Concerning Moral and Ethical Issues
Euthanasia
The direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil regardless of the motivation. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from fertilization until natural death. An act or omission which causes death merely in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God.
However, discontinuing medical procedures that merely prolong death, rather than prolong life, can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment.
(Exodus 20:13; 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)
Abortion
Human life begins at fertilization, and the unborn child is a living human being. All human life is sacred, because we are created in the image and likeness of God. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of God-given human life, and, therefore, is murder contrary to the will of God.
(Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:22–25; Psalm 51:5; 139:13–16; Isaiah 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15– 18; Luke 1:41–44)
Marriage
The only biblical marriage is the formal union of a man and a woman in a lifelong, exclusive, comprehensive covenant.
(Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 19:4–6; Mark 10:6–9; Romans 7:2–3; 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 39; Ephesians 5:22–33)
Human Sexuality
Any other sexual activity, identity, or expression outside of this definition of a biblical marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contrary to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity, and thus are sinful. God has created us male and female, and he desires that we find joy and contentment in His design.
Gender is God-given—not socially constructed or self-determined. Gender distinctions are rooted in creation, and manifested in biological, emotional, and constitutional differences. Being created as a man or woman is an essential aspect of our identity, transcending social customs and cultural stereotypes.
(Genesis 2:18–25; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:1–30; Matt 19:4–5; Mark 10:6–9; Romans 1:26– 29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 7)
Gender Relationships
God has created both men and women in His image—equal in value and in standing before Christ—but that He has delegated differing and complementary functions/roles to men and women within the family and the church. God created the man to be head over the woman as Christ is head over the church, and this headship is to find clear expression in both the marriage relationship and in the church.
(Genesis 1:27–28; 2:20–23; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:3–16; 14:34; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:18–33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 1 Peter 3:1– 7)
Family Relationships
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to lead his wife, and to love her as Christ loves the church. The wife is to respect her husband, and to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband, as the church submits to the headship of Christ.
Children are a heritage from the Lord, and are to be viewed as a blessing in fulfillment of the creation mandate for the glory of God. Parents are to seek to cultivate wisdom and virtue in their children by developing within them rightly-ordered beliefs, morals, and affections, that they may better know, glorify, and enjoy God. Parents are responsible to oversee their children’s intellectual, spiritual, and moral instruction, which includes a consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline (including Scriptural corporal correction).
(Genesis 1:26–28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:5–9; Psalm 127:3–5; Proverbs 1:7; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:13–14; Mark 10:6–9; 1 Corinthians 7:1–7; Ephesians 5:18–33; 6:1–4; Philippians 1:9–11; 4:8, 9; Colossians 3:18–21; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Peter 3:1–7)
Divorce and Remarriage
God disapproves of and forbids divorce, and intends marriage to last until the death of a spouse. Divorce is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of sexual immorality or the abandonment of an unbelieving spouse. However, marriage to an unbeliever is not solely a legitimate ground for a divorce.
Reconciliation should always be the first recourse, with divorce being only a last resort, since any breaking of the marriage covenant is a grievous and harmful violation of God’s intended design. Divorce is also permissible when a believer is in an ungodly union, such as a homosexual “marriage.”
(Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 5:31–32; 19:3–12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:1–3; 1 Corinthians 7:10–16, 39; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
Disputes and Accountability Between Church Members
The church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members, and members are biblically prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against their church or other members of the assembly to resolve personal disputes. Disputes among members are to be dealt with personally and privately, or brought before the council of elders.
By seeking membership at a local church, the believer submits himself to the leadership and authority of that church, and commits to pursue Christlikeness in thought, word, and conduct, seeking to faithfully love God and love others, to make and to be fully committed and competent disciples of Christ, joyfully and humbly seeking accountability with and for fellow members of the assembly, recognizing the potential for loving, corrective discipline in cases of unrepentant sin—as prescribed in Scripture—that the erring member may be restored to fellowship with both Christ and His church.
(Matthew 18:15–20; 22:37–39; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 6:1–8; 2 Corinthians 2:5–11; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:31–32; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14–15; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 3:9–11)
Go back to full doctrinal statement.
The direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil regardless of the motivation. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from fertilization until natural death. An act or omission which causes death merely in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God.
However, discontinuing medical procedures that merely prolong death, rather than prolong life, can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment.
(Exodus 20:13; 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)
Abortion
Human life begins at fertilization, and the unborn child is a living human being. All human life is sacred, because we are created in the image and likeness of God. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of God-given human life, and, therefore, is murder contrary to the will of God.
(Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:22–25; Psalm 51:5; 139:13–16; Isaiah 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15– 18; Luke 1:41–44)
Marriage
The only biblical marriage is the formal union of a man and a woman in a lifelong, exclusive, comprehensive covenant.
(Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 19:4–6; Mark 10:6–9; Romans 7:2–3; 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 39; Ephesians 5:22–33)
Human Sexuality
Any other sexual activity, identity, or expression outside of this definition of a biblical marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contrary to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity, and thus are sinful. God has created us male and female, and he desires that we find joy and contentment in His design.
Gender is God-given—not socially constructed or self-determined. Gender distinctions are rooted in creation, and manifested in biological, emotional, and constitutional differences. Being created as a man or woman is an essential aspect of our identity, transcending social customs and cultural stereotypes.
(Genesis 2:18–25; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:1–30; Matt 19:4–5; Mark 10:6–9; Romans 1:26– 29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 7)
Gender Relationships
God has created both men and women in His image—equal in value and in standing before Christ—but that He has delegated differing and complementary functions/roles to men and women within the family and the church. God created the man to be head over the woman as Christ is head over the church, and this headship is to find clear expression in both the marriage relationship and in the church.
(Genesis 1:27–28; 2:20–23; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:3–16; 14:34; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:18–33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 1 Peter 3:1– 7)
Family Relationships
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to lead his wife, and to love her as Christ loves the church. The wife is to respect her husband, and to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband, as the church submits to the headship of Christ.
Children are a heritage from the Lord, and are to be viewed as a blessing in fulfillment of the creation mandate for the glory of God. Parents are to seek to cultivate wisdom and virtue in their children by developing within them rightly-ordered beliefs, morals, and affections, that they may better know, glorify, and enjoy God. Parents are responsible to oversee their children’s intellectual, spiritual, and moral instruction, which includes a consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline (including Scriptural corporal correction).
(Genesis 1:26–28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:5–9; Psalm 127:3–5; Proverbs 1:7; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:13–14; Mark 10:6–9; 1 Corinthians 7:1–7; Ephesians 5:18–33; 6:1–4; Philippians 1:9–11; 4:8, 9; Colossians 3:18–21; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Peter 3:1–7)
Divorce and Remarriage
God disapproves of and forbids divorce, and intends marriage to last until the death of a spouse. Divorce is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of sexual immorality or the abandonment of an unbelieving spouse. However, marriage to an unbeliever is not solely a legitimate ground for a divorce.
Reconciliation should always be the first recourse, with divorce being only a last resort, since any breaking of the marriage covenant is a grievous and harmful violation of God’s intended design. Divorce is also permissible when a believer is in an ungodly union, such as a homosexual “marriage.”
(Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 5:31–32; 19:3–12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:1–3; 1 Corinthians 7:10–16, 39; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
Disputes and Accountability Between Church Members
The church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members, and members are biblically prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against their church or other members of the assembly to resolve personal disputes. Disputes among members are to be dealt with personally and privately, or brought before the council of elders.
By seeking membership at a local church, the believer submits himself to the leadership and authority of that church, and commits to pursue Christlikeness in thought, word, and conduct, seeking to faithfully love God and love others, to make and to be fully committed and competent disciples of Christ, joyfully and humbly seeking accountability with and for fellow members of the assembly, recognizing the potential for loving, corrective discipline in cases of unrepentant sin—as prescribed in Scripture—that the erring member may be restored to fellowship with both Christ and His church.
(Matthew 18:15–20; 22:37–39; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 6:1–8; 2 Corinthians 2:5–11; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:31–32; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14–15; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 3:9–11)
Go back to full doctrinal statement.