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The Bible begins in Genesis with the marriage of a man and a woman and
ends in the Book of Revelation with the marriage of Christ and His bride,
the Church. In between, God provides timeless blueprints for family life,
which, if followed in a spirit of humility and obedience, provide us with
the only true way to maintain healthy family relationships.
CopticFamiliy.org affirms this biblical model and challenges us to
consider how we should live within the walls of our own homes. It is
offered in a spirit of love and humility, not of judgment or contention.
Furthermore, it is not intended to be a comprehensive doctrinal statement
about what the Bible says about marriage, family, and related subjects.
Unquestionably, CopticFamily.com attempts to face critical cultural
issues. We invite response from anyone who wishes to affirm the truths of
marriage and family from the Scriptures. It is our hope that this
organization will serve to accurately represent the truth God has revealed
to us in Scripture, will provide insight into what a biblical family looks
like, and will show how we can honor and glorify Him in our family
relationships.
We freely acknowledge that we, like all people, have often denied the
biblical truths of family life by the way we live. We desire, however, to
live by God's grace in accordance with the principles stated herein and to
pass these principles on to future generations so that He will be honored
and glorified as our families reflect His character.
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Our Mission
To provide God's timeless principles for the family and facilitate the
practice of these biblical principles through workshops, meetings,
conventions, articles, books, videos and other resources/activities.
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Our Guiding Principles
Since Focus on the Family's primary reason for existence is to spread the
Gospel of Jesus Christ through a practical outreach to homes, we have firm
beliefs about both the Christian faith and the importance of the family.
This ministry is therefore based upon five guiding philosophies that are
apparent at every level throughout the organization. These
"pillars" are drawn from the wisdom of the Bible and the
Judeo-Christian ethic, rather than from the humanistic notions of today's
theorists. In short, Focus on the Family is a reflection of what we
believe to be the recommendations of the Creator Himself, who ordained the
family and gave it His blessing.
We believe that the ultimate purpose in living is to know and
glorify God and to attain eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,
beginning within our own families and then reaching out to a suffering
humanity that does not know of His love and sacrifice.
We believe that the institution of marriage was intended by God
to be a permanent, lifelong relationship between a man and a woman,
regardless of trials, sickness, financial reverses or emotional stresses
that may ensue.
We believe that children are a heritage from God and a blessing
from His hand. We are therefore accountable to Him for raising, shaping
and preparing them for a life of service to His Kingdom and to humanity.
We believe that human life is of inestimable worth and
significance in all its dimensions, including the unborn, the aged, the
widowed, the mentally handicapped, the unattractive, the physically
challenged and every other condition in which humanness is expressed from
conception to the grave.
We believe that God has ordained three basic institutions —
the church, the family and the government — for the benefit of all
humankind. The family exists to propagate the race and to provide a safe
and secure haven in which to nurture, teach and love the younger
generation. The church exists to minister to individuals and families by
sharing the love of God and the message of repentance and salvation
through the blood of Jesus Christ. The government exists to maintain
cultural equilibrium and to provide a framework for social order.
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The
Bible
We believe
the Bible was written by men who were divinely inspired by God the Holy
Spirit, and we believe it to be authoritative and errorless in its
original autographs. We believe the Bible contains the blueprints for
building solid marriage and family relationships. It teaches principles
for marriage and family life that transcend time and culture. We are
committed to communicating biblical truth in order to strengthen and give
direction to a marriage and family. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21;
Hebrews 4:12)
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Family
We believe
God is the originator of the family. It was established by God in His
inaugural act of the marriage between a man and a woman. The Bible further
defines the family through God's instruction for married couples to have
children, whether by birth or by adoption. We believe the purpose of the
family is to glorify and honor God by forming the spiritual, emotional,
physical, and economic foundation for individuals, the church, and any
society.
It is at
home that children see manhood and womanhood modeled. It is at home that
moral values are taught by parents and placed into the hearts of their
children. It is at home that people see the reality of a relationship with
Jesus Christ modeled. It is at home that people learn to live out their
convictions. Therefore, we are committed to upholding the concept of
family as God's original and primary means of producing a godly offspring
and passing on godly values from generation to generation. (Ephesians
3:14-15; Genesis 1:26-28; Romans 8:15,23; John 1:12; Galatians 3:29; Psalm
78:5-7; Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
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Marriage
We believe
God, not man, created marriage. We believe marriage was the first
institution designed by God. We believe the Bible teaches that the
covenant of marriage is sacred and life long. The Bible makes it clear
that marriage is a legally binding public declaration of commitment and a
private consummation between one man and one woman, never between the same
sex. Therefore, we believe God gives a wife to a husband and a husband to
a wife, and they are to receive one another as God's unique and personal
provision to help meet their mutual needs.
