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The Holy Bible was
written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to
man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for
its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of
error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and
trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and
therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center
of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human
conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture
is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine
revelation.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10;
119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32;
Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15;
17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17;
Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
There is one and
only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and
personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the
universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God
is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to
all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions
of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and
obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without
division of nature, essence, or being.
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His
creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to
the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all
loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become
children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His
attitude toward all men.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus
22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah
43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9;
28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans
8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians
1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ
He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus
perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human
nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself
completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by
His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross
He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised
from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as
the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into
heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One
Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the
reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory
to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now
dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew
1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark
1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38;
11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28;
Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21;
8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2
Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11;
4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians
4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15;
7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John
1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14;
12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy
men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables
men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and
effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every
believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character,
comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they
serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of
final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that
God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of
Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in
worship, evangelism, and service.
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah
61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark
1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24;
14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55;
8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27;
1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians
1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2
Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7;
Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
Man is the special
creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and
female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is
thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was
innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice.
By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the
human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the
command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his
posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin.
Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become
transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can
bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the
creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is
evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ
died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full
dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5;
Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans
1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1
Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians
1:21-22; 3:9-11.
Salvation involves
the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who
accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained
eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation
includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and
glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in
Jesus Christ as Lord.
A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby
believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of
heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which
the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of
grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the
acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to
Him as Lord and Saviour.
B. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles
of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ.
Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and
favor with God.
C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by
which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to
progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and
power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should
continue throughout the regenerate person's life.
D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final
blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26;
27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24;
10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31;
17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23;
8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20;
15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15;
Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians
1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus
2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1
Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
Election is the
gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies,
sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free
agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the
end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is
infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and
promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in
Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the
state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall
into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the
Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the
cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall
be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7;
Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke
1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24;
6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10;
8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28;
Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians
2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1
Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.
A New Testament
church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of
baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship
of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His
laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by
His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through
democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is
responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers
are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for
service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as
qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ
which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from
every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3;
14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16;
5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21;
5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15;
4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in
water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is
an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified,
buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of
the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in
Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection
of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the
privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of
the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine,
memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second
coming.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke
3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7;
Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
The first day of the
week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular
observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead
and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both
public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be
commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of
Jesus Christ.
Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke
24:1-3,33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19-28; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I
Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.
The Kingdom of God
includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His
particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.
Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men
enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians
ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will be
done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return
of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.
Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23;
12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1;
9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31;
Romans 5:17; 8:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews
11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Revelation 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15;
21-22.
God, in His own time
and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end.
According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and
visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ
will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned
to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their
resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will
dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44;
25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26;
17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1
Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians
3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2
Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13;
Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14;
Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.
It
is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every
church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all
nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the
birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests
thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is
expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The
Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all
nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to
win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian
lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15;
13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18;
24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2;
8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1
Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter
2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.
Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and
intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian
heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst
for knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of
Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general
benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support
of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is
necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people.
In Christian education there should be a proper balance between
academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly
relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The
freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is
limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative
nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the
school exists.
Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28;
Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14;
Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1
Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians
2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3;
James 1:5; 3:17.
God is the source of
all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe
to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a
holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their
possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with
their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize
all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for
helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should
contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically,
proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer's
cause on earth.
Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12;
Matthew 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42;
16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2;
1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15;
Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize
such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for
the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no
authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary
and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the
energies of our people in the most effective manner. Members of New
Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying
forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the
extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament
sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends
by various groups of Christ's people. Cooperation is desirable between
the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is
itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of
conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed
in the New Testament.
Exodus 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15;
Nehemiah 4; 8:1-5; Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark
2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1
Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10;
Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18.
All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the
will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means
and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment
of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only
when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the
saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ,
Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and
vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery,
homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the
orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick.
We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity
of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian
should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole
under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and
brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be
ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always
being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their
loyalty to Christ and His truth.
Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm
101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40;
25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25;
John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12–14; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24;
10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1
Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.
It is the duty of
Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness.
In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do
all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The
supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all
the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His
law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the
reign of the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans
12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.
God alone is Lord of
the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and
commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in
it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every
church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual
ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or
denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil
government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to
render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the
revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power
to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual
means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to
impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no
right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free
church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the
right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and
the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion
without interference by the civil power.
Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts
4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1
Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.
God has ordained
the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is
composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or
adoption.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant
commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union
between Christ and His church 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.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are
created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God
relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved
the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to
protect, and to lead his family. 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. 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.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage
from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's
pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual
and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle
example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical
truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9;
Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128;
139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6;
18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes
4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark
10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33;
6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus
2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4;
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