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POLICIES AND APPENDICES
Statement on Human Sexuality and Marriage
The basis for this official statement of Columbia International University is found
in its Statement of Faith (CIU Constitution Article VII):
“1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural
revelation to Himself and to men, absolute in its authority, complete in its
revelation, final in its content and without any errors in its teaching.”
Christian understanding of human identity is grounded in the Word of God. The
significance of human sexuality is particularly evident in the account of creation.
Human beings, fashioned by God in His own image, are created male¹ and female
(Genesis 1:27). This complementary nature of human sexuality is affirmed again
in the second chapter of Genesis. Woman is fashioned out of man (Genesis
2:18–24). Thus, from the beginning human sexual identity is reciprocal. That is,
one’s own human nature is properly understood in complementary relationship to
another who is alike in nature, but opposite in sex. Like the rest of God’s creation,
the sexual differences between man and woman are pronounced “very good”
(Genesis 1:31). We therefore affirm that God wonderfully and immutably creates
each person as male or female. By God’s grace, human sexuality both enriches
and fulfills our personhood. We also affirm that gender differentiation and male/
female uniqueness are part of a divine design that God indelibly engraved upon
creation. Based on our biblical and theological study, there is no argument for
a “third gender” among humans nor is there an argument that changing one’s
gender is possible. Gender confusion and dysphoria are ultimately the biological,
psychological, social and spiritual consequences of the human race’s fallen
condition, which affects all persons individually and collectively. We reject all
attempts at constructing one’s own sexual identity by medically altering the
human body, cross dressing, or similarly practicing behaviors characteristic of the
opposite sex as morally objectionable and sinful (Deuteronomy 22:5).
Based on Scripture, CIU believes that sexuality is an essential element of human
nature. Yet, while it is an obviously significant influence in human life, God did not
intend sexuality to be the defining characteristic of humanness. Rather, Scripture
indicates that human beings find their ultimate identity through God’s grace in their
relationship with Christ. Paul, the apostle, urged followers of Christ to understand
that “there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal.
3:28). The apostle’s words are intended to place human sexuality in a redemptive
context. It is of secondary importance to an individual’s relationship to God. That
relationship is equally accessible to both sexes through faith in the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ. Misunderstanding of human sexuality, then, is a result of
humankind’s fall from innocence (Genesis 3) through which the complementary
nature of human sexuality, like all other human relationships, was distorted. Adam
and Eve’s disobedience not only led to death and separation from God, it also
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¹
In all of CIU’s documents the terms “male,” “female,” “man,” “woman,” etc. refer to the
biological sex of a person at birth. The biological sex of a person at birth is clear except for
an extremely small percentage of births (perhaps 1/10 of 1%) in which there is a genuine
occurrence of sexual chromosome disorder.