Riverbend Bible Church - Riverbend Bible Church 354 Te Aute Road

We teach that God as Creator established life (Genesis 1:1, 26-28), marriage (Genesis 2:22- 23; Matthew 19:4-6), and the moral implications therein (Genesis 2:24; Leviticus 18:1- 30; Matthew 5:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8). We teach this is exclusively, authoritatively, and sufficiently expressed in Scripture and that such definitions are universal truths which define reality and do not change (Psalm 19:8-15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 17:17, Proverbs 8:22-36).

Life

We teach that humans bear the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6; James 3:9) and are such persons at conception (Psalm 139:13, 15; cf. Job 3:3) as directly recognized by God (Psalm 22:10; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41-44; Romans 9:10-11; Galatians 1:15). God does not differentiate between murder in or outside of the womb (Exodus 21:12; 22-24). Therefore, any form of abortion is murder, a defiant act against the God of life (John 5:26) and against children whom He cares about (Matthew 18:10) and gives as blessings (Psalm 127:3). We teach that those created in the image of God must be treated with dignity (Genesis 9:6; Luke 13:15- 16; James 3:9) and that this must extend to these persons in the womb. We teach that God has numbered our days (Psalm 139:16) so we are to entrust our lives into His hands, rather than ending life prematurely through assisted suicide.

Marriage

We teach that marriage was given by God as part of His kindness and common grace, and that it has no meaning other than as He has provided (Genesis 2:18–24).

We teach that marriage is subject to the curse of the Fall, but this curse does not change the definition of marriage established at creation (Matthew 19:1-9).

We teach that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:23–24). Believers, living in obedience to the Scripture and under the control of the Holy Spirit, can begin to experience peaceful, productive, and fulfilled marriage as intended by God (Genesis 3:16; 1 Peter 3:7).

We teach that the marriages of believers are to illustrate the loving relationship of Christ and His church, with the husband loving his wife as Christ loves the church and the wife responding to her husband’s loving leadership as the church responds to Christ (Ephesians 5:18–33).

We teach that as believers’ marriages are to illustrate Christ’s relationship with His church, believers should choose to marry those who share their faith and regenerate life (2 Corinthians 6:14).

We teach that marriage is always a public, formal, and officially recognized covenant between a man and a woman.

We teach that where no such covenant exists, or can be discerned, between a cohabiting couple prior to coming to faith in Christ, family units should be preserved to the extent possible and, if otherwise appropriate, solemnization encouraged.

Prolonged conjugal cohabitation or a ‘de facto relationship’ does not establish, and is not equivalent to marriage (John 4:18). Biblically, such a relationship is fornication (1 Corinthians 6:9).

We teach that where a valid marriage has been established prior to coming to faith in Christ, the couple should remain married (1 Corinthians 7:24).

We teach that God hates divorce, permitting it only where there has been unrepentant sexual sin (Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 5:32, 19:9) or desertion by an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:12–15).

We teach that remarriage is permitted to a faithful partner, but only when the divorce was on biblical grounds.

We teach that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.

We teach that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman (Hebrews 13:4).

Sexuality

We teach that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, paedophilia, pornography, in desire or behaviour (Matthew 5:28) is sinful and offensive to God.

In addition, any attempt to change one’s sex or disagreement with one’s biological sex is sinful and offensive to God who ordained the sexes of male and female at creation (Genesis 1:26-28) and one’s particular sex at conception (Leviticus 18:1–30; Deuteronomy 22:5; Matthew 5:28; Romans 1:26–29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8).

We teach that homosexuality, in particular, is subject to God’s wrath of abandonment, is a matter of choice and not inherited status, and epitomizes man’s ungrateful rebellion against God (Romans 1:18–28).

We teach that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behaviour or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of the church.

We teach that the faithful proclamation of the Scripture, including the call to repentance, does not constitute hate speech, or hateful and harassing behaviour, but is instead a fundamental part of the church’s loving mission to the world (Matthew 28:16–20; 2 Corinthians 5:11–20; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:1–2).

We teach that God offers redemption and forgiveness to all who confess and forsake their sin, including sexual sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

We teach that His forgiveness is total and complete (Psalm 103:11–12, 130:3–4; Isaiah 43:25, 44:22; John 5:24; Colossians 2:13–14) and that God imputes the full righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) to the believing sinner.

We teach that the forgiven sinner has been cleansed from the guilt of sin, set apart unto God, or made holy, and justified before Him (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

We teach that any man or woman who has received that forgiveness is “in Christ” and is a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), able to persevere in and pursue a way of life that pleases the Lord by the power of the Spirit (Romans 8:10-15; 2 Corinthians 3:16; Philippians 2:13).