Navigating Sexual Ethics: Faith in a Changing Culture

 

Summary

In our discussion today, we delved into the shifting landscape of sexual ethics in the United States over the past decade, particularly in light of significant legal decisions like the Obergefell ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This decision has had profound implications for biblical sexual ethics, influencing both societal norms and church teachings. We explored how these changes have led to confusion and challenges within the church, as many believers struggle to reconcile these societal shifts with their faith.

One of the critical issues we addressed is the misconception that same-sex attraction is a morally neutral temptation rather than a sin that requires repentance. This misunderstanding has been propagated by movements within the church that seek to normalize LGBTQ+ identities as compatible with Christian faith. We emphasized the importance of maintaining a biblical understanding of sin, recognizing that all sin is not equal and that some sins, like homosexuality, are particularly harmful because they distort the creation ordinance.

We also discussed the role of parents and grandparents in discipling the next generation amidst these cultural shifts. It's crucial for families to teach biblical truths about sexuality and gender diligently, starting from a young age, to counteract the pervasive influence of secular ideologies. We encouraged parents to engage with their children on these topics, providing a safe space for discussion while standing firm in biblical convictions.

Furthermore, we highlighted the importance of understanding identity from a Christian perspective. Our identity is not defined by our sexual desires or gender feelings but by our creation in the image of God. This understanding is vital in resisting the cultural narrative that equates identity with sexual orientation or gender identity.

Finally, we encouraged believers to engage with the world as Christian statesmen, bringing the truth of the gospel into public discourse while maintaining a posture of love and hospitality. By doing so, we can effectively communicate the beauty and truth of the biblical sexual ethic to a world in need of hope and redemption.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding the Impact of Obergefell: The 2015 Supreme Court decision has significantly altered the landscape of sexual ethics, challenging the church to respond with clarity and conviction. It's crucial to recognize the legal and cultural shifts and their implications for biblical teachings on sexuality. [02:56]

2. The Nature of Sin and Repentance: Misunderstandings about the nature of sin, particularly regarding same-sex attraction, have led to theological errors within the church. Recognizing sin as a distortion of God's creation order is essential for true repentance and spiritual growth. [04:37]

3. The Role of Parents and Grandparents: Discipling the next generation requires intentional teaching of biblical truths about sexuality and gender. Parents and grandparents must engage with their children early and diligently to counteract secular influences. [14:26]

4. Identity in Christ: Our identity is rooted in being made in the image of God, not in our sexual desires or gender feelings. Understanding this distinction is crucial for resisting cultural narratives that seek to redefine personhood. [38:31]

5. Engaging the World with Truth and Love: Christians are called to be effective witnesses in the public sphere, sharing the gospel with love and hospitality. This involves standing firm in biblical convictions while engaging with those who hold different views. [18:11]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:24] - Introduction of Speakers
- [01:39] - Changes in Sexual Ethics
- [02:56] - Impact of Obergefell Decision
- [03:45] - Heresies Within the Church
- [05:25] - Importance of Truth in Love
- [06:05] - Existential vs. Ontological Reality
- [07:18] - Mistakes in Engaging Sexual Ethics
- [09:44] - Theology of Sin
- [11:02] - Discipling the Next Generation
- [13:46] - Teaching Biblical Sexuality
- [16:50] - Communicating Biblical Sexual Ethics
- [18:56] - Engaging in Public Discourse
- [20:24] - Parental Responsibility and Prodigals
- [23:49] - Addressing Parents of LGBTQ+ Children
- [27:17] - Avoiding Heresy
- [29:46] - Testimony and Faith
- [31:10] - Standing Firm Amidst Pressure
- [33:52] - Protecting Children from Misinformation
- [37:48] - Renewing Minds and Identity in Christ
- [41:08] - Overcoming Sin in Christ
- [44:43] - Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 8:31-32
2. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
3. Romans 12:2

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Observation Questions:

1. What significant legal decision in 2015 is mentioned in the sermon, and how has it impacted the church's approach to sexual ethics? [02:56]

2. According to the sermon, what are some misconceptions within the church regarding same-sex attraction and sin? [03:45]

3. How does the sermon describe the role of parents and grandparents in discipling the next generation about biblical truths on sexuality and gender? [14:26]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between identity and being made in the image of God? [38:31]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the Obergefell decision challenge the church's understanding of biblical sexual ethics, and what are the implications for believers today? [02:56]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that misunderstandings about sin, particularly same-sex attraction, have led to theological errors within the church? [04:37]

