeneration (49); that it is carried out in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit; that the Holy Spirit uses the ordinary means designated by the Father - primarily, the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer; and that sanctification will continue until the believer’s final glorification (50).

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Corinthians 13:9; Ephesians 1:4
  2. Proverbs 4:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 6:1; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Philippians 3:12-16
  3. 1 John 2:29; Romans 8:5; John 3:6; Philippians 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:13-14
  4. Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Luke 11:35; Luke 9: 23; Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 6:18; Ephesians 4:30

The Perseverance (Preservation) of the Saints

We believe that God will preserve His redeemed throughout life unto the end (51), so that none who have been born of God can ever be lost; that their preserving relationship to Christ is the supreme characteristic which distinguishes them as true believers from those who merely profess to believe (52); that a special Providence of God watches over the welfare of their souls (53); and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, from regeneration and justification, through sanctification, unto final glorification (54).

  1. John 8:31; 1 John 2:27-28; 1 John 3:9; 1John 5:18
  2. 1 John 2:19; John 13:18; Matthew 13:20-21; John 6:66-69; Job 17:9
  3. Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:30-33; Jeremiah 32:40; Psalm 121:3; Psalm 91:11-12
  4. Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Jude 24-25; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Kings 6:16; Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 4:4

The Glorification of the Saints

We believe that the culmination of man’s redemption is glorification (55); that glorification is the final step in the application of man’s salvation (56); that it is the completion of all that Christ has begun in His people; that it involves the removal of even the presence of sin in the lives of the redeemed (57) and the transformation of their mortal, perishable bodies into immortal, imperishable bodies (58); that glorification happens at the final resurrection of believers; and that it describes the eternal state of the redeemed, in which believers will share in the glory of God and glorify Him perfectly forever (59).

  1. Romans 8:30; Romans 8:21; Romans 9:23
  2. Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:10
  3. Ephesians 5:27; Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:22
  4. Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:28: 1 Corinthians 15:43; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Colossians 3:4
  5. John 11:23-24; John 6:39-40; John 6:44; John 6:54

God’s Purpose of Grace

We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves certain sinners (60); that God’s gracious act of election is perfectly consistent with the free agency of man and includes the foreordained means of preaching the gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit (61), through which they who are elected are effectually called unto faith in Christ, regenerated, justified and adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation; that all those recipients of God’s electing grace receive His mercy, whereas all others receive justice; that no person receives injustice, for God is just (62); that this doctrine utterly excludes man’s boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, and trust in God (63), while also serving as the foundation of Christian assurance, and that to ascertain such assurance demands and deserves the utmost diligence by everyone who has been redeemed (64).

  1. 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Romans 11:5-6; John 15:15; 1 John 4:19; Hosea 12:9
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Acts 13:48; John 10:16; Matthew 20:16; Acts 15:14
  3. Exodus 33:18-19; Matthew 20:15; Ephesians 1:2; Romans 9:23-24; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 11:28-29; James 1:17-18; 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:32-36
  4. 1 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Romans 3:27; Romans 4:16; Colossians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 Peter 5:10; Acts 1:24: 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Luke 18:7; John 15:10; Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:12
  5. 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10; Romans 8:28-30; Isaiah 42:16; Romans 11:29

The Harmony of the Law and the Gospel

We believe that the Law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government (65); that it is holy, just and good (66); that the inability of fallen men to fulfill its precepts, which inability the Scriptures ascribe to all sons of Adam, arises entirely from their love of sin and leaves all men guilty and without excuse (67); and that to deliver them from that guilt and inability and to restore such men to sincere obedience to the holy law, through Christ, is one great end of the Gospel and is accomplished by the grace of God applied by the Spirit of God using the Word of God within the life of the body of Christ, the local church (68).

