The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body … Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. —1 Corinthians 6:13b, 18-20 ESV
I feel that it’s important annually to bring a focus to Christian sexual ethics. During the month of June when so much of the world presses to make the case that sexual actions are not moral actions, we should be reminded that God constantly declares that sexual actions are moral actions. Sexual acts are not merely actions of personal preference, but all have moral consequences before God – consequences for good or for bad.
The Bible clearly and continuously confines sex to marriage. Marriage is defined from creation by God as one biological man and one biological woman joined together in a covenant relationship until death. Because of sin and rebellion of human beings, this original design continues to be broken and perverted in countless ways, but Christian marriage remains God’s will for sexuality. One man – one woman, lifelong marriage was created by God for our good and God’s glory. This marriage relationship can produce exceptional lifelong relationship happiness! Marriage sexuality naturally results in children born into stable families. The shared work partnership of marriage leads to stable provision and multigenerational blessing. This relationship is blessed by God as those within it choose to live for Jesus and love each other as they love God.
All other sexual acts are sin. Sex before marriage, adultery inside of marriage, open marriages, polyamory, polygamy, homosexuality, transgender sexuality, and the list will continue with continued sinfulness and technological advances. Each of these categories relate to perversion (twisting) of the original design to fit the individual’s proclivities and personal sinful desires. They each relate to hedonism, selfishness, and the chaos of unrestrained sexual desire. The wreckage of unrestrained sinful sexuality is everywhere around us.
It is exceptionally rare in our day to find public leaders, sports figures, or celebrities that live, or have lived, sexually moral lives. This ranges from repeatedly divorced people who have long histories of sexual sin, to open homosexuals, to figures like Elon Musk who are leading the way back into rich men unapologetically having a harem of unmarried women to satisfy his sexual desires. (He unapologetically has at least 14 children by four different women, remains unmarried, and brazenly makes public appearances with varieties of these women and children as he pleases to normalize this situation). Christians should not settle for accepting sexually profligate or serially divorced public figures as praiseworthy role models. To do so accepts the world’s narrative that sexuality is an issue of personal preference and one that has little bearing on their overall character.
The Bible says exactly the opposite. God is clear that sexual sin is a deep-seated sin that affects the body and is directly tied to the passions of the heart. Sexually sinful people are also willing to lie to cover their adultery. They are willing to shake their fist in pride before the face of God. They are willing to use and throw away other people for their own selfish pleasures. They are unwilling to commit themselves in faithfulness to caring for the people and children they are tied to in sexuality.
There is an intense selfishness to sexual sin. Saying, “I want what I want, and I don’t care what God thinks or how it ultimately affects others.” There is a life-changing godliness and servant’s heart to faithful marriage. Saying, “I believe that what God has said is good, is truly good. I will love my spouse and children with sacrificial faithfulness for a lifetime.”
We must hear the Scripture. The body was made for the Lord, not for selfish unrestrained sexual passion. We must repent from sexual sin and choose to obey God’s will in sexuality. This is the glorious good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ! By repentance, grace, and faith we can be forgiven our sin, made new people in Jesus, and go out to live in godliness! It is never too late to turn away from sexual sin and come to Jesus for forgiveness and new life. We must be willing to live in a way set apart from this lost world. We must encourage one another toward the goodness of marriage, and to persevere in faithfulness to our spouses and children. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been bought with a price and must live everyday with honor in the high calling unto which we have been called.
Holy to the Lord,
Pastor Vic