California is at a crossroad. As the culture battles rage on, Christ centered Bible believing churches are right smack in the middle of this spiritual battle of worldviews. In order to protect our right to religious freedom and our commitment to the truth of God, Valley Life Free Church presents this Sanctity of Marriage Statement.

Homosexuality and Sin
We believe that the Word of God clearly teaches us that homosexuality is a sin (we encourage you to look up all the verses below so that you can confirm them in context). We also believe that we are ALL sinners and that we ALL fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8). The sin of homosexuality is no different than the sins that we all commit on a daily basis (either things we think, do, or don't do). That is why repentance (committing to turn your life around) and salvation through Christ Jesus is so important. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by our own "good" works (Eph 2:8-9). But we also know that faith without obedience and without the external expression of our love for Jesus and for other people is a dead faith (James 2:17).

People who believe and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior are given the Holy Spirit of God to help them live a life that is pleasing to Him (John 14:26, Acts 1:8). With God, all things are possible including the ability to conquer the addiction to homosexuality or any other sin (Matt. 19:26).

Sin as a Lifestyle
None of us are immune to the temptation of sin ... but there is a big difference between the temptation to sin and practicing sin as a lifestyle. To practice sin is to live a lifestyle of sin. We, as the body of Jesus Christ, can not condone, support, or encourage a lifestyle of homosexuality just as we can not condone, support, or encourage a sin filled lifestyle of adultery, drunkenness, envy, strife, unrighteous anger, lies, greed, idolatry, etc, etc. This is not about hate. This is about truth in love for God and for ALL the people that He created.

We love all sinners because Jesus loved us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8). The Holy Bible teaches us that the love and forgiveness of God is freely available to all who believe and receive God's only Son, Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (John 3:16, John 14:6). But we are also taught by Jesus to "go and sin no more" after we are no longer condemned by Him (John 5:14, John 8:11).

We welcome all people who are sincerely interested in learning more about Jesus. But we are also committed to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). We admit that we are all sinners (1 John 1:8) ... but we do not live, encourage, or promote a lifestyle of practicing sin (1 Cor 6:9-10).

Marriage
In the beginning, God created one man and one woman to be together and blessed them to be fruitful and to multiply (Gen. 2:18, 21-24, 1:28). The Word of God also clearly teaches us that marriage is a blessing from God that joins one man and one woman in holy unity for the purpose of sharing a committed life of love and faithfulness. When a man and a woman that love and commit to each other get married, they become one flesh (Matt. 19:5).

Jesus also taught us that the marriage between a groom (man) and a bride (woman) symbolizes the intimate relationship in unity between Jesus, as the groom, and His church, as the bride of Christ (Matt. 9:15, Rev. 19:7).

It is obvious that a uni-sex human relationship cannot produce its own offspring as mandated by God. And we believe that it is blasphemy to pervert the meaning and beauty of how Jesus described His unity and relationship with His Church (as in marriage between one male groom and one female bride).

Therefore, this church, Valley Life Free Church, will not allow any of our church pastors, facilities, or resources to be utilized to condone, support, or encourage any lifestyle of sin, including, but not limited to, the sin of homosexuality. In addition, this church, Valley Life Free Church, will not disobey our God and His Word in regards to the sanctity of marriage between only one man (male) and one woman (female). Valley Life Free Church will not recognize or perform any wedding ceremony that is against the teaching of God.

Any man and woman who requests to be married at Valley Life Free Church must agree to pre-marriage Biblical counseling and obtain approval from an ordained and recognized pastor of Valley Life Free Church.

While Valley Life Free Church respects and obeys the laws of the land, we will not be forced or coerced to obey morality or religious based laws that clearly go against our core religious belief, freedom of expression, obedience, worship, and love for our God, the Judeo-Christian God of the Holy Bible, who died for our sins and is our friend.

What God says about Homosexuality

"Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin." (Leviticus 18:22 NLT)

"If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act." (Leviticus 20:13a NLT)

"That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved." (Romans 1:26-27 NLT)

"And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment." (Jude 1:7 NLT)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV)

What God says about Marriage

"So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.'" (Genesis 1:27-28 NLT)

"Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.' And He said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together." (Matthew 19:4-6 NLT)

"Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4 NKJV)

"Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:24-27 NKJV)

It's simply about TRUE LOVE.

Biblical Christianity is about love ... TRUE love. Who loves more? The person who remains silent (or supportive) about something that God says clearly leads to destruction ... or the person that speaks up to warn people about what God says is true? If you are standing on the train tracks and for some reason you cannot see or hear the train coming - who loves you more: the person who helps you get off the tracks or the person who says and does nothing about your situation (that will clearly lead to death)? At VLF church, we love you so much because God loved us while we were still sinners (on the railroad track to destruction). At VLF, we love you enough to speak up and proclaim the truth in love. Because true love speaks the truth and does not (will not) support or promote something that God says is bad for you. If you have "friends" that are supporting, encouraging, or promoting a lifestyle of destruction (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) - they are not your true friends.

If you have any questions regarding our Sanctity of Marriage Statement, please send them to Pastor Lou at: livingrock@valleylifefree.org.