Statement of Faith

Section #1: Statement of Faith

The Biblical counselor, by definition, is committed to the Old and New Testaments as the only authoritative rule of faith and practice. Both the faith and conduct of the biblical counselor, as well as his counseling practice are formed by the standards of Scripture. The following is our statement of faith:

We believe that the Bible is the inspired, the only infallible, sufficient, and authoritative Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe that a person is justified by grace through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: the saved unto the resurrection of life, and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that we ought to manifest that unity wherever and whenever possible.

Section 2 Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps. 139; Genesis 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 12:7)

Section 3 Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated 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 God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including impure sexual thoughts, adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, rape, pedophilia and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10).

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; 10:29-37) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the convictions of the Biblical Counseling Ministry.

If man’s laws violate God’s laws, we choose to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:18-20; 5:28-29)

Section 4: Statement on Weddings and Pre-Marital and Marriage Counseling

Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, the Biblical Counseling Ministry will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the staff of the Biblical Counseling Ministry shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. The Biblical Counseling Ministry will only provide pre-marital and marriage counseling for a one man – one woman marriage. We do not participate with or cooperate in any efforts to prepare for or perpetuate same-sex relationships.

Section 5: Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct

These statements do not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final determiner of all that we believe. For purposes of the Biblical Counseling Ministry’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Trustees is the Biblical Counseling Ministry’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

Section 6: Statement on Employees and Volunteers

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the Biblical Counseling Ministry, and to provide a biblical role model to its clients and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the Biblical Counseling Ministry in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by all statements in Article 2 (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22).