We believe
God created marriage for the purpose of couples glorifying God as one
flesh, parenting godly children, and enjoying sexual pleasure. As iron
sharpens iron, we believe God uses marriage to sharpen a man and woman
into the image of Jesus Christ. Just as the Trinity reflects equal worth
with differing roles, we believe God created a man and a woman with equal
worth but with differing roles and responsibilities in marriage.
Finally, we
declare the marriage commitment must be upheld in our culture as that
sacred institution of God in which men and women can experience the truest
sense of spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy, so that the two can
become one. (Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:30-32; 1 Corinthians 7:3;
Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9, 12:25; Proverbs 27:17; Romans 1:26-27, 8:29;
Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 22:30; Deuteronomy 24:5; Song of Solomon)
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Husbands
We believe
God has charged each husband to fulfill the responsibility of being the
"head" (servant leader) of his wife. We believe God created a
man incomplete, and as a husband, he needs his wife as his helper. We
believe a husband will give account before God for how he has loved,
served, and provided for his wife. We reject the notion that a husband is
to dominate his wife. Likewise, we reject the notion that a husband is to
abdicate his responsibilities to lead his wife. Rather, we believe his
responsibility is to love his wife. This love is characterized by taking
the initiative to serve her, care for her, and honor her as a gift from
God. We believe his responsibility is to protect his wife and help provide
for her physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
We also
believe a husband is to seek after and highly regard his wife's opinion
and counsel and treat her as the equal partner she is in Christ.
Therefore, we are committed to exhort and implore men not to abuse their
God-given responsibilities as husbands, but rather to initiate a
sacrificial love for their wives, in the same way Jesus Christ initiated
sacrificial love and demonstrated it fully on the cross. (Genesis 2:18-25;
Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 Timothy 5:8)
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Wives
We believe
God has charged each wife to fulfill the responsibility of being her
husband's "helper." We believe a wife will give account to God
for how she has loved, respected, and given support to her husband. We
uphold the biblical truth that she is of equal value with her husband
before God. We reject the notion that a wife should assume the leadership
responsibilities of her husband. Likewise, we reject the notion that a
wife should passively defer to the dominance of her husband. We believe
that her responsibility is to willingly and intelligently affirm, respect,
and submit to her husband as the leader in the relationship and in his
vocational calling. Therefore, we are committed to exhorting a wife to be
in support of her husband by accepting and excelling in her responsibility
as his helper. (Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18; 1
Peter 3:1-6; Proverbs 31:10-12)
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Sexual
Union
We believe
the Bible clearly states that marriage is the only context for sexual
intimacy. We believe contemporary culture is pressing single people to
engage prematurely in acts that are intended only for the context of
marriage. Our culture has rejected God's plan for intimacy by promoting
sexual promiscuity of various kinds and, as a consequence, has brought
upon itself sexual diseases and relational dysfunctions. We believe in
sexual purity and fidelity.
Therefore,
we are committed to training parents to teach their children at an early
age to respect their sexuality and to preserve their virginity and purity
until marriage. We are committed to communicating the message to
teenagers, single adults, and married couples that sexual intimacy is
available only in the context of marriage. (Genesis 2:24-25; Romans
1:24-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)
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Fathers
We believe
God has charged a father to execute the responsibilities of a family
leader. He is accountable before God to lead his family by sacrificially
loving his wife and children and by providing for their physical,
spiritual, and emotional needs. We believe the greatest way a father can
love his children is to love their mother. We believe children gain much
of their concept of God from their fathers.
We believe
a father should teach his children, by instruction and example, truth from
the Bible and how to apply it practically in daily life. Therefore, a
father should spend a quantity of time, as well as quality time, with each
child. We believe a father should demonstrate godly character revealed in
humility, tenderness, and patience toward his children. We believe a
father should demonstrate love by practicing consistent discipline with
each child. Therefore, we are committed to turning the hearts of fathers
back to their children by emphasizing the importance of their role as
"father." We are committed to exhorting every father to model a
love for God and His Word, to model love for his wife, and to love his
children. (Malachi 4:6; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:20-21; Deuteronomy
6:4-9; 1 Timothy 3:4-5, 5:8)
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Mothers
We believe
God has uniquely designed women to be mothers. We believe the greatest way
a mother can love her children is to love their father. We also believe
God has created a woman with an innate and special ability to nurture and
care for her children.
Therefore,
we believe mothers are the primary people who execute the vital
responsibilities of loving, nurturing, and mentoring children. We believe
these responsibilities should be met before a mother contemplates any
other duties. We believe our culture has devalued the role of a mother by
placing greater significance on activities outside the home than on those
inside the home.
