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(P)
Civil Government. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority
consisting of three basic institutions:
1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these
authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are
answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific
Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the
understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the
other. The home, the church, and
the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned
spheres of responsibility under God.
(Rom.
13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14)
(Q) Human Sexuality.
1.
We
believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be
engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of
homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication,
adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of
sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter
one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9;
Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
2. We believe that
the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one
woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1
Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
(R) Family
Relationships
1. We
believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God
but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men
and women in the home and the church.
The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to hold
the leadership positions (pastors, council, and deacons) of the
church. Accordingly, only men are
eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15;
3:4-5, 12)
2. We
believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution
of human society. The husband is
to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the
Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the
headship of Christ. Children are
an heritage from the Lord. Parents
are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values
and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate
discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9;
Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15;
23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21;
Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)
(S)
Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce
and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as
adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons
or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be
greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for
the offices of pastor or deacon.
(Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus
1:6)
(T)
Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and
that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified,
unexcused taking of unborn human life.
Abortion is murder. We
reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest,
birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the
physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16;
Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
(U)
Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others,
not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not
believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose
us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife,
the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of
resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God
commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any
person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48;
Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2
Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
(V)
Lawsuits Between Believers. We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing
civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal
disputes. We believe the church
possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes
between members. We do believe,
however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another
Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued
without malice or slander. (1 Cor.
6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
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