  1. Romans 3:31; Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:17; Romans 3:20; Romans 5:15
  2. Romans 7:12; Romans 7:7,14, 22; Galatians 3:21
  3. Romans 8:7-8; Joshua 24:19; Jeremiah 13:23; John 6:44; John 5:44
  4. Romans 8:2, 4; 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 8:10; Jude 20, 21; Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 12:28

A Gospel Church

We believe that a visible New Testament Church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers (69), associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel (70), observing the ordinances of Christ (71), governed by His laws (72), and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word (73), gathering regularly in order to offer worship to Christ and edification to the saints, and to support the mission of extending the Gospel to the ends of the earth by cheerful financial giving and/or commissioning missionaries from within the local body; that it's only proper officers are Pastors/Elders and Deacons, which offices are open only to qualified men, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus (74); and that the universal New Testament Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, includes all of the redeemed from every age and every tribe, tongue, people, ethnicity, and nation on earth.

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:1-13; Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; 8:1; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 14:23; 3 John 1:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:5
  2. Acts 2:41-42; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
  3. 1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 4:17
  4. Matthew 28:20; John 14:15; 1 John 15:12; 1 John 4:21; John 14:21; 1 Thessalonians. 4:2; 2 John 1-13; Galatians 6:2
  5. Ephesians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 14:12; Philippians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 12:14
  6. Philippians 1:1; Acts 14:23; 15:22; 1 Timothy 3:1-16. Titus 1:1-16

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water (75), performed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (76), in order to demonstrate, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior and His purifying power; that baptism symbolizes that the believer is now dead to sin and resurrected to walk in newness of life (77) that baptism has no saving power within itself and therefore does not so much as aid in salvation, but follows salvation; and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper (78), in which the members of the church, having solemnly examined themselves and found their consciences clean (79), by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine, which are no more than symbolic representations of the body and blood of Christ (80), are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, His burial, and His resurrection.

  1. Acts 8:36-39; Matthew 3:5-6; John 3:22-23; John 4:2; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; Acts 16: 32-34; Acts 18:8
  2. Matthew 28:10; Acts 10:47-48; Galatians 3:27-28
  3. Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:20-21; Acts 22:16
  4. Acts 2:41-42; Matthew 28:19-20
  5. 1 Corinthians 11:28; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 8; 1 Corinthians 10:3-32; 11:17-32; John 6:26-71
  6. 1 Corinthians 11:20; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20

The Lord’s Day (Christian Sabbath)

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and it is a New Testament institution that commemorates Christ and His resurrection from the dead (81); that it is a day to be regularly observed and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion (82), both public and private (83); and actions performed or avoided on the Lord’s Day are to be governed by the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ (84) as revealed in the Scripture (85). Christians observe the Lord’s day in preparation for the eternal rest that remains for the people of God (86).

  1. Acts 20:7; Genesis 2:3; Colossians 2:16-17; Mark 2:27; John 20:19; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
  2. Exodus 20:8; Revelation 1:10; Psalm 118:24
  3. Psalm 113:1-5
  4. Isaiah 58:13-14; Isaiah 56:2-8
  5. Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 11:26; 13:44; Leviticus 19:30; Exodus 46:3; Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2-3; Psalm 26:8; Psalm 87:3
  6. Hebrews 4:3-11

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is appointed by God for the interests and good order of human society (87); and that governing authorities are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed (88), except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ (89), as revealed in the Scriptures, as He is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth (90).

  1. Romans 13:1-7; Deuteronomy 16:18; 1 Samuel 23:1-5; Exodus 18:23; Jeremiah 30:21
  2. Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13; 1 Timothy 2:1-8
  3. Acts 5:29; Matthew 10:28; Daniel 3:15-18; Daniel 4:7-10; Acts 4:18-20
  4. Matthew 23:10; Romans 14:4; Revelation 19:16; Psalm 72:1-5; Romans 14:9-13

The Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked (91); that only those who by grace through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are therefore sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His sight (92), having been freely given the righteousness of Christ; while all those who continue in un-repentance and unbelief remain wicked in His sight and under the curse (93); and that this distinction remains among men both in life and after their death (94).

