Biblical Sexual Morality

INTRODUCTION

Recently, the Canadian government passed a bill, C-4, which “directly comes against parents and counselors who would seek to offer biblical counsel with respect to sexual immorality and gender.”

This bill passed through the House and Senate without opposition.

Not a single dissenting vote was cast by any member of the conservative party.

It received Royal Assent on December 8, which means it came into law after January 8, 2022.

The bill amends the criminal code in Canada to ban conversion therapy.

It criminalizes, among other things, “causing another person to undergo conversion therapy; promoting or advertising conversion therapy.

In the Preamble of the Bill, it says that the belief that “heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions” is a “myth.”

According to Canadian law, as of January 8, 2022, the belief in God’s design for marriage and sexuality will now be seen as a myth.

The Bill defines conversion therapy as, “a practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior; repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.”

The definition is intentionally broad, and it can clearly be used against any preacher or elder who either speaks against homosexuality/transgenderism or who counsels a person to obey Christ and abandon their homosexual/transgender actions and lifestyle.

This means as of January 8, 2022, it will be against the law to preach, teach, or counsel regarding God’s design for marriage and sexuality.

“Everyone who knowingly causes another person to undergo conversion therapy – including by providing conversion therapy to that other person – is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years.” Similarly, “Everyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years.”

In 2012, California passed Senate Bill 1172 banning “gay conversion” (alongside New York, New Jersey, and Nevada).

In doing this, the California government sought to prohibit any correction of an unbiblical view of sexual identity, because “California has a compelling interest in protecting the…wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.”

And on August 18, 2020, the Democratic Party declared at the National Convention that it would “ban harmful conversion therapy practices.”

The Obama administration appointed more than 250 LGBTQ+ people to serve in the government.

The Biden administration has promised to increase that number, and they have done so thus far.

Leading up to today, John MacArthur, who is the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California, sent an email encouraging pastors to join faithful Canadian pastors to preach of this issue in defiance of Canadian and American Law.

So my desire is to follow in the footsteps of these faithful pastors and join them in “calling for a biblical understanding of sexual sin, and the eternal judgment that falls on the unrepentant and gospel-rejecting sinners, and the grace of God in the gospel which offers forgiveness to those who repent and believe in Christ.”

It’s very clear that our culture has shifted.

Something that was once shameful is now acceptable and encouraged.

But it can never be discouraged.

You can be “for” homosexual relationships but not against them.

You can speak positively about them but not negatively.

So this is an all out assault on the Bible and faithful churches and pastors.

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

As we address this subject this morning, I want to approach it in two ways:

First, I want us to see the world’s standard for sexuality and then God’s.

john 1:1

LESSON

I. The World’s Standard for Sexuality

Rather realizing it or not the world has a definition for sexuality

It’s seen in the redefining of genders Theres is...

Transgender - When you identify with a gender different than that you were assigned at birth

Transexual - When you have had Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) to change the sexual organs you were born with to that of a different gender

Male to Female (MtF)- When somebody that is assigned as a male at birth identifies as a female

Female to Male (FtM)- When somebody that is assigned as a female at birth identifies as a  ma

Genderfluid- Moving between genders or having a fluctuating gender identity

Agender- Not identifying with any gender.  Sometimes referred to as being genderless or gendervoid

Bigender-  Identifying as two genders, commonly (but not exclusively) male and female.  Sometimes you feel like both genders at the same time and sometimes you fluctuate.

Polygender- When you identify with multiple genders at once.  Sometimes referred to as multigender.

Intergender- Somebody who's gender is somewhere between male and female

Demigender- When you feel as if you are one part a defined gender and one or more parts an undefined gender.  Terms can include demigirl, demiboy, demiagender, ect.

Trans Woman- Someone who is assigned as a male at birth, but identifies as a woman

Trans Man- Someone who is assigned as a female at birth, but identifies as a man

(http://thepbhscloset.weebly.com/a-list-of-genders--sexualities-and-their-definitions.html)

It’s also seen in their behavior

The Corinthians had a reputation for “gross immorality and drunken debauchery”

The Greek called this, “ to Corinthianize”

Not only was the city known for this moral corruption but the church wasn’t far becoming

Paul wrote to the church in 1 Corinthians 5:9 to “not associate with immoral people”

As he continues he defines what he means by “immoral”

He said in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 “9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

Faithful believers were not to associate with them but rather put them out of the church

Unbelievers do not struggle with immorality, (they give into it) it’s in their DNA

Mark 7:21-23 “21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.””

In Genesis 39, Potiphar’s wife had no problem with the thought of adultery with Joseph

Genesis 39:10-12 “10 As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11 Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.”

Scripture gives a warning about the adulterous woman in Proverbs 5

The world says sex is biological

Have sex with whomever you want we’re only animals (evolutionary concept)

In the passages I just mentioned it said adultery but fornication is forbidden too

Ephesians 5:1-3 “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;”

Acts 15:20 says to “abstain from fornication”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 “3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”

Other sexual sins that the world embraces is:

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is sex with the same gender (male with male, female with female)

Genesis 19:1-11 (Sodom and Gomorrah)

It is forbidden - Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”

It comes with a death sentence - Leviticus 20:13, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.”

