Biblical Perspectives on Sexual Ethics and Identity

 

Summary

In today's message, I explored the complex and often controversial topic of sexual ethics, particularly focusing on homosexuality, through the lens of biblical teachings. The foundation of our understanding of sexual ethics is rooted in the creation ordinance, where God created man and woman, establishing a divine order. This order is consistently referenced by Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament, emphasizing that sexual relations and identity are not merely cultural constructs but are deeply embedded in the fabric of creation itself.

Homosexuality, as discussed, is identified in the Bible as sin, not whispered about but spoken of plainly and clearly. This is evident in both the Old and New Testaments, where homosexual acts are described as contrary to nature. This distinction is crucial because it highlights the unique nature of this sin compared to others. However, it is important to remember that all sin is detestable to God, whether it be pride, arrogance, or any other form of transgression.

A significant point made is the modern tendency to identify oneself by sin, such as identifying as a homosexual. This is contrary to biblical teaching, which calls us to identify either in Adam, representing sin, or in Christ, representing grace and justification. Our identity should not be rooted in our sin but in our relationship with Christ.

Furthermore, I emphasized the importance of loving those who identify as homosexuals. Our role is not to condemn but to share the gospel, offering hope and redemption through Jesus Christ. It is not about changing one's lifestyle to be saved but about faith in Christ, which naturally leads to repentance and a rejection of sinful lifestyles.

Finally, I addressed the need for Christians to maintain a clear and unwavering stance on biblical ethics. We must not dilute the truth of sin, as doing so diminishes the grace of God. Instead, we should strive to hate our own sins more than those of others, recognizing our need for grace and the transformative power of the gospel.

Key Takeaways:

- Creation Ordinance and Sexual Ethics: Sexual ethics are deeply rooted in the creation ordinance, where God established the order of male and female. This divine order is not a cultural construct but a foundational truth referenced throughout Scripture. Understanding this helps us see sexual identity and relations as part of God's design. [00:31]

- Homosexuality as Contrary to Nature: The Bible speaks clearly about homosexuality as a sin that is contrary to nature. This distinction highlights its unique nature among sins, yet it is crucial to remember that all sin is detestable to God. Recognizing this helps us approach the topic with both truth and grace. [02:48]

- Identity in Christ, Not Sin: Our identity should not be rooted in our sin but in our relationship with Christ. Identifying by sin, such as homosexuality, is contrary to biblical teaching. We are called to identify either in Adam, representing sin, or in Christ, representing grace and justification. [04:12]

- Loving and Sharing the Gospel: We are called to love those who identify as homosexuals, sharing the gospel and offering hope through Jesus Christ. It is not about changing one's lifestyle to be saved but about faith in Christ, which naturally leads to repentance and a rejection of sinful lifestyles. [06:09]

- Maintaining Biblical Truth: Christians must maintain a clear and unwavering stance on biblical ethics, not diluting the truth of sin. Recognizing our own sins and the need for grace helps us approach others with humility and the transformative power of the gospel. [08:55]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Creation Ordinance and Sexual Ethics
- [01:18] - Biblical Clarity on Homosexuality
- [02:05] - Identity and Sin
- [02:48] - Homosexuality as Contrary to Nature
- [03:30] - God's Hatred of Sin
- [04:12] - Identity in Christ, Not Sin
- [04:56] - Loving Those Who Identify as Homosexual
- [05:35] - Sharing the Gospel with Love
- [06:09] - Faith and Repentance
- [06:50] - Proclivities and Besetting Sins
- [07:30] - Consecration and New Life
- [08:15] - Loving Our Enemies
- [08:55] - Maintaining Biblical Truth
- [09:39] - Hating Our Own Sins
- [10:19] - The Language of Sin
- [11:26] - Conversations and Witnessing
- [12:57] - Inviting to Jesus, Not Just Church
- [14:00] - Kindness and Truth in Witnessing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 1:27 - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
2. Romans 1:26-27 - "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another."
3. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men... will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, how does the creation ordinance establish the foundation for sexual ethics? [00:31]
2. What specific passages in the Bible are mentioned in the sermon that address homosexuality as a sin? [01:18]
3. How does the sermon describe the modern tendency to identify oneself by sin, and what is the biblical perspective on identity? [04:12]
4. What is the role of Christians in loving those who identify as homosexuals, according to the sermon? [05:35]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the creation ordinance in Genesis 1:27 inform our understanding of sexual identity and ethics?
2. In Romans 1:26-27, what does it mean for homosexual acts to be described as "contrary to nature," and how does this distinction affect our understanding of sin? [02:48]
3. How does 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 illustrate the transformative power of the gospel for those who have engaged in various sins, including homosexuality?
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of maintaining a clear stance on biblical ethics, and how does this relate to the concept of grace? [08:55]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your understanding of sexual ethics as rooted in the creation ordinance. How does this perspective challenge or affirm your current views? [00:31]
2. How can you engage in conversations about homosexuality with truth and grace, as suggested in the sermon? What specific steps can you take to ensure these conversations are loving and respectful? [06:09]
3. Consider your own identity. Are there areas where you might be identifying more with sin than with Christ? How can you shift your focus to your identity in Christ? [04:12]
4. The sermon emphasizes loving those who identify as homosexuals. What are some practical ways you can demonstrate love and share the gospel with individuals in your community? [05:35]
5. How can you maintain a clear and unwavering stance on biblical ethics in your daily life without compromising the message of grace? [08:55]
6. Reflect on the idea of hating your own sins more than the sins of others. How can this perspective change the way you view and interact with people who sin differently than you do? [09:39]
7. Identify a situation where you might have diluted the truth of sin in your conversations. How can you approach similar situations in the future with both truth and grace? [08:55]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Order in Creation
The foundation of sexual ethics is deeply rooted in the creation ordinance, where God established the order of male and female. This divine order is not a cultural construct but a foundational truth referenced throughout Scripture. Understanding this helps us see sexual identity and relations as part of God's design. The creation narrative in Genesis sets the stage for understanding human relationships and sexuality as divinely ordained, not merely societal norms. This perspective challenges us to view our identities and relationships through the lens of God's original design, recognizing the inherent value and purpose He has placed in them. [00:31]