  1. Malachi 3:18; Proverbs 12:26; Isaiah 5:20; Genesis 18:23; Jeremiah 15:19; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 6:16
  2. Romans 1:17; Romans 7:6; 1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:7; Romans 6:18, 22; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Proverbs 11:31; 1 Pet. 4:17-18
  3. 1 John 5:19; Galatians 3:10; John 3:36; Isaiah 57:21; Psalm 10:4; Isaiah 55:6-7
  4. Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; John 8:21-24; Proverbs 10:24; Luke 12:4-5; Luke 9:23-26; John 12:25-26; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Matthew 7:13-14

The World to Come

We believe that the end of this world is approaching (95), and that at the last day, Christ will descend from heaven (96) and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution (97); that a solemn separation will then take place (98); that the wicked will be adjudicated to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy (99), and that this judgment will righteously fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell (100).

  1. 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Hebrews 1:10-12; Matthew 24:35; 1 John 2:17; Matthew 28:20; 2 Peter 3:3-13
  2. Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7; Hebrews 9:28; Acts 3:21; 1 Thessalonians. 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
  3. Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28; Luke 14:14; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; John 6:40; John 11:25-26; 2 Timothy 1:10; Acts 10:42
  4. Matthew 13:49; Matthew 13:37-43; Matthew 24:30-31; Matthew 25:31-33
  5. Matthew 25:35-41; Revelation 22:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Peter 2:9; Jude 7; Philippians 3:19; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; John 4:36; 2 Corinthians 4:18
  6. 100.Romans 3:5, 6; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-12; Hebrews 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:2-16; Revelation 20:11, 12; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 4:17

The Family and Sexuality

We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society, and that family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption (101).

We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime (102); that the ultimate purpose of marriage is to glorify God and manifest God's power, wisdom, and beauty in the earth; and that it is impossible for two persons of the same gender to be married: This type of union is averse to God's Word and does not constitute a true marriage (103).

We believe that marriage is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church (104) and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race (105).

We believe that the husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image; that the marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people; that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church; that he has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family (106); that a wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ; that she, being in the image of God as is her husband, and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation (107).

We believe that children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord; that parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage (108); that parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle examples and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth; and that children are to honor and obey their parents (109).

We believe that heterosexuality is God's revealed will for humankind; and that a chaste and faithful expression of this orientation (whether in singleness or in marriage) is the ideal to which God calls all people (110).

We believe that a homosexual orientation is a result of the fall of humanity into a sinful condition that pervades every person; that whatever biological or familial roots of homosexuality may be discovered, these do not sanction or excuse homosexual behavior (111), though they would deepen one's compassion and patience for those who are struggling to be free from sexual temptations; and that any attempt to change one's gender or any disagreement with one’s biological gender is sinful and offensive to God (112).

Further, we agree with both the “Preamble” and the “Articles” contained within the 2017 “Nashville Statement: A Coalition for Biblical Sexuality” (https://cbmw.org/nashville-statement).

  1. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9
  2. Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7
  3. Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
  4. Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:5
  5. Genesis 1:27-28 & 31; Deuteronomy 24:5; Genesis 2:8-25; Ephesians 5:21-33
  6. Ephesians 5:25; Genesis 2:15-17; Numbers 1:2-3; Numbers 1:17-19
  7. Ephesians 5:21-22, 23; 1 Peter 3:1-6; Titus 2:3-5; Exodus 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:7; Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18; Colossians 3:18
  8. Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 6:20-25; Joshua 4:6-7
  9. Psalms 78:4; Proverbs 3:12; Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 23:13-14; Proverbs 29:15, 17; Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 119:9-11
  10. Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
  11. Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7; Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6
  12. Romans 1:18-32; Colossians 3:6

Social Justice and the Gospel

We agree with both the “Introduction,” and the “Affirmations and Denials” contained within “The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel” (2018) (https://statementonsocialjustice.com/).