It has it’s own penalty - Romans 1:26-27, “26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

You cannot be a Christian and a practicing homosexual - 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,”

Beastiality

Beastiality is sex with animals

It’s mentioned in 4 different passages

Exodus 22:19, “Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.”

Leviticus 18:23, “Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.”

Leviticus 20:15-16, “15 ‘If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal. 16 ‘If there is a woman who approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.”

Deuteronomy 27:21, “Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

Why is bestiality condemned so strongly? First, it is an unnatural perversion. Clearly, human beings were designed/intended to mate with other human beings, not animals. In the creation account, none of the animals were “suitable” for Adam (Genesis 2:20). Second, bestiality represents the ultimate of sexual deviancy. The fact that the animal was to be put to death (Leviticus 20:15-16), despite the fact that it would be “innocent,” indicates how wickedly perverse bestiality is. Third, and perhaps most importantly, bestiality essentially denies the uniqueness of humanity which God created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Bestiality lowers humanity to nothing more than an animal, a beast which is unable to distinguish right from wrong, natural from unnatural, love from lust.

(https://www.gotquestions.org/bestiality.html)

Incest

Incest is sex with relatives

There are numerous examples of incest in the Bible

Before God’s prohibition in Leviticus 18:6-18 it was not incest

It was marrying a close relative

The sons and daughters of Adam and Eve (Cain - Gen.4:17)

Abraham marrying his half-sister Sarah (Gen.20:12)

Lot and his daughters (Gen.19)

Moses’ father Amram who married his aunt Jochebed (Ex.6:20)

Since Adam and Eve were the only two human beings on earth, their sons and daughters had no choice but to marry and reproduce with their siblings and close relatives. The second generation had to marry their cousins, just as after the flood the grandchildren of Noah had to intermarry amongst their cousins. One reason that incest is so strongly discouraged in the world today is the understanding that reproduction between closely related individuals has a much higher risk of causing genetic abnormalities. In the early days of humanity, though, this was not a risk due to the fact that the human genetic code was relatively free of defects.

(https://www.gotquestions.org/incest-in-the-Bible.html)

Leviticus 18:6 NASB95

6 ‘None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord.

Incest is a crime today (Tennessee couple arrested for incest - https://www.opposingviews.com/category/couple-commits-incest)

The punishment varies from state to state

These are a few of the sex sins I want to mention this morning. Believe me there are more. I don’t want to assault your minds with those details.

It’s safe to say that all sex outside of marriage is sin.

That’s...

II. God’s Standard for Sexuality

God created genders

Genesis 1:27, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Matthew 19:4, “And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female”

God created marriage between a man and a woman

The word “husband” occurs 119 times in the Bible

The word “wife” occurs 357 times in the Bible

The word “married” occurs 47 times in the Bible

Marriage first appears in Genesis2:21-25, “21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

The God ordained marriage was first with a man and a woman

Throughout the Bible married people were between a man and a woman

No where in the Bible is a relationship of a man with a man or a woman with a woman called a marriage

God made it clear in the beginning when there were only two people, one male and one female, that man would leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife (Genesis 2:22-24). From the very beginning, God created us male and female and made mention that as we become married as male and female, man can not separate it (Mark 10:6-9).

Marriage is between a man and a woman, only. Even in regards to temptation the Bible speaks about how each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband (1 Corinthians 7:2). There is no such thing as a same-sex, plural, or any other type of marriage in the Bible except for one that is only between one man and one woman.

(https://www.beforethecross.com/biblical-teachings/marriage-is-between-a-man-and-a-woman/)

God created sex for marriage between a man and a woman

Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

1 Corinthians 7:1-4, “1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”

Marriage between same sex partners is not a marriage

It may be recognized by the government (https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2022/01/11/governor-murphy-signs-lgbtq-marriage-equality-law/) but not by God

Some churches have performed same sex marriages (https://time.com/3749253/churches-gay-marriage/)

The Presbyterian Church (USA)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

The Episcopal Church

The United Church of Christ

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches

First Baptist Church in Memphis (https://baptistnews.com/article/baptist-church-votes-to-ok-gay-marriage/)

First Baptist Church in Greenville, SC

Ed Litton (current SBC President) said, “The Bible whispers about homosexuality” echoing the former SBC President J.D. Greear. (https://evangelicaldarkweb.org/2021/06/22/ed-litton-the-bible-whispers-about-homosexuality/). This statement was originally made by Jen Wilkens, Executive Director of Next Gen Ministries at the Village Church. She has books published by Lifeway

It is a perversion and abomination to God

Leviticus 18:22, ‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”

Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

III. God Forgives All Sin

To be forgiven of your sin you must first see it as God sees it

David said his sin was “against” God

You must confess and repent of the sin for forgiveness

Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.”

God promises forgiveness to those who confess and repent of their sin

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

Psalm 32:1-3, “1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.”

This is the everyday activity of a child of God

He confesses and repents daily

It doesn’t mean he never falls into sin

It does mean he is grieved by it and confesses and repents (Psalm 32; 51 - David)

CONCLUSION

The glorious news of the Bible is there is forgiveness in Christ

If you do not know Christ, come to Him now for forgiveness of all your sin

Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9-10, “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Let’s pray.