At ZealousHomes, we believe history is important. Therefore, we look to our past to affirm the teachings of the Nicene Creed. First adopted in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea and finalized in A.D.381 at the Council of Constantinople, this creed serves as a defense of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. While this creed isn’t in the Bible, it serves as an excellent summary of the Christian faith. It also reminds us of God’s zealous love for us! What can be better?

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Nicene Creed at least a few times per year to help bolster your faith. We have the creed in its entirety available for you to read for free below. 

THE NICENE CREED

A.D. 325

We believe in one God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of the Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God,

begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made;

who for us men, and for our salvation,

came down from heaven,

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,

and was made man,

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried,

and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures,

and ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.

And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead,

whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and Giver of Life,

who proceedeth from the Father,

who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.

And we look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

Historical Note: The Nicene Creed was first adopted in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea. Roman Emperor, Constantine, convened the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify the Christian church with one doctrine, especially on the theological issues of the Trinity and the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ.

*catholic: refers to the universal church, not the Roman Catholic Church of today. 

At ZealousHomes, we believe defending the Christian faith is of utmost importance. Therefore, we look to one of the great apologists of our past to affirm the teachings of the Athanasian Creed. Athanasius was a brilliant defender of the faith during the time after the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313. He participated in the development of the Nicene Creed above. He had a tremendous gift in spotting and defending against wolves in sheep clothing. He is an example for us to emulate.

The Creed itself serves as a fine defense of trinitarian belief and of the deity and humanity of Christ. While we affirm this creed, we do want to point out that while the Athanasian Creed demands belief in all of its affirmations for salvation, we do not believe that all of them are mandatory for salvation. But they are all important to understand.

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Athanasian Creed at least a few times per year to help bolster your faith. We have the creed in its entirety available for you to read for free below. 

THE ATHANASIAN CREED

“Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith.

Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable

will doubtless perish eternally.

Now this is the catholic faith:

“We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity,

neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.

For the Father is one person,

the Son is another,

and the Spirit is still another.

But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,

equal in glory,

coeternal in majesty.

What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

Uncreated is the Father;

uncreated is the Son;

uncreated is the Spirit.

The Father is infinite;

the Son is infinite;

the Holy Spirit is infinite.

Eternal is the Father;

eternal is the Son;

eternal is the Spirit:

And yet there are not three eternal beings,

but one who is eternal;

as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings,

but one who is uncreated and unlimited.

Almighty is the Father;

almighty is the Son;

almighty is the Spirit:

And yet there are not three almighty beings,

but one who is almighty.

Thus the Father is God;

the Son is God;

the Holy Spirit is God:

And yet there are not three gods,

but one God.

Thus the Father is Lord;

the Son is Lord;

the Holy Spirit is Lord:

And yet there are not three lords,

but one Lord.

“As Christian truth compels us

to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord,

so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten;

the Son was neither made nor created,

but was alone begotten of the Father;

the Spirit was neither made nor created,

but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Thus there is one Father, not three fathers;

one Son, not three sons;

one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.

And in this Trinity,

no one is before or after,

greater or less than the other;

but all three persons are in themselves,

coeternal and coequal;

and so we must worship the Trinity in unity

and the one God in three persons.

Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.

It is necessary for eternal salvation that one

also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh.

“For this is the true faith that we believe and confess:

That our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and man.

He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father,

and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother

—existing fully as God,

and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body;

equal to the Father in divinity,

subordinate to the Father in humanity.

Although he is God and man,

he is not divided, but is one Christ.

He is united because God has taken humanity into himself;

he does not transform deity into humanity.

He is completely one in the unity of his person,

without confusing his natures.

For as the rational soul and body are one person,

so the one Christ is God and man.

“He suffered death for our salvation.

He descended into hell

and rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

At his coming all people shall rise bodily

to give an account of their own deeds.

Those who have done good will enter eternal life,

those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith.

One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.”

At ZealousHomes, we believe being guided by confessions are helpful to living a more zealous life and building a stronger community. Therefore, we wholeheartedly affirm the teachings of the Second London Confession of 1689. In our opinion there are plenty of good confessions, but we chose the Second London Confession due to its rich Biblical Theology and practical applicability. Caution: It is lengthy, but loaded with great doctrinal guide rails for life and ministry. Be zealous!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Second London Confession one section at a time during your daily study. It will be a tremendous guide toward right doctrine and right living. We have the confession in its entirety available for you to read for free. Click the link below to get your zealous on!

