What we believe (Part 4)

 (1) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, beastiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography our 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. (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5,13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1st Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)  

(2) we believe that the only scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman for life. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; 1st Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23) 

 (1) We believe that God has commanded 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 head of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and elders) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1st Timothy 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 loved and 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 in heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural Corporal correction. (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18, 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; 1st Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; 1st Peter 3:1-7) 

  We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery. (case exceptions are fornication and or abandonment). In those cases, divorced and or remarried men may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service. We believe that in these circumstances, a divorced and or remarried man can serve in the pastorate if he is the husband of one wife. (not a polygamist) (1st Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6 1st Corinthians 7:15) 

 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 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; Psalm 51:5; 139:14; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44) 

 We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13; 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)