Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF) Statement on Creation of Man, Marriage and Sexual Ethics

Affirmed by Congregation on 2/21/2021

 

The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, in summarizing the teachings of Scripture, clearly affirms in chapter 4, paragraph 2 that God created man, as male and female, rendering them fit unto that life to God for which they were created.  

The Confession also makes clear in summarizing the Scriptures, in chapter 25, paragraph 1: Marriage is to be between one man and one woman; neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband.  Given the present and widespread degradation of sexual morality in our culture, we must state our views of this matter more specifically and formally, as stated below.

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• We believe that God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in His own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female. In the beginning, man and woman being made after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, having the law of God written in their hearts are subject to His creative purposes. 

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• We believe the self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture. We categorically deny that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception is consistent with God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption.

 

• We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one genetic male and one genetic female in a single, exclusive, covenantal union, as delineated in Scripture.

 

• We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between one genetic male and one genetic female who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a genetic male and a genetic female.

 

• We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexual conduct, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, any use of pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s genetic sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

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• We believe that God in His grace offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

 

• We believe that every person is created in God’s image, no matter how much the image of God is marred by sin, or illness, or weakness, or age, or any other disability, still has the status of being in God’s image and therefore must be treated with compassion, love, kindness, the dignity, and respect that is due to God’s image-bearer. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the church. 

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• We believe, nevertheless, in spite of the kindness to be shown to sinners, impenitence in the aforementioned sins is inconsistent with a Christian’s Biblical profession of faith and conduct. Therefore, any covenant member of HBF must not profess belief or impenitently act in a manner incompatible with God’s revealed Word on these issues, lest church discipline be administered. 

Major portions of Scripture from which these beliefs are drawn are as follows:  Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4.

This statement has been adapted from CBTS Statement on Sexuality and Sexual Ethics.