At ZealousHomes, we believe being guided by confessions are helpful to living a more zealous life and building a stronger community. Therefore, we wholeheartedly affirm the teachings of the Abstract of Principles of 1858. In our opinion there are plenty of good confessions, but like we chose the Second London Confession due to its rich Biblical Theology and practical applicability, we also chose the Abstract of Principles for their brevity and clarity. They serve as a second great doctrinal guide rail for life and ministry. Be zealous!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Abstract of Principles one section at a time during your daily study. It will be a tremendous guide toward right doctrine and right living. We have the confession in its entirety available for you to read for free below. 

THE ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES OF 1858

1. THE SCRIPTURES

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.

2 Timothy 3:15-17; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29, 31; Ephesians 2:20; Romans 1:19-21; Romans 2:14,15; Psalms 19:1-3; Hebrews 1:1; Proverbs 22:19-21; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19,20 

2. GOD

There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12; Exodus 3:14; 1 Timothy 1:17; Malachi 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23; Psalms 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36; Exodus 34:6-7; Nehemiah 9:32-33; Psalms 5:5-6;  Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2-3; Psalms 148:13; Romans 11:34-36; Daniel 4:25, 34-35; Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 5:12-14 

3. THE TRINITY

God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.

Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Exodus 3:14; John 1:1-3; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:14,18; John 15:26; Galatians 4:6 

4. PROVIDENCE

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

Hebrews 1:3; Job 38:11; Isaiah 46:10-11; Psalms 135:6; Matthew 10:29-31; Ephesians 1:11; Acts 2:23; Proverbs 16:33; Romans 11:32-34; 2 Kings 19:28; Psalm 76; 1 John 2:16; Matthew 17:12; James 1:14; Deuteronomy 30:19 

5. ELECTION

Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:4-6, 11; Romans 9:13, 16, 22-23; Jude 4; Romans 8:30; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ephesians 2:5, 12

6. THE FALL OF MAN

God originally created man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, [and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors].

Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:12-13; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Titus 1:15; Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah17:9; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 49; Psalms 51:5; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 6:20 Romans 5:12; Hebrews 2:14, 15; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 8:7; Colossians 1:21; James 1:14-15; Matthew 15:19

7. THE MEDIATOR

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the Law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended to His Father, at whose hand He ever liveth to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe.

Isaiah 42:1; 1 Peter 1:19-20; Acts 3:22; Hebrews 5:5, 6; Psalms 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-3; Acts 17:31; Isaiah 53:10; John 17:6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:14; Romans 3:25-26; John 17:2; Hebrews 9:15

8. REGENERATION

Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who quickeneth the dead in trespasses and sins enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone.

Romans 8:30; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Deuteronomy 30:6; John 5:25; 2 Timothy 1:9

9. REPENTANCE

Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being, by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbleth himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things.

Titus 3:3-5; Zechariah 12:10; Acts 11:18; Ezekiel 36:31; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11; Psalms 119:6; Psalms 119:128

10. FAITH

Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness.

2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:14, 17;  Acts 20:32; Acts 24:14; Psalms 27:7-10; Psalms 119:72; 2 Timothy 1:12; John 14:14; Isaiah 66:2; Hebrews 11:13; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:11

11. JUSTIFICATION

Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything wrought in them or done by them; but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith.

Romans 3:24-26; Romans 8:30-32; Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:8-9; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5:17; Romans 3:28; Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:6-7; Ephesians 2:7

12. SANCTIFICATION

Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified, by God’s word and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in cordial obedience to all Christ’s commands.

Acts 20:32; Romans 6:5-6; John 17:17; Ephesians 3:16-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23; Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:24; Colossians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14

13. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall, through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

John 10:28-29; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 2:19; Psalms 89:31-32; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 26:70-74; Isaiah 64:5, 9; Ephesians 4:30; Psalms 51:10, 12; Psalms 32:3-4; 2 Samuel 12:14; Luke 22:32, 61-62

14. THE CHURCH

The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all his true disciples, and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to his commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular societies or churches; and to each of these churches he hath given needful authority for administering that order, discipline and worship which he hath appointed. The regular officers of a Church are Bishops, or Elders, and Deacons.

Colossians 1:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9; John 12:32; Matthew 18:15-20; Romans. 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 2:41-42; 2 Corinthians 9:13; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 2:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-12; Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1

15. BAPTISM

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church fellowship, and to participation in the Lord’s Supper.

Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:27; Mark 1:4; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:4; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36, 37; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 18:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:38; Matthew 3:16; John 3:23

16. THE LORD’S SUPPER

The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and wine, and to be observed by his churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate his death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with him, and of their church fellowship.

Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16-21

17. THE LORD’S DAY

The Lord’s Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, [resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.]