We realize
there are cases where a mother will find it necessary to work outside the
home (e.g. financial distress, single parenthood); however, we also
believe some couples have made career and lifestyle choices that result in
de-emphasizing the mother's role as nurturer. Therefore, we are committed
to presenting a biblical framework through which couples can rightly
evaluate their priorities in light of a mother's role. We are committed to
elevating motherhood by rightly assessing its exalted value in God's
economy of the family. We are committed to exhorting mothers to model love
for God and His Word, to model love for her husband, and to love her
children. (Titus 2:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 2:7; Proverbs 14:1, 31:1-31;
Deuteronomy 6:6, 11:19; Ezekiel 16:44-45)
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Children
We believe
children are the gifts of God and should be received and treated as such.
We believe a child's life begins at conception. We believe children have a
special responsibility to God in obeying and honoring their parents. We
believe a child's identity and spiritual growth is either helped or
hindered by his parents' devotion to God, to one another, and to him.
Parents should see themselves as God's ambassadors, working to build
strong character in the lives of their children through consistent godly
living, nurturing, discipline, and teaching them right from wrong. We are
committed to God's plan for passing His love down through the ages by
encouraging parents to love their children "so the generations to
come might know" the love and forgiveness of Christ. (Ephesians
6:1-3; Colossians 3:20; Psalms 78:5-8, 127:3-5, 139:13-16; Proverbs 4:1,
6:20)
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Childless
Couples
We believe
God has allowed some couples to be without biological children according
to His sovereign plan in their lives. We believe couples without children
are of no less value before God than those with children. We believe in
encouraging childless couples to consider adoption as a family
alternative. We are committed to encouraging childless couples to pass on
a godly legacy through involvement with children in their immediate
families, churches, and communities. (Luke 1:6-7; Romans 8:28-29)
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Grandparents
We believe
grandparents are to be honored as valued family members. We believe their
wisdom in living should be sought and passed on to their children and
their children's children. We also believe that grandparents have the
responsibility of teaching and modeling to their grandchildren how to know
Jesus Christ and grow in a relationship with Him as well as passing along
biblical principles for godly living. The Old Testament is filled with
examples of grandfathers and grandmothers who excelled in their roles of
grandparenting.
Therefore,
we are committed to giving honor to grandparents by encouraging their
children and grandchildren to listen to their voices of wisdom. We are
also committed to exhorting grandparents to pray for and become actively
involved with children and grandchildren whenever it is possible. (1
Timothy 5:4; Genesis 18:18-19; Proverbs 17:6; Psalm 78)
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Church
We believe
the family and the church are interdependent. A primary responsibility of
the church is to help build godly families, and godly families also help
build the church. We believe the family supplies the relational rudiments
of the local church. We believe the local church is the spiritual home
where families should corporately worship God. It is the place where the
knowledge and love of God may be communicated to fathers, mothers, and
children.
Therefore,
we are committed to exhorting families to support the local church through
their involvement. We are also committed to exhorting the local church to
uphold the priority of helping build godly marriages and families. (1
Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 5:22-33; Philemon 1:2; Colossians 4:15)
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Divorce
We believe
God's plan for marriage is that it be a lifelong commitment between one
man and one woman. We believe God hates divorce. We believe divorce brings
harm to every person involved. Therefore, reconciliation of a marriage
should be encouraged and divorce discouraged. We also believe that God
allows for divorce in certain situations, not because He wills it, but
because of the hardness of people's hearts. We believe the Bible teaches
that God allows for divorce in the case of adultery and in the case where
an unbelieving spouse has chosen to abandon the commitment of marriage.
We believe,
however, that it is God's priority that marital oneness be restored and
that, through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, forgiveness and
reconciliation be experienced. We believe that in the unfortunate cases of
abuse and abandonment, God has provided protection for an abused spouse
and provision for child support through the church, civil law, godly
counselors, prayer, and other practical measures. We believe God can
restore broken people and broken marriages by His grace, by the power of
His Spirit, and by His practical truths found in the Bible. (Malachi 2:16;
Matthew 5:31-32, 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:1-3; Romans
13:1-5; 1 Corinthians 7:15)
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Single
Parents
We believe
that, ideally, a child needs the influence of both a father and mother for
healthy development in life and relationships. At the same time, we
recognize that God's grace is sufficient and that He is a father to the
fatherless and a husband to the husbandless. We also believe He is a
guardian to children without a mother and a friend to a husband who has
lost his wife.
We believe
God, by His grace, can use the void left from a missing parent to
accomplish His eternal purposes of building Christlike character in single
parents and their children. We believe a single parent and his or her
children are a family and that the Bible contains principles for them to
grow as a family. We believe the local church should be a home for single
parents, providing their children with godly people who serve as role
models in place of the missing parent.
