Our Ongoing Commitment in Light of Bill C-4
God overlooked our ignorance . . . in earlier times but now commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.
On January 8th, 2022 Canada’s criminal code was amended to include the practice of so-called “conversion therapy” as a punishable offense, carrying with it a penalty of up to five years in prison. This bill (“which denounces harmful practices . . . based on myths and stereotypes that the sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of LGBTQ2 people are undesirable conditions that can or should be changed”) received unanimous approval by both governing party and official opposition with virtually no debate.
Due to the potential impact of Bill C-4 on Christian churches, we thought it would be prudent to clearly lay out what we view to be our role and responsibility in the midst of our culture’s redefinition-project of sexual and gender norms.
We, therefore, as pastors of Hill City Baptist Church, set forth the following affirmations as a true reflection of our convictions in this matter:
That the Holy Scriptures (The Bible), being the very words of God, are infallible and binding on all people at all times. Thus, they are not subject to the fluctuating norms and morals of current culture; rather it is the norms of culture that must be subject to the Scriptures. Thus, our primary concern is not that we are on the so-called “right side of history” but on the right side of God’s decrees.
That it is, therefore, not fundamentally the state, nor experts, nor even a majority which determines the rightness or wrongness of a course of action.
That it is the desire of every Christian citizen “to live peaceful and quiet lives” (1 Timothy 2:2) and to submit to government so long as it operates within its proper bounds of authority (Romans 13:1).
That the jurisdiction of government is not absolute, but is rather limited by:
The specific duties assigned to it, as laid out in the Scriptures (Romans 13:4, 1 Peter 2:14);
The existence and legitimacy of various spheres of authority in society (church, family, etc.).
The constant assumption of the Scriptures that there is one God and Lord over all, which necessarily lays constraints on all earthly authorities (Psalm 2).
That where government attempts — by laws, threats, or coercion — to require Christians to do that which is against the Scriptures, it becomes out duty to “obey God rather than man.” (Exodus 1, Acts 5:29, Acts 17:7, Daniel 3:18).
That to force any decision, including conversion, upon any person, through any coercive means, is a degradation of humanity and a “therapy” which we reject outright. Nevertheless, “because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11, NLT) of their duty to submit the whole of their lives to God.
That binary distinctions of male and female are not a social construct, nor a myth, but an irrefutable reality of nature, which the Scriptures affirm in Genesis 5:2: Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
That it was God’s original design for man to be joined to a covenant partner (woman) for the purpose of lifelong fellowship (Genesis 2:24) and fruitfulness (Genesis 1:28). And that where any definition of marriage or sexuality fails to conform to the biblical pattern of heterosexual norms, or mongogmous fidelity, they also fail to meet the definition of marriage.
That “there is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12), and thus for anyone to assume precedence of their feelings over clear revelation and the reality of nature is a posture of profound error that will lead to death.
That it is not only the privilege, but the duty, of every Christian pastor and minister to freely provide counsel and direction in line with God’s design for gender and sexuality, and to do so assuming the correctness of an individual’s God-given gender at birth.
That insofar as Bill C-4, having recently received royal assent and which is now in effect, hinders any Christian from proclaiming, persuading, or pleading with people to submit, body and soul, to Jesus Christ, we reject it outright.
As pastors, and as a church, we remain committed to counseling or answering the questions of anyone seeking to escape the lies and empty promises of LGBT+ism. The hope of the Gospel remains that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Sincerely in Christ,
The Elders of Hill City Baptist Church