American Council of Christian Churches
75th Annual Convention, October 18-20, 2016
Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine
Resolution on Transgenderism
“The apostle Paul traces the sad devolution of a culture plagued with paganism in Romans 1. Arrogant people profess themselves to be wise while becoming foolish (v. 22). The text tells us that three exchanges are made in that foolish arrogance that lead a people to reprobation and destruction.
“They exchange the glory of God for man’s image (v. 23). From the creation of the world, the pagan man knew God, but he did not glorify Him as God (v. 21). Instead, he set himself up as an imaginative god-maker (v. 23). The gods he makes are made in his own corrupt image.
“Second, they exchange the truth of God for a lie (v. 25). The truth exchanged is especially the one given at the beginning, that man is a creature who has a Creator. This Creator has made man in His own image, including maleness and femaleness (Gen. 1:27-28a, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it’”).
“Third, they exchange the natural-born identity of human sexuality for vile affections (vv. 26-27). What makes such affections vile is that they violate “natural use.” They are “against nature,” the Creator’s creation. A description of the havoc wreaked upon a society that has made these exchanges concludes the chapter, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (vv. 28-32). The Bible teaches that homosexuality and transgenderism are sin.
“In May of this year, the Department of Education and the Justice Department of the Obama administration issued a “guidance letter” to American schools that directed them to allow students to use restroom and locker room facilities based on their chosen “gender-identity” without regard for their biological gender at birth or risk losing their Title IX federal funding. Could the signs of reprobation be any more pronounced? Even the strongest conservative political forces trying to stand in the way of this tsunami of transgender floodwaters have raised the white flag of surrender on the issue of homosexuality long ago. Their illogic that claims one can choose to be homosexual but not transgender simply will not save us from our self-destruction as these political pundits hope.
“What can and must save the lost is the same standard that has always stood to face the deluge of pagan destruction. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isa. 59:19). Paul raised that standard in his day, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:21-22). This is the power of the gospel, about which Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).
“Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches, at its annual convention, October 18-20, 2016, at Faith Baptist Church, Kittery, Maine, is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ in our paganized world. We resolve that the gospel shall be the standard we raise in the growing decadence of our culture and its leaders. We affirm that sinners may be justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24). Such were we, but now we are washed; we are sanctified; we are justified “in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). And we humbly ask our Savior’s courage, grace, love, and power as He continues to use us in the task of building His church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail (Matt. 16:18).”
