Human Sexuality
As Christians and churches continue to take heat in our day over the issues surrounding human sexuality, it is vital that we continue to adamantly communicate what the Bible teaches concerning these things. We must maintain the fact that we have not dreamed up these things; on the contrary, our Creator God has created us in specific ways and revealed to us directly in the Scriptures how we ought to live and move and have our being. To recap, let me share with you my formal statement on humanity, again, and then make a few comments at the end.
“Human beings from every nation, tribe, and tongue are created in the image and likeness of God. We would contend, therefore, that each and every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. Moreover, each person’s gender is biologically established and is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity. God created each person as either male or female, and these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image of God among humankind. As to the blessing of marriage, we believe both that it is a divine ordinance pertaining solely to the union of one man and one woman and that it is meant by God to bind each to the other for the entirety of their earthly lives. God has also set sexual intimacy apart, intending for it to be an expression of love and commitment between wedded couples only. Any expression of sexuality outside of marriage is sin.”
{For biblical quotations, see the following for example: Gen 1:26-27; 2:7, 21-25; Exod 20:12-17; Ps 139:13-18; John 10:10; Lev 18; 20; Matt 19:4-9; Rom 1:18-31; 1 Cor 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Tim 1:8-11; Jude 7.}
In this formal statement, we have summarized what the Bible teaches on humanity, including many parts that are “hot-topic” issues in the Western world today. As you can see, this statement covers fundamental doctrines of biblical anthropology including race, abortion, marriage, and sexuality. The Lord has given us clear revelation in both nature and Scripture to teach us how we are to live. He has created us with purposes in mind, and He wants what’s best for us. When we stand against those things that are unnatural and sinful, we are NOT doing so out of hate or judgment but out of genuine love for people. God calls us out of sin so that we may no longer be slaves of it, trapped in a world of misery and hopelessness. Yes, some sins are “fun” in the meantime, but what about throughout a lifetime? What about the long-run? What about eternity? God is Creator, and He is holy. If we want to live to be all that God created us to be, and if we want to know Him and enjoy eternal life with Him, then we must approach Him on the basis of His revelation in nature and Scripture. Let us hold firm to biblical teaching. Let us not waver as so many are in our day. Let us proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ—that if folks repent and believe on Him they will be saved from this present wicked age, the wrath of God to come, and for eternal life in a new heaven and new earth where there is no longer sin and sorrow but the joy of the Lord forevermore.