The Bible is God's written Word. We declare our commitment to its infallible truth, especially in the areas of marriage and sexuality where its teaching is under attack in our day. Our Reformed tradition has always stood on the absolute authority of Scripture in these matters. 

 

The Bible tells us that both male and female are made in God's own image, and are intended by God to express sexual love for one another only within the bonds of the life-long covenant of marriage. 

 

Christian marriage is ordained by God and designed for three purposes: 

 

1. The mutual help of husband and wife. 

2. The safe-guarding, under girding, and development of their moral and spiritual character. 

3.  The propagation of  children and the rearing of them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 

  

We call on our brothers and sisters in Christ to join with us in following the Bible's teachings and our Reformed confessions and traditions across history in declaring that sexual relationships within this context are the only possible expressions of sexuality that are not in direct rebellion against God's revealed will. 

  

In this day of sexual promiscuity, perversion, and sensual idolatry with the resultant epidemic in AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, crisis pregnancies, abortion, and pornography, the Church of Jesus Christ must speak prophetically in support of God’s laws in these same areas.  

 

To do less than this is to be less than faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ who said both: "Your sins are forgiven" (Luke 7:48), and "Stop sinning" (John 5:14). The words of our Heavenly Father as well as the words of His followers call the unrepentant to repent and the repentant to believe in the forgiveness offered to us through the blood of Jesus. 

  

Appendix 

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"Thou shalt not commit adultery."  
- Exodus 20:14 

 

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders not thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."  
- 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 

 

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."   
- Ephesians 5:3 

 

"Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction: the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."  
- Gal 6:7,8 

 

"The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."   
- 1 Corinthians 6:13b 

 

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."   
- Hebrews 13:4 

 

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."   
- Galatians 5:16 

  

Endnotes 

1. II Peter 1:20,21; I Thessalonians 2:13; Book of Confessions, 3.18, 6.002-6.004.  

2. II Timothy 3:15,16; Book of Confessions, 6.005.  

3. Isaiah 8:20; Book of Confessions, 3.20, 6.006-6.007, 6.010, 6.136.  

4. Matthew 22:29,31; Luke 10:26; Book of Confessions, 3.20, 6.001-6.002, 6.010.  

5. Genesis 1:27; Book of Confessions, 7.127.  

6. Genesis 2:23,24; I Corinthians 7:2,39; Matthew 19:46; Hebrews 13:4; Book of Confessions, 4.108-4.109, 6.133, 6.137, 9.47.  

7. Genesis 1:27,28; Mark 10:9; Book of Confessions, 5.246, 6.136, 7.130.  

8. Book of Confessions, 6.134. 

9. Genesis 2:18,24.  

10. Genesis 1:27,28; Ephesians 5:22,23; Colossians 3:18,19; Genesis 2:18,25; I Corinthians 7:3-5,9,36.  

11. Genesis 1:27,28; Genesis 9:1; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 18:5; Matthew 19:14.  

12. Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20,21; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17.  

13. Book of Confessions, 5.001-5.002.  

14. Book of Confessions, 5.245-5.246, 9.47.  

15. Book of Confessions, 4.108-4.109, 6.136.  

16. Book of Confessions, 5.001-5.014, 9.47.  

17. Book of Confessions, 3.18, 3.20, 4.085, 5.163-5.165, 9.47.  

18. Acts 11:18; Luke 24:47; Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Ezekiel 19:30,31; 36:31; Psalm 51:4; Jeremiah 31:18,19; II Corinthians 7:11; Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; Proverbs 28:13; Book of Confessions, 4.087, 5.093-5.102.  

19. Titus 3:5; Acts 5:31; Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Isaiah 55:7; Romans 8:1; Isaiah 1:18; I Timothy 1:13,15; Psalm 32:5,6; Psalm 51:4,5,7,9,14; I John 1:9; Book of Confessions, 4.001, 4.084, 6.081-6.086.