St. Johns Baptist Church
St. Johns Baptist Church
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    • HOME
    • ABOUT US
      • ABOUT
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      • MINISTRIES
      • OUR PURPOSE
      • OUR BELIEFS
      • LEADERSHIP
    • SCHOOL
    • GIVE
    • CONTACT US
    • EVENTS
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • VISITING
    • MINISTRIES
    • OUR PURPOSE
    • OUR BELIEFS
    • LEADERSHIP
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  • CONTACT US
  • EVENTS

The Baptist Faith & Message

St. Johns is affiliated with the Southern  Baptist Convention. Southern Baptists have prepared a statement of  generally held convictions called The Baptist Faith and Message and it is a detailed explanation of the biblical beliefs held by  Southern Baptists. Our pastor is always available to answer any  questions you might have about these statements. Each statement below is  followed by scripture references to biblical support our beliefs.

I. The Scriptures

 

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; Isaiah 53:1-12; 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  Saviour, 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  Saviour.

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 & the Lord's Supper

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 Saviour, 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.

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 & 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 & 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.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.

XVIII. 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.

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