Tenants of Faith

The One True God
We believe there is one true God, eternal, perfect, Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of the universe, who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life, was crucified for the sins of mankind, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who convicts of sin, draws people to Jesus, indwells believers, empowers obedience, guides into truth, and gives spiritual gifts that edify the Church and equip believers for ministry.

God-Inspired Scriptures
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the authoritative rule of faith and conduct, and the counsel of God for life.

Man’s Fall and Redemption
We believe mankind was created good and upright in God’s image but fell through voluntary transgression and that the only hope of redemption is Jesus Christ.

Salvation
We believe salvation is God’s gift of grace through faith. Because sin separates people from God, every person needs redemption and transformation through Jesus Christ, repentance, and faith in Him as Lord and Savior.

Sanctification and Transformation
We believe sanctification is God’s will for believers and is to be pursued through obedience to God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is transformational and calls believers to a new life submitted to God.

Baptism in Water
We believe baptism by burial with Christ should be observed by those who have repented and believed in Christ as Savior and Lord.

The Church and Ministry
We believe the Church is the Body of Christ and that divinely called and Scripturally ordained ministry exists for evangelization of the world and edification of the Body of Christ.

Gender
We believe God created human beings as male and female and that biological sex is reflected in the male/female created order described in Scripture.

Marriage
We believe marriage is a lifelong covenant between one biologically born male and one biologically born female, reflecting the complementary design of male and female described in Scripture.

Human Dignity
We uphold the inherent dignity and worth of every human being created in the image of God and are committed to compassion, respect, justice, mercy, and love of neighbor.

Divine Healing
We believe divine healing is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is a privilege of believers.

Christ’s Return and Final Things
We believe Christ will return; in the resurrection of believers; the blessed hope of the Church; the millennial reign of Christ; everlasting punishment of the wicked; and the promised new heaven and new earth.

We believe, according to Scripture that:

  • The body was created for the Lord and not for sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:13)
  • God has called us to live a holy and sanctified life free from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
  • Unlike any other sin, sexual sin is a sin against the body — the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
  • God created our sexuality and oriented our sexuality. (Genesis 2:18-25, 1 Corinthians 11:9)
  • Sex is a gift from God that is to be reserved for marriage. (Hebrews 13:4)
  • Marriage is a spiritual union designed by God and is biblically recognized only when it is between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:22-32)
  • Marriage between a man and a woman is God’s design to protect humans from sexual sin. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5)
  • Homosexual sex and same-gender romantic relations is against God’s will for human sexuality. (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:25-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:10)
  • There are only two human genders — male and female — and God did not make a mistake when he assigned them. Changing one’s gender identity or undergoing gender reassignment is a perversion of the divine design. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 5:2, Mark 10:6, Psalm 139:13-17, Isaiah 45:9-11)
  • Life starts at conception, and abortion at any trimester is considered murder. (Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13-17, Jeremiah 20:17, Amos 1:13, Exodus 21:22-23)
  • Those who do not repent from sexual immorality will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
  • Those who confess and repent from sexual immorality will be forgiven of their sin and cleansed of all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

What is porneia?

Porneia is a Greek word that means “fornication” or any “forbidden, unlawful sexual activity.” It is a general, umbrella term for any kind of sexual immorality and occurs about 25 times in the New Testament. (Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21; Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25; Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Revelation 9:21)

Under the Law of Moses, illicit sexual immoral acts included:

  • Fornication (sex between people not married to each other)
  • Adultery (sex between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse)
  • Incest (sex between people classed as being too closely related to marry each other)
  • Pedophila (sex between an adult and a child)
  • Bestiality (sex between a person and an animal)
  • Homosexuality (sex between people of the same sex)
  • Sodomy (male prostitution)
  • Whoredom (female prostitution)

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he included “sexual lust in the heart” as form of adultery (Matthew 5:28).

  • Lust (to covet, or look at someone with intense sexual desire)

Although the following list of behaviors are not explicitly mentioned in the Scriptures, it seems reasonable to include them in the category of porneia, as they are essentially sexual in nature, focuses sexual energy and desire on someone or something other than one’s spouse, and leads to sexual immorality.

  • Pornography (sexually explicit videos, photographs, or writings that entices sexually arousal)
  • Voyeurism (sexual pleasure from watching others who are naked or engaged in sexual activity)
  • Erotic dancing (gradually undressing, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner)
  • Masturbation (the stimulation or manipulation of one’s own genitals, especially to orgasm for sexual self-gratification)

The New Testament consistently warns against porneia:

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the Body” (1 Corinthians 6:13).

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Ephesians 5:3).

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God […] For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7).

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1)

“Just as the One who called you is holy, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” (1 Peter 1:15)

Transparent For Christ Movement exists to usher in a global revival of purity and holiness before the Lord and to proclaim the transformative and liberating gospel that has the power to set free those bound by sexual immorality.