What we believe
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Living Faith is an Anglican ministry committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible as God’s revealed word. Scripture teaches that sex is God’s gift to humanity, only to be expressed within the marriage of a man and a woman. The gospel of Jesus Christ experienced in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit gives believers the power to resist sin and live godly lives as disciples of Christ.
Our teaching is based upon God’s revelation in both Old and New Testaments, which is ‘useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).
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We believe that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ and all may be ‘justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:23-24). This includes those who have engaged in same-sex sexual activity. The apostle Paul puts it this way:
Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
We believe that in the Bible, God gives us the only true pattern for living in this world. God’s intention is that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the context of monogamous, heterosexual marriage (Genesis 2:21-24). Jesus endorses this foundational biblical teaching but also speaks positively about the value of the single life and the faithful expression of human sexual nature in celibacy (Matthew 19:1-12. See also 1 Corinthians 7:6-9, 25-38). Jesus condemns all forms of sexual immorality outlined in the Old Testament (Matthew 15:19), and goes further in pointing out that lust can be as damning as an act of adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). We believe the Bible condemns same-sex lust and same-sex sexual activity, (e.g. Romans 1:24-27).
Nothing is specifically said about people losing their same-sex attractions when they believe in Christ. The Bible speaks about a change of identity—being washed clean from sin, consecrated to God, and established in a new relationship with God in Christ. It also indicates changes of behaviour—people abandoned patterns of life that alienated them from God.
We also believe that human experience is varied, that every individual’s journey from conception onwards is unique, and that God is not bound to act according to our expectations but is free to act according to his sovereign and gracious will. Some with same-sex attraction testify to ending up in happy, sexually fulfilling heterosexual marriages. However, such an experience should not be our goal. Our goal is not heterosexuality but rather, being transformed by God into the image of Christ.
We long for churches to support those in their midst who struggle with same-sex attractions or who have a same-sex attracted family member. Christians who are caught in sinful behaviours, attitudes or thoughts, may find such things as prayer, counselling, pastoral help, and healthy friendships to be of great assistance in their growth in Christ-likeness. Living Faith's goal is not ‘orientation change’, but for individuals to have a life-transforming, personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of glory.
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