1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10

18. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE

God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His word, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates being ordained of God, subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Galatians 3:13; Galatians 1:4; Romans 8:3; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Romans 8:15; Luke 1:73-75; 1 John 4:18; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:17

19. THE RESURRECTION

The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God — the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised.

Genesis 3:19; Acts 13:36; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6,8; Philippians 1:23; Hebrews 12:23; Jude 6-7; Luke 16:23-24; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Job 19:26-27; 1 Corinthians 15:42-43; Acts 24:15; John 5:28-29; Philippians 3:21

20. THE JUDGMENT

God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life.

Acts 17:31; John 5:22; Jude 6; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:10-12; Matthew 25:32-46; Romans 9:22-23; 2 Timothy 4:8; Mark 9:48; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Mark 13:35-37; Luke 12:35-40; Revelation 22:20

THE ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES OF 1858

[Bracketed text has been removed from the original 1858 Abstracts]

At ZealousHomes, we believe the Bible to be wholly true and inerrant in every way, therefore we affirm this statement on biblical inerrancy. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy sets forth clear teachings on the miracle of God’s Word. These statements help to keep us from erring one way or another. Follow them zealously!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. We have the statement in its entirety available for you to read for free. Click the link below to get your zealous on!

At ZealousHomes, we believe the Bible has a right and wrong way to be read, therefore we affirm this statement on biblical hermeneutics. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics outlines clear rules for rightly interpreting the Word of God. These statements help us to keep our teaching in context with the meaning that God conveyed through Divine Inspiration. Put these rules into practice so that your zeal may grow!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics. We have the statement in its entirety available for you to read for free. Click the link below to get your zealous on!

At ZealousHomes, we believe the Bible is sufficient for every need if properly interpreted and applied, therefore we affirm this statement on biblical hermeneutics. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Applications demonstrates how the Bible rightly applies to life and culture. These statements help us to live out a biblical ethic in a culture that is fallen and depraved. Allow these guidelines to help you develop a robust biblical ethic that will translate into a more zealous life for Christ!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Chicago Statement on Biblical Application. We have the statement in its entirety available for you to read for free. Click the link below to get your zealous on!

At ZealousHomes, we believe it is vitally important to understand how and why God made man and woman. Therefore, we affirm the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The Danvers Statement helps us to wade through the cultural landscape and arrive at a biblical understanding of what it means to be men and women made in God’s image. The complementarian understanding of man and woman is the only biblical understanding that can truly help to build strong zealous homes and ministries for Christ’s glory!

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. We have the statement in its entirety available for you to read for free.

The Danvers Statement summarizes the need for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and serves as an overview of our core beliefs. This statement was prepared by several evangelical leaders at a CBMW meeting in Danvers, Massachusetts, in December of 1987. It was first published in final form by the CBMW in Wheaton, Illinois in November of 1988.

RATIONALE

We have been moved in our purpose by the following contemporary developments which we observe with deep concern:

1. The widespread uncertainty and confusion in our culture regarding the complementary differences between masculinity and femininity;
2. the tragic effects of this confusion in unraveling the fabric of marriage woven by God out of the beautiful and diverse strands of manhood and womanhood;
3. the increasing promotion given to feminist egalitarianism with accompanying distortions or neglect of the glad harmony portrayed in Scripture between the loving, humble leadership of redeemed husbands and the intelligent, willing support of that leadership by redeemed wives;
4. the widespread ambivalence regarding the values of motherhood, vocational homemaking, and the many ministries historically performed by women;
5. the growing claims of legitimacy for sexual relationships which have Biblically and historically been considered illicit or perverse, and the increase in pornographic portrayal of human sexuality;
6. the upsurge of physical and emotional abuse in the family;
7. the emergence of roles for men and women in church leadership that do not conform to Biblical teaching but backfire in the crippling of Biblically faithful witness;
8. the increasing prevalence and acceptance of hermeneutical oddities devised to reinterpret apparently plain meanings of Biblical texts;
9. the consequent threat to Biblical authority as the clarity of Scripture is jeopardized and the accessibility of its meaning to ordinary people is withdrawn into the restricted realm of technical ingenuity;
10. and behind all this the apparent accommodation of some within the church to the spirit of the age at the expense of winsome, radical Biblical authenticity which in the power of the Holy Spirit may reform rather than reflect our ailing culture.

