I.
The Scriptures Praise God
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.
II.
God
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.
III.
Man
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.
IV.
Salvation
Salvation
involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered
freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, 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 Savior.
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.
V.
God's Purpose of Grace
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.
VI.
The Church
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.
VII.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper/Communion
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 Savior, 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.
VIII.
The Lord's Day
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.
IX.
The Kingdom
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.
X.
Last Things
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.
XI.
Evangelism and Missions
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.
XII.
Education
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.
XIII.
Stewardship
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.
XIV.
Cooperation
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.
XV.
The Christian and the Social Order
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.
XVI.
Peace and War
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.
XVII.
Religious Liberty
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.
Gen.
1:27; 2:7; Matt. 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts
4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Gal 5:1,13; Phil 3:20; 1
Tim2:1-2; James4:12; 1 Peter2:12-17;3:11-17;4:12-19.
XVIII.
The Family
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; 1
Peter 3:1-7.