LGBTQ+ STATEMENT
Emmanuel Bible Fellowship LGBTQ+ Position Statement
The Bible teaches that, homosexual relationships, as well as other LGBTQ+ lifestyles, are sinful and oppose God’s creative design for life. We believe that any deviation from God’s creative design regarding gender, same sex relationships and marriage is sinful and a violation of God’s plan and design.
The Bible teaches that in the beginning, God created human beings, male and female. Being male or female is part of who we are and that cannot be changed. Attempting to do so is not in line with God's creative order, and it opposes God's way to live.
We understand that God created Biblical marriage to be in line with God’s creative design. The Bible teaches that marriage is to be one man and one woman for life. We believe that same-sex marriage opposes God’s design.
(For further information regarding EBF's position on Biblical Sexuality, we subscribe to “The Nashville Statement”)
With respect to our sexuality, there are two ways to live: God’s way or our way. God’s way is revealed in the Bible and is in line with His creative design. It yields blessing to those live as He has told us to live. Conversely, when we choose to live our way, contrary to God’s way, we experience separation from God, heartache, and far-reaching consequences of our own choices.
Foundational to living God’s way is understanding that man is sinful and separated from God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” - Romans 3:23
The Bible teaches that we are born with a sinful nature, and we choose to live our own way, not God’s way. This is called sin. This sin creates a separation between us and God because He is holy and sinless, and we are not.
The Bible also teaches that because of our sinfulness we deserve to die: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23
However, because of God’s extravagant grace and love for all mankind, Jesus, who is God, lived a perfect life and died as a substitute for all of humanity: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8
When we understand His plan, agree that we are sinful and separated from Him, believe that Jesus died in our place and place our confidence in his death in our place, God starts a new relationship with us, we are adopted as His child and God’s Spirit enters us. The Holy Spirit give us the ability to obey God and live His way.
And the Bible teaches that regardless of our sin there is hope. “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,” - Exodus 34:6-7a
The Bible also teaches us:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9
By placing faith in Jesus Christ, it is possible to stop living our way, start living God’s way, and have an eternal relationship with Him no matter how long we have chosen to live our way and not His way.