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding your identity as part of God's creation influence the way you view your relationships and interactions with others today?


Day 2: Homosexuality and the Nature of Sin
The Bible speaks clearly about homosexuality as a sin that is contrary to nature. This distinction highlights its unique nature among sins, yet it is crucial to remember that all sin is detestable to God. Recognizing this helps us approach the topic with both truth and grace. The biblical narrative consistently portrays sin as a deviation from God's intended order, and homosexuality is one such deviation. However, it is essential to approach this topic with humility, acknowledging that all sin separates us from God and requires His grace for redemption. [02:48]

"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature." (Romans 1:26, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you approach conversations about sin with both truth and grace, ensuring that you reflect God's love and justice?


Day 3: Identity in Christ
Our identity should not be rooted in our sin but in our relationship with Christ. Identifying by sin, such as homosexuality, is contrary to biblical teaching. We are called to identify either in Adam, representing sin, or in Christ, representing grace and justification. This understanding calls us to a higher identity, one that is not defined by our past or our struggles but by the transformative power of Christ's love and sacrifice. Embracing this identity means living in the freedom and purpose that comes from being a new creation in Christ. [04:12]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take today to more fully embrace your identity in Christ, rather than being defined by past sins or struggles?


Day 4: Loving and Sharing the Gospel
We are called to love those who identify as homosexuals, sharing the gospel and offering hope through Jesus Christ. It is not about changing one's lifestyle to be saved but about faith in Christ, which naturally leads to repentance and a rejection of sinful lifestyles. This approach emphasizes the importance of relationship and compassion, recognizing that transformation comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and not through human effort alone. Our role is to be conduits of God's love, pointing others to the hope and redemption found in Christ. [06:09]

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the love of Christ through you today, and how can you intentionally share that love with them?


Day 5: Upholding Biblical Truth
Christians must maintain a clear and unwavering stance on biblical ethics, not diluting the truth of sin. Recognizing our own sins and the need for grace helps us approach others with humility and the transformative power of the gospel. This commitment to truth requires courage and discernment, as we navigate a world that often challenges biblical values. By holding fast to Scripture, we can offer a consistent and loving witness to the world, demonstrating the power of God's truth to transform lives. [08:55]

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17, ESV)

Reflection: How can you ensure that your life reflects a commitment to biblical truth, even when faced with societal pressures to compromise?