Therefore,
we are committed to exhorting Christians within the local church to
creatively help meet the needs associated with single-parent homes. We are
committed to comforting and encouraging single-parent families by
providing resources and developing biblical principles to assist those who
struggle in the role of a single parent. (Psalm 68:5-6; 1 Corinthians
7:32; James 1:27; 1 Timothy 5:3-16; Romans 8:28-29; Luke 18:3-5)
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Broken
and Blended Families
We believe
God has allowed men and women, either by circumstance or by choice, to
endure difficult and painful consequences in their marriages and family
relationships. We also believe God gives abundant grace to the broken,
blended, and single-parent families.
Therefore,
we believe He can and does enable them to carry out His functions and
principles for healthy family life. We are committed to comforting,
encouraging, and teaching these families God's principles of marriage and
family life. We are also committed to exhorting the local church to help
with the burden of the broken family. (James 1:27; 1 Timothy 5:16;
Philippians 4:13)
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Work and
the Family
We believe
work is an important and necessary aspect of one's service to God and
one's responsibility to provide for the needs of the family. We also
believe security and significance cannot be found through pursuing career
goals or financial achievement apart from one's responsibility to God and
one's spouse and family. Instead, we believe those needs are best met in
the warmth of a home where parents and children are experiencing harmony
in their relationships with each other and with Jesus Christ. Therefore,
we are committed to challenging any person or couple to rearrange their
priorities so that over the course of a lifetime they can be successful at
home and not merely successful in their careers. (Revelation 3:14-22;
Ephesians 6:7-8; Matthew 6:33; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12)
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Mentors
We believe
in the biblical admonition for older men and women to teach younger men
and women. We believe younger couples today should seek out older couples
for their wisdom and counsel in matters of marriage and family. We believe
older couples should be taught and encouraged to mentor younger couples
and we believe this is best accomplished through the local church.
Therefore, we are committed to establishing a strategy for mentoring that
the local church may implement and use to build strong marriages and
families. (Titus 2:3-5)
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Marriage
Education
We believe
single adults who choose to marry should be taught the biblical principles
of marriage. We also believe the education of a married couple does not
end after the wedding ceremony is over, but continues throughout life.
Therefore, we believe that both premarital and post-marital education is
helpful and essential in a couple's growth toward and in oneness. We are
committed to elevating, establishing, and teaching the precepts of
marriage by which single adults can rightly evaluate their relationships
and equip themselves for marriage. We are committed to providing the
teaching and training necessary to equip married couples to live a
lifetime together as one. Finally, we are committed to showing couples how
their marriages can be used by God to give others the hope found only in
Jesus Christ. (Titus 2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 16:31-34; John 4:53)
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The
Deceiver and Culture
We believe
there is a living Devil who is God's enemy and whose nature and objective
is to lie and deceive. We believe the Devil has attacked God's plan for
the family from the beginning of man until now. We believe he uses the
various aspects of the culture to promote personal independence, distort
the differences between men and women, confuse their roles, and elevate
personal rights over marital responsibilities. We believe the Devil seeks
to persuade people to move away from God's plan for intimacy and oneness
and toward isolation and divorce. (John 8:44; Genesis 3; Isaiah 14:12-14;
Ezekiel 28:12-18; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 2:15)
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God
- the Creator of the Family
Father
We believe
in the Fatherhood of God. The title "Father" implies that God is
a relational being. The Bible reveals God has four primary relationships
as Father: He is the Father of creation, of the nations, of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and of all believers. We believe the Bible presents the title
"Father" as one of the primary names Christians should use in
addressing and relating to God. In doing so, Christians identify
themselves as children who belong to the family of God. We are committed
to proclaiming and demonstrating this truth about who God is and who we
are, so that God will be glorified, and that He might use us to bring
others into His family through a personal relationship with His Son. (John
1:12; Exodus 3:14-15; Ephesians 3:16; Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:15; Acts
17:24-28)
Son
We believe
God the Son, fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, was God's final
sacrifice for the sins of man through the shedding of His blood on the
cross and His resurrection from the dead. We believe He is the only way to
know God the Father and to experience His plan for marriage and family. We
are committed to introducing people to Jesus Christ in order that, by
faith, they might personally receive Him, be born into the family of God,
receive forgiveness and eternal life, and begin a relationship with God
that is essential in marriage and family life. (John 1:4,12, 17:3; 1 John
2:23-24; Ephesians 2:19-22; Colossians 1:13-18; Hebrews 1:1-4)
Holy
Spirit
We believe
God the Holy Spirit is the agent and teacher of a godly marriage and
family. We believe when Christian couples and their children consistently
yield to His control and power, they will experience harmony in their
marriages and families. Therefore, we are committed to sharing the
ministry of the Holy Spirit with people so they may know God better, make
Him known to others, and appropriate His power in fulfilling their duties
in marriage and family relationships. (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:5-15;
Ephesians 5:18-21)
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Commitment
In
recognition of and in full agreement with these biblical principles
regarding marriage and the family, I, by the grace of God, commit myself
to adhere to, practice, and teach what God has made clear are my
responsibilities within His design of marriage and the family.
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