Wha the Bible Says About Sexuality

We believe that God created human beings in His image as two distinct genders, male and female, and that the intended gender identity of an individual is determined by such individuals biological sex at birth. We apply this belief regarding gender identity in all policies and programs of the church. In addition, we subscribe to the biblical belief that God has instituted marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. We recognize only such marriages for all policies and programs in the church. We further believe that sexual desire is rightfully fulfilled only within marriage and that unmarried singles who abstain from sex can be whole, mature persons, as pleasing to God as persons who are faithful in marriage (Gen. 1:28; 2:18; Prov.5:18,19; Heb. 13:4; Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9).

Theistic Worldview

There is a God - Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

He Created Me (and all of humanity)

In His Image

To have dominion over the earth

To reproduce Genesis 1:26-28 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

To have a relationship with Him Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

For His glory

If Evolution is true then there is no standard of morality and there is no argument against deviant sexual behavior and desires.

How does God’s intent for His creation inform our beliefs concerning sexuality?

His original design was of one man and one woman.

His original design struck a perfect balance between similarity and differences between the man and woman.

His original design included the marital unity of those individuals as one flesh.

God declared that this particular design was good.

Therefore for us to determine that something other than God’s original design should be employed today we, as believers in the authority of Scripture, must find Scriptural warrant for such a practice. (Can we find it? Lets look at what Scripture says about deviating from God’s original design for sexuality.)

Sexual Deviancy in Biblical History

Genesis 19:1-11 “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who hav…”

Sodom and Gomorrah, they may be the most infamous of cities. Their depravity was so great that we find in them the origin of the word Sodomy.

Within liberal theology and biblical revisionists there is a push to understand the sin of Sodom in a different light.

Their claim is that the sin of Sodom was not homosexuality, but rather sexual assault.

To be fair what is recorded in Genesis 19 is not a reflection of what one would call a consensual relationship.

However, the way the rest of Scripture views Sodom and Gomorrah reveals that homosexuality and deviancy in general were a large part of the sins that caused their destruction.

Ezekiel 16:47-50 “You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. “As I live,” says the Lord God, “neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.”

The truth is that Sodom was guilty of many sins:

Pride

Excess of food

Idleness

Greed

If we stop at verse 49 perhaps there would be some argument to be made that homosexuality is not in view.

However, verse 50 clearly indicates the open practice of homosexuality with the word “abomination”.

The sentence structure indicates that this abomination is a specific sin.

This word is used in reference to homosexual behavior in several places in Scripture.

There are ancient sources of literature that reveal the common understanding within Judaism was that the great sin of Sodom was homosexuality.

Jude 7 “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Sexual Deviancy in the Law

Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.”

These verses have come to be known as the cudgel verses. Mean these are the verses Christians use to beat homosexuals over the head.

Any honest reading of these verses shows that homosexuality was strictly forbidden under Mosaic Law.

But we are under grace not Law! Does that mean that these verses are irrelevant to our discussion? Kevin DeYoung lists six reasons why we should not treat Leviticus as irrelevant.

No disciple of Jesus should start with the presumption that the Mosaic commands are largely irrelevant.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law, He came to fulfill it.

Why then do we follow some commands and not others? Why do you pick and choose?

Illustration:

INTRODUCTION: Does the President of the United States put this bible thumper in her place? Listen.

PRESIDENT: I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.

WOMAN: I don’t say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.

PRESIDENT: Yes, it does. Leviticus.

WOMAN: 18:22.

PRESIDENT: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you are here. I am interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it OK to call the police? Here’s one that is really important because we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions would you?

Why do we pick and choose? Why do we still consider homosexuality a sin but we will enjoy a porkchop for Sunday dinner?

The truth is that the Bible tells us to pick and choose.

All foods have been declared clean - Mark 7 and Acts 10

Feasts and holy days have been rendered optional - Romans 14

The sacrificial system including the temple and priesthood has been superceded by Christ - Hebrews 7

The world picks and chooses as well, but they have no basis for their choice. Why do they declare that thievery is wrong but transgenderism is not?

There is no indication in Scripture that Leviticus should be treated as obscure or peripheral.

Paul basis his teaching on homosexuality on Leviticus 18 and 20

The strong language Leviticus uses should cause us to at least pay attention “abomination”.

Other laws mentioned in the context of Leviticus 18 and 20 do not render these commands irrelevant.

Most of the sexual ethic recorded in Leviticus is reaffirmed in the N.T.

Sexual Deviancy in the New Testament

Romans 1:18-32 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Sexual Deviancy is at least in part the result of rejecting God and worshiping self. (v. 18-24)

Who is Paul describing?

Ungodly

Unrighteous

Their Actions: “suppress the truth”

We live in a world where the truth is actively being suppressed.

When homosexual behavior is not only accepted by applauded.

When a man can say he is a woman and the culture enables and encourages his delusion.

Beyond issues of sexuality, when we can murder babies and call it a woman’s right to choose.

When the nuclear family is seen as unnecessary we can know for sure that the truth is being suppressed.

People today even find the concept of absolute truth offensive.

Their rejection of God is an active choice not a passive circumstance.

People often wonder if individuals who have never heart the gospel will be or deserve to be condemned to hell.

The short answer is yes.

If they are sinners they deserve hell, and they are sinners.

But that is not fair! Everyone deserves a chance to hear the gospel and be saved. Do they? What did you do to deserve your salvation? Our desire that everyone hear the gospel does not mean that they deserve it.

However, that being said, Paul makes clear in Romans 1 that creation itself serves as viable witness to His existence and character such that it should drive that same individual we have just discussed to search for and discover the truth of who God is from His Word.

Paul’s point in v. 18-24 is that they have seen this truth and actively rejected it choosing to worship the creation rather than the creator.

Sexual deviancy is therefore a perversion of God’s design for His creation.

God created men and women to fit together biologically

God created men and women to fit together psychologically

My point is this, sexual deviancy is a direct attack upon the theology of what we call General Revelation.

This is a gospel issue.

It is exactly these kinds of beliefs that bring people to say, “there is no God.”