3. How does the sermon propose that parents and grandparents can effectively disciple their children in a world that has largely abandoned biblical sexual ethics? [14:26]

4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of understanding one's identity in Christ, and how does this understanding help resist cultural narratives? [38:31]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the impact of the Obergefell decision on your personal understanding of biblical sexual ethics. How has it influenced your conversations with others about faith and sexuality? [02:56]

2. Consider the sermon’s view on same-sex attraction as a sin that requires repentance. How does this perspective align or conflict with your current beliefs, and how might it affect your interactions with others? [04:37]

3. As a parent or grandparent, what specific steps can you take to teach biblical truths about sexuality and gender to your children or grandchildren? How can you create a safe space for these discussions? [14:26]

4. How does your understanding of being made in the image of God shape your identity? In what ways can this understanding help you resist cultural pressures to define identity by sexual orientation or gender identity? [38:31]

5. The sermon encourages believers to engage with the world as Christian statesmen. What practical steps can you take to bring the truth of the gospel into public discourse while maintaining love and hospitality? [18:11]

6. Reflect on a time when you felt pressured to conform to societal norms that conflict with your faith. How did you respond, and what might you do differently in the future to stand firm in your convictions? [31:10]

7. Identify one area in your life where you feel challenged to live out your identity in Christ. What specific actions can you take this week to align more closely with this identity? [37:48]

Devotional

Day 1: The Impact of Legal Decisions on Sexual Ethics
The Obergefell decision in 2015, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, has significantly altered the landscape of sexual ethics in the United States. This ruling has challenged the church to respond with clarity and conviction, as it has influenced both societal norms and church teachings. Many believers find themselves grappling with how to reconcile these legal and cultural shifts with their faith. It is crucial for the church to recognize these changes and their implications for biblical teachings on sexuality, ensuring that the response is rooted in scripture and not swayed by societal pressures. [02:56]

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you personally ensure that your understanding of sexual ethics is grounded in biblical truth rather than societal norms?


Day 2: Recognizing Sin and the Need for Repentance
Misunderstandings about the nature of sin, particularly regarding same-sex attraction, have led to theological errors within the church. Some movements within the church have sought to normalize LGBTQ+ identities as compatible with Christian faith, leading to confusion. It is essential to recognize sin as a distortion of God's creation order, which requires repentance for true spiritual growth. Understanding that not all sins are equal and that some, like homosexuality, are particularly harmful because they distort the creation ordinance, is crucial for maintaining a biblical perspective on sin and repentance. [04:37]

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you seek God's guidance to better understand and address sin in your life, particularly in areas where cultural narratives may conflict with biblical teachings?


Day 3: The Role of Families in Teaching Biblical Truths
Discipling the next generation requires intentional teaching of biblical truths about sexuality and gender. Parents and grandparents play a crucial role in engaging with their children early and diligently to counteract secular influences. It is important for families to create a safe space for discussion while standing firm in biblical convictions. By doing so, they can help the next generation navigate the cultural shifts with a strong foundation in their faith. [14:26]

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively engage with the younger generation in your family to discuss and instill biblical truths about sexuality and gender?


Day 4: Understanding Identity in Christ
Our identity is rooted in being made in the image of God, not in our sexual desires or gender feelings. This understanding is crucial for resisting cultural narratives that seek to redefine personhood based on sexual orientation or gender identity. By recognizing that our true identity is found in Christ, believers can stand firm against societal pressures and embrace their God-given identity. This perspective helps in maintaining a biblical worldview amidst the shifting cultural landscape. [38:31]

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself daily that your identity is in Christ, rather than in societal labels or personal desires?


Day 5: Engaging the World with Truth and Love
Christians are called to be effective witnesses in the public sphere, sharing the gospel with love and hospitality. This involves standing firm in biblical convictions while engaging with those who hold different views. By maintaining a posture of love and hospitality, believers can effectively communicate the beauty and truth of the biblical sexual ethic to a world in need of hope and redemption. Engaging in public discourse with grace and truth is essential for being a light in the world. [18:11]

"Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you engage in conversations about sexual ethics with those who hold different views, ensuring that your approach is both truthful and loving?