PURPOSES

Recognizing our own abiding sinfulness and fallibility, and acknowledging the genuine evangelical standing of many who do not agree with all of our convictions, nevertheless, moved by the preceding observations and by the hope that the noble Biblical vision of sexual complementarity may yet win the mind and heart of Christ’s church, we engage to pursue the following purposes:

1. To study and set forth the Biblical view of the relationship between men and women, especially in the home and in the church.
2. To promote the publication of scholarly and popular materials representing this view.
3. To encourage the confidence of lay people to study and understand for themselves the teaching of Scripture, especially on the issue of relationships between men and women.
4. To encourage the considered and sensitive application of this Biblical view in the appropriate spheres of life.
5. And thereby

—to bring healing to persons and relationships injured by an inadequate grasp of God’s will concerning manhood and womanhood,

—to help both men and women realize their full ministry potential through a true understanding and practice of their God-given roles,

—and to promote the spread of the gospel among all peoples by fostering a Biblical wholeness in relationships that will attract a fractured world.

AFFIRMATIONS

Based on our understanding of Biblical teachings, we affirm the following:

1. Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18).
2. Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and should find an echo in every human heart (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14).
3. Adam’s headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not a result of sin (Gen 2:16-18, 21-24, 3:1-13; 1 Cor 11:7-9).
4. The Fall introduced distortions into the relationships between men and women (Gen 3:1-7, 12, 16).
   1. In the home, the husband’s loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife’s intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.
   1. In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries.
5. The Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, manifests the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18; Gal 3:28). Both Old and New Testaments also affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community (Gen 2:18; Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; 1 Tim 2:11-15).
6. Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse.
   1. In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands’ authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands’ leadership (Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; Tit 2:3-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7).
   1. In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15).
7. In all of life Christ is the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission-domestic, religious, or civil-ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority into sin (Dan 3:10-18; Acts 4:19-20, 5:27-29; 1 Pet 3:1-2).
8. In both men and women a heartfelt sense of call to ministry should never be used to set aside Biblical criteria for particular ministries (1 Tim 2:11-15, 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9). Rather, Biblical teaching should remain the authority for testing our subjective discernment of God’s will.
9. With half the world’s population outside the reach of indigenous evangelism; with countless other lost people in those societies that have heard the gospel; with the stresses and miseries of sickness, malnutrition, homelessness, illiteracy, ignorance, aging, addiction, crime, incarceration, neuroses, and loneliness, no man or woman who feels a passion from God to make His grace known in word and deed need ever live without a fulfilling ministry for the glory of Christ and the good of this fallen world (1 Cor 12:7-21).
10. We are convinced that a denial or neglect of these principles will lead to increasingly destructive consequences in our families, our churches, and the culture at large.

You can learn more about Biblical Manhood and Biblical Womanhood by visiting, “The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.”

At ZealousHomes, we believe the Bible holds the remedy to our culture’s current gender confusion and sexual depravity. Therefore, we affirm the CBMW’s Nashville Statement which presents God’s beautiful design for human gender and sexuality. The Nashville Statement helps us navigate the tempestuous waters of sexual confusion and sin, by lovingly pointing us toward a healthy image as those made in God’s image. So many families are struggling to cope with this confusion in our day, we believe the Nashville Statement can help to move forward in discipling believers to live zealously and unconfused in our time.

We strongly encourage you to prayerfully read through the Nashville Statement. We have the statement in its entirety available for you to read for free.

THE NASHVILLE STATEMENT
2017

“Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us,
and not we ourselves…”
-Psalm 100:3

PREAMBLE

Evangelical Christians at the dawn of the twenty-first century find themselves living in a period of historic transition. As Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, it has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being. By and large the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life. Many deny that God created human beings for his glory, and that his good purposes for us include our personal and physical design as male and female. It is common to think that human identity as male and female is not part of God’s beautiful plan, but is, rather, an expression of an individual’s autonomous preferences. The pathway to full and lasting joy through God’s good design for his creatures is thus replaced by the path of shortsighted alternatives that, sooner or later, ruin human life and dishonor God.

This secular spirit of our age presents a great challenge to the Christian church. Will the church of the Lord Jesus Christ lose her biblical conviction, clarity, and courage, and blend into the spirit of the age? Or will she hold fast to the word of life, draw courage from Jesus, and unashamedly proclaim his way as the way of life? Will she maintain her clear, counter-cultural witness to a world that seems bent on ruin?

We are persuaded that faithfulness in our generation means declaring once again the true story of the world and of our place in it—particularly as male and female. Christian Scripture teaches that there is but one God who alone is Creator and Lord of all. To him alone, every person owes glad- hearted thanksgiving, heart-felt praise, and total allegiance. This is the path not only of glorifying God, but of knowing ourselves. To forget our Creator is to forget who we are, for he made us for himself. And we cannot know ourselves truly without truly knowing him who made us. We did not make ourselves. We are not our own. Our true identity, as male and female persons, is given by God. It is not only foolish, but hopeless, to try to make ourselves what God did not create us to be.

