Gender, Marriage and Sexuality

We believe that every person must be treated with compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.  (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Any behavior or attitude towards any person that does not reflect the love of Christ for all people is unacceptable and will be confronted.

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably created each person as distinctly male or female (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:18-25; 5:1, 2). These two distinct and complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. To reject one’s biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person and is a sin against God.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning:  the uniting of one man and one woman, as biologically designed by birth, in a single, exclusive union, as defined in Scripture.  (Gen 2:18-25) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.  (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4)

We believe that any form of sexual intimacy outside of marriage is sexually immoral and is sin against God. (1 Cor. 6:15-7:6; Eph. 5:3-7) Sexual immorality includes, but is not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual conduct, and pornography.

We believe that God offers forgiveness, redemption, transformation, and restoration to all who confess and repent from their sin and humbly ask for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 6:11)

We believe that to preserve the function and integrity of Iglesia de la Costa as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model, it is imperative that all persons employed or serving as volunteers in the church or it’s ministries, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality.  (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22)