Quotes



We live in a post-Obergefell world, and that has had the most profound change in biblical sexual ethics, and it has had a trickle-down experience. So, the Obergefell decision was the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage in all fifty states. It also included the Dignitary Harm Clause, which redefined the legal definition of harm from a material definition, which is what it had always been in our, in our past to now being one where you are harming people if you fail to, quote, unquote affirm their LGBTQ+ identity. [00:02:47]

One of those was the idea that same-sex attraction is a morally neutral temptation and not a morally culpable sin. And this came out of the gay Christian movement. Along with that was a heretical reading of James 1, especially 13 to 15. The other heresy that came directly from within the church is the idea that all sin is equal, and all ways of living are equal, failing to understand that homosexuality as a sin is more harmful because it is a sin, not only against practice, but against the pattern of the creation ordinance. [00:04:00]

We need to make sure that our indwelling sin is something that we are mortifying, putting to death, that we aren’t then coddling it and saying, "Well, it’s, it’s really neutral." And we can then identify, "I’m not a gay Christian." I am, when none of you should identify as a prideful Christian or a lustful Christian or whatever it is. That’s my dead man, and no one is ever going to resuscitate him. [00:09:58]

You know, sometimes people take a little offense to the fact that I name names, but here’s why I name names. Ideas have consequences. Worldviews have consequences, and bad ones have casualties. And if your son or daughter is one of those casualties, or your sister or brother is one of those casualties, you need to know which Christian heretic has been stirring the pot. You deserve that. [00:10:58]

We need to realize that cutting off is the new coming out. When Christopher and I lived, when I lived as a lesbian woman, and Christopher lived as a gay man, coming out to your parents was a rite of passage. Well, the new rite of passage is cutting you off. And then on the transgender side, the rite of passage is cutting off body parts. So, we need to realize that it’s almost like our young people are on a conveyor belt. [00:13:09]

The job to teach sex education does not belong in the hands of public schools. It also doesn’t belong in the hands of where are we? Orlando? Disney? It doesn’t belong in the hands of the world, TikTok, social media. It belongs in the hands of parents and grandparents. But you’re scared. You don’t know where to start. It’s a different language. Even the language that Rosaria and I spoke twenty years ago. [00:15:11]

The first thing we want to tell that parent is that Jesus has risen. And with that, the victory over sin is secure. So, if you have a child, there are many reasons why a person might start to experience either homosexual desires or transgender desires. Transgenderism is the sin of envy. Okay, you are not to covet your neighbor’s wife or your neighbor’s sexual anatomy. Homosexuality is a desire for that which God hates. [00:23:39]

Homosexuality and transgenderism are sins, but they’re not new sins, and they’re not impossible sins. What people have to learn how to do with their sins is kill it dead, and then go to breakfast, and then kill it dead again. And then go to lunch. And then it’s a thousand times a day. And you know what? Can you imagine going to something like a rescue mission situation, and you’re trying to minister to people who have been addicts and you say, "Well, you should really love Jesus, but He can’t change that." [00:25:24]

I think the important thing is we have to have a proper theology of sin. Our hamartiology needs to be biblical and accurate and tight, as Scripture speaks about it. We, we need to make sure that our indwelling sin is something that we are mortifying, putting to death, that we aren’t then coddling it and saying, "Well, it’s, it’s really neutral." [00:09:54]

I think it’s great that this young lady recognizes the problem, because oftentimes we’re kind of, think we’re fine and we’re good. We need to recognize that there is an onslaught. Our kids are drowning in a tsunami of misinformation. And so, for us as, as adults, parents and grandparents, to think that we can just have that one talk when they’re sixteen or thirteen, when they’re getting it daily, is, is a little naive. [00:33:45]

I think the conversation that Rosaria and myself and others are speaking into, a lot of times we’re just called "meanies." And sometimes, and here is often how the conversation is completely misunderstood, that they will say, "We’re just quibbling over words." That minimizes, so, "You say tomato; I say tomato. Someone might say gay; someone else would say same-sex attracted." That completely misunderstands the whole issue. [00:41:43]

I think that’s really important. So, you know, so my book, the video that you mentioned was actually based on my book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel. And that kind of just lays out, so, if you’re interested, you know, this concept of holy sexuality, was does that mean? I think if we have that proper understanding of how we’re calling all people, you know, people who happen to find themselves single, as myself, I’m a single man. [00:47:10]

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Transcript
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