Navigating the Complexities of Sexuality with Humility and Grace
In a world where opinions on sexuality vary widely, it’s essential to turn to God’s word for guidance. Scripture offers us hope and wisdom for navigating today’s cultural landscape with humility and grace.
The Curse of Sin
When sin entered the world, it brought a curse that affected not only humanity but also the natural world. As Kevin DeYoung notes, “The man, the woman, the Serpent, the ground—all felt the sting of the curse so that ‘not the ways things are supposed to be’ became ‘the ways things are.’” This curse has far-reaching consequences, including the distortion of God’s original design for human relationships.
Marriage as a Picture of Heaven and Earth
Marriage was created to reflect the fittedness of heaven and earth, or as Ephesians 5 puts it, of Christ and the church. This requires complementarity, with each partner playing a unique role. As DeYoung explains, “The mystical union of Christ and the church—each ‘part’ belonging to the other but neither interchangeable—cannot be pictured in marital union without the differentiation of male and female.”
A God of Love and Redemption
While God is indeed a God of love, this does not make sexual sin acceptable. However, it does make every one of our sexual sins changeable, redeemable, and wondrously forgivable. As DeYoung notes, “The God we worship is indeed a God of love. Which does not, according to any verse in the Bible, make sexual sin acceptable. But it does, by the witness of a thousand verses all over the Bible, make every one of our sexual sins changeable, redeemable, and wondrously forgivable.”
Faithfulness in a Changing World
We don’t get to choose the age we live in or the struggles we face, but we can choose to be faithful. As DeYoung says, “Faithfulness is ours to choose; the shape of that faithfulness is God’s to determine.” This requires us to be slow to speak and quick to listen, keeping our Bibles open and our hearts too.
The Importance of Local Congregations
While the decisions of the Supreme Court and politicians are important, what happens in our local congregations, mission agencies, denominations, parachurch organizations, and educational institutions is crucial to the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church. As DeYoung notes, “I care about the decisions of the Supreme Court and the laws our politicians put in place. But what’s much more important to me—because I believe it’s more crucial to the spread of the gospel, the growth of the church, and the honor of Christ—is what happens in our local congregations.”
New Birth through Jesus
Ultimately, it is only through Jesus that we can be given new birth and become new creations. As DeYoung says, “Only in Jesus can we be given new birth. Only through Jesus can we be new creations. Only with Jesus can all things be made new.”
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