We believe that God’s design for his creation and his way of salvation serve to bring him the greatest glory and bring us the greatest good. God’s good plan provides us with the greatest freedom. Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it in overflowing measure. He is for us and not against us. Therefore, in the hope of serving Christ’s church and witnessing publicly to the good purposes of God for human sexuality revealed in Christian Scripture, we offer the following affirmations and denials.

ARTICLE 1

WE AFFIRM that God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride the church.

WE DENY that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous relationship. We also deny that marriage is a mere human contract rather than a covenant made before God.

ARTICLE 2

WE AFFIRM that God’s revealed will for all people is chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage.

WE DENY that any affections, desires, or commitments ever justify sexual intercourse before or outside marriage; nor do they justify any form of sexual immorality.

ARTICLE 3

WE AFFIRM that God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female.

WE DENY that the divinely ordained differences between male and female render them unequal in dignity or worth.

ARTICLE 4

WE AFFIRM that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing.

WE DENY that such differences are a result of the Fall or are a tragedy to be overcome.

ARTICLE 5

WE AFFIRM that the differences between male and female reproductive structures are integral to God’s design for self-conception as male or female.

WE DENY that physical anomalies or psychological conditions nullify the God-appointed link between biological sex and self-conception as male or female.

ARTICLE 6

WE AFFIRM that those born with a physical disorder of sex development are created in the image of God and have dignity and worth equal to all other image-bearers. They are acknowledged by our Lord Jesus in his words about “eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb.” With all others they are welcome as faithful followers of Jesus Christ and should embrace their biological sex insofar as it may be known.

WE DENY that ambiguities related to a person’s biological sex render one incapable of living a fruitful life in joyful obedience to Christ.

ARTICLE 7

WE AFFIRM that self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture.

WE DENY that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception is consistent with God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption.

ARTICLE 8

WE AFFIRM that people who experience sexual attraction for the same sex may live a rich and fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ, as they, like all Christians, walk in purity of life.

WE DENY that sexual attraction for the same sex is part of the natural goodness of God’s original creation, or that it puts a person outside the hope of the gospel.

ARTICLE 9

WE AFFIRM that sin distorts sexual desires by directing them away from the marriage covenant and toward sexual immorality— a distortion that includes both heterosexual and homosexual immorality.

WE DENY that an enduring pattern of desire for sexual immorality justifies sexually immoral behavior.

ARTICLE 10

WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.

WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree.

ARTICLE 11

WE AFFIRM our duty to speak the truth in love at all times, including when we speak to or about one another as male or female.

WE DENY any obligation to speak in such ways that dishonor God’s design of his image- bearers as male and female.

ARTICLE 12

WE AFFIRM that the grace of God in Christ gives both merciful pardon and transforming power, and that this pardon and power enable a follower of Jesus to put to death sinful desires and to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

WE DENY that the grace of God in Christ is insufficient to forgive all sexual sins and to give power for holiness to every believer who feels drawn into sexual sin.

ARTICLE 13

WE AFFIRM that the grace of God in Christ enables sinners to forsake transgender self- conceptions and by divine forbearance to accept the God-ordained link between one’s biological sex and one’s self-conception as male or female.

WE DENY that the grace of God in Christ sanctions self-conceptions that are at odds with God’s revealed will.

ARTICLE 14

WE AFFIRM that Christ Jesus has come into the world to save sinners and that through Christ’s death and resurrection forgiveness of sins and eternal life are available to every person who repents of sin and trusts in Christ alone as Savior, Lord, and supreme treasure.

WE DENY that the Lord’s arm is too short to save or that any sinner is beyond his reach.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES*

Gen. 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 3:1-24; Ex. 20:14, 20:17; Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Dt. 5:18-21, 22:5; Jdg. 19:22; 2 Sam. 11:1-12:15; Job 31:1; Ps. 51:1-19; Prov. 5:1-23, 6:20-35, 7:1-27; Isa. 59:1; Mal. 2:14; Matt. 5:27–30, 19:4-12; Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Rom. 1:26–27, 1:32; 1 Cor. 6:9–11; 1 Cor. 6:18-20, 7:1-7; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:24; Eph. 4:15; Eph. 4:20–24; Eph. 5:31–32; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; 1 Tim. 1:9–15; 2 Tim. 2:22; Titus 2:11-12; Heb. 13:4; Jas. 1:14–15; 1 Pet. 2:11; Jude 7

* Scripture texts are not a part of the original document but have been added subsequently for reference

To view the original document please visit “The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.”