Quotes


When it comes to sexual ethics in the Bible, we have to understand that they are rooted in creation. They are rooted in creation in God's ordering of creation in creating man male and female, man and woman. And Jesus appeals to the creation ordinance, the apostles in the New Testament appeal to the creation principle or ordinance pertaining to all matters of sexual relations and the sexual identity. [00:00:31]

Homosexuality, we need to understand that homosexual sin is sin, homosexual activity is sin, homosexual lusts are sin, homosexual desires are sin, and that's how the Bible speaks of them. The Bible doesn't whisper about them. The Bible speaks very plainly and very clearly about them; in fact, so clearly that throughout the Old Testament, we can see this in Leviticus 18, Leviticus 20, Genesis, later on in Judges, but we also see it in the New Testament in Romans 1, in 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Timothy 1, that it is made very clear that homosexual activity is sinful. [00:01:18]

In truth, that homosexual sin is understood by not only Christians, but I would even argue that it's understood by all human beings to be essentially inappropriate, to be essentially wrong, because by the light of nature I believe that human beings know that homosexual sin is against nature. And that's, in fact, the language that the Apostle Paul uses in Romans 1 when he speaks of homosexual sin, men with men, women with women, as a sin that is contrary to nature. [00:02:48]

What we need to understand very clearly as Christians is that we don't want to give into the sociocultural influences of our day to make it seem okay to identify as a homosexual. The reality of it is is that no one should identify by their sin. We don't want people to identify as an adulterer or as a drunkard. We want to identify by who we are. We are either in Adam and in sin or we are in Christ and we are justified and we are in grace. [00:04:12]

It's not them getting cleaned up or changing their lifestyle that gets them saved. It's not them getting cleaned up or changing their lifestyle that makes them justified before God. It's only their faith in Jesus Christ and trusting Him, and that faith in Jesus Christ means repentance and it means rejecting and leaving that homosexual lifestyle and recognizing and repenting of it as sin and recognizing that they need the righteousness of Christ and to live in the righteousness of Christ. [00:06:09]

We used to speak of besetting sins and we all have besetting sins, and all of our sins are besetting, but it is true that each of us has certain proclivities or desires towards particular sins. It might be arrogance. It might be pride. It might be sexual lust, but some might have a certain proclivity or desire for whatever reason towards homosexual lust, homosexual sin. And what they have to do is recognize it as sin. They have to repent of it as sin, confess it as sin, and consecrate their themselves, their hearts, their minds, their eyes to a new way of living rejecting that sin. [00:07:30]

What we do not want to do and what we cannot do is water down the very clear biblical ethic and biblical truth about my sin, your sin, and about homosexual sin. It is sin and we cannot water it down. We cannot make light of it. We must call it what it is, because if we make light of sin, then we'll make light of the grace of God. We have to have a proper regard for our sin, so that we can have a proper regard for the grace of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and why He came and why He died, dying for those who sin like you and me, dying for those who sin in different ways. [00:08:55]

I want to hate my sins more than I hate the sins of those who sin differently than I do. And that's not easy to do. Our tendency is to hate everyone else's sins more than we had our own sins. And I want to hate my sins more than I do the sins of everyone else, even though some of those sins are contrary to the nature of who we are as men and women as God made us. [00:09:39]

I have heard this. I have not witnessed this, but I have heard this that there are in fact pastors that have, sort of, sought to develop an entire vocabulary of words and terms that they use in replace of the word "sin," and they have developed this vocabulary in their preaching and their teaching using words like "mistakes," "shortcomings," "issues," and all the rest, rather than using the word "sin," because the word "sin" offends people, I mean has a tendency to offend people when you tell them that they're sinners. [00:10:19]

Some of the people I worked with, who identify as homosexuals, they have often told me, they said, "You know what? I have never met a Christian like you because you tell me the truth. You tell me that you think I'm wrong. You tell me that you think I'm in sin, but you are one of the kindest people to me." And I have names in my mind right now that I can go back and refer to of women and men that I've known and I still think of and I still pray for, but I think that we can be kind and I think we can be gracious and I think we can also preach the truth and speak the truth with clarity and conviction. [00:14:00]

I have met many, many people who identify as homosexuals, who are in homosexual relationships. You know, where we live here in Central Florida, we come across people all the time who are in relationships that are of a homosexual nature and, you know, at different gyms where I work out or at restaurants where I go, I've known a lot of people, I've worked with homosexual people, and what I have sought to do is I have sought to help them know that I love them, that I care about them. I have sought to help them understand the gospel and the hope that they have in Jesus Christ, and I have also sought to explain to them and to make it clear to them that I believe that their lifestyle is sinful and wrong, but ultimately what I want them to know is that it's not them getting cleaned up or changing their lifestyle that gets them saved. [00:05:35]

I got to preach the entire gospel to him and explain to him what I believe. So, in one sense it is easier for me, but people don't always know I'm a pastor. That sometimes comes up a year or two or three afterwards. There are times that people hear the gospel from me when they don't actually know I'm a pastor and sometimes they don't find out till a year or two later. [00:12:57]

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Transcript
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