We believe that God creates people in his image as either male or female, that sex and gender are indivisible and consistent with God’s design, and that this creation is a fixed matter of human biology, predetermined by God, not individual choice. We believe that marriage is instituted by God as a covenant between one man and one woman. Marriage is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide a framework for intimate companionship for the husband and wife. The covenant union of marriage reflects God’s covenant love for his people. Therefore, marriage is to be lived out in love and relational fidelity. Marriage is the only appropriate context for sexual intimacy.
(Genesis 1:26-28, 2:18-25, Matthew 19:1-12, Ephesians 5:1-12, 22-33)
Reason this statement is an essential doctrine: God’s good design in the creation of marriage, gender, and sexuality should be celebrated, defended, and lived out in our lives as Christians.