Statement of Faith

• We believe God is a loving and relational union of Persons, who consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and chose to create men and women in His image as life-giving, sexual beings.
• We believe by God's design, men and women are equally valuable but intentionally different. They are created, male and female, to reflect unique aspects of God’s character and nature. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
• We believe sexuality is not just a physical act and is defined by more than our physical sexual preferences and expression. We are designed to be whole people – physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually – and we are to express our sexuality, our male and female natures, through all five of these aspects.
• We believe marriage, as defined by God, is a sacred covenant relationship between one man and one woman in an exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.)  Marriage is a fundamental building block of all successful societies.
• We believe the one flesh union, i.e. sexual intercourse, is an intimate gift shared between a man and woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4)  When a husband and wife become a gift to each other they have the opportunity to experience sexual union in its fullness, beauty, authenticity and power.
• We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)
• We believe children are a blessing and a gift from God. They are a natural outworking of a life-giving marriage.  Building families through either childbirth or adoption is a blessing.
• We believe God is the author and sustainer of all life. Therefore, all life is sacred and should be honored and protected.  This includes pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death.
• We believe teaching sexual integrity is an adult responsibility, first of parents, then of other influential adults through the support of the church and other organizations.
• We believe parents who model and teach sexual integrity are more likely to leave a positive legacy of relational wholeness to future generations.
• 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 complete wholeness cannot occur without the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit within the individual.
• We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of The Legacy Institute as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a Biblical role model to The Legacy Institute members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by The Legacy Institute in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement of Faith. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16.)
• We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.)  Disrespectful and undignified behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the teaching and mission of The Legacy Institute.
• This statement of faith does 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 source of all that we believe.  For purposes of The Legacy Institute’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Directors is The Legacy Institute’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application for our functioning as an organization.