Cultural and Moral Clarity
DOCTRINALÂ STATEMENT
<Back to Full Doctrinal Statement Page
<Back to Section 5 - God's Plan for Israel and the End of the AgeÂ
SECTION 6 – Cultural and Moral Clarity
Doctrines providing necessary guidance for living righteously in a morally confused world.
- 6.1 – Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
- 6.2 – The Sanctity of Life
Â
6.1 – Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
God created humanity male and female by design, establishing two distinct and fixed and unchanging sexes in accordance with His sovereign purpose (Gen 1:27; Matt 19:4). This distinction is foundational to human identity, function, and accountability before God (1 Cor 11:8–9; Rom 1:20–21). It is not subject to personal perception or cultural redefinition, but is fixed by divine creation and affirmed throughout Scripture (Gen 5:2; Mark 10:6). Gender roles and distinctions are rooted in this biological reality and carry moral significance in God's created order (1 Cor 11:3; Deut 22:5).
Marriage is the exclusive, covenantal union of one man and one woman, instituted by God for companionship, procreation, and the demonstration of Christ’s relationship to the Church (Gen 2:18; Gen 1:28; Gen 2:24; Matt 19:5–6; Eph 5:31–32). It is a binding, lifelong commitment (Matt 19:6), and no other relationship—whether same-sex, polygamous, or otherwise—can constitute marriage in the eyes of God (Lev 18:22; Rom 1:26–27; Heb 13:4). Any sexual activity outside the marriage covenant is sin, including fornication, adultery, homosexual acts, and all forms of sexual immorality (1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:19–21; Heb 13:4).
God calls His people to purity and holiness, commanding that the body not be used for impurity but as a vessel for righteousness (1 Thess 4:3–5; Rom 6:12–13). The body is not for immorality but for the Lord, and those who engage in sexual sin sin against their own body (1 Cor 6:13, 18). Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price, and must therefore glorify God in their bodies (1 Cor 6:19–20).
Those who distort or reject God's design for marriage, gender, or sexuality do so in defiance of His authority and expose themselves to judgment (Rom 1:24–27; Jude 7). Yet God offers forgiveness, cleansing, and transformation to all who repent and believe in the gospel (1 Cor 6:11; Isa 1:18; John 8:11). The Church must uphold the truth without compromise, resisting conformity to the world and presenting the will of God as good, acceptable, and perfect (1 Tim 3:15; Rom 12:2; Eph 5:11).
6.2 – The Sanctity of Life
God is the Creator of life and the One who gives breath to all mankind (Gen 2:7; Job 33:4; Acts 17:25). All human life is created in the likeness of God and is therefore sacred from conception to natural death (Gen 5:1; Jas 3:9). The unborn child is fully known by God and is regarded by Him as a living person (Ps 139:13–16; Jer 1:5; Luke 1:41–44). To shed innocent blood is condemned as a detestable act, and God holds nations accountable for it (Prov 6:16–17; Deut 19:10; Gen 9:6).
Because life belongs to God, intentional killing of the innocent is a direct assault on His sovereignty and justice, and is condemned by Him as wickedness and rebellion (Gen 9:6; Exod 20:13; Deut 27:25; Rom 1:29–32; Ps 24:1). No circumstance—whether of hardship, disability, or age—nullifies the intrinsic value of a human life formed by God’s hand (Exod 4:11; Isa 46:3–4; Job 31:15).
God defends the weak, the voiceless, and the vulnerable, and He calls His people to do the same (Ps 82:3–4; Prov 24:11–12; Isa 1:17). To deny protection to those who cannot defend themselves is to pervert justice and provoke divine judgment (Isa 10:1–2; Amos 5:12). The Church must not remain silent in the face of bloodshed but must bear witness to the truth of life’s sanctity, urging repentance and offering the mercy of God to all who turn to Him in truth (Prov 31:8–9; Acts 3:19; Isa 55:7).