The Christian in the Secular Age

We will be spending most of our time together in Ephesians 4:17-24. Years ago, Francis Schaeffer referred to Christians as the final apologetic. The world should be able to look at us and see that there is something substantially different from us than from anyone else in the world. The way that we respond to the issues of today will tell the world a lot about how we will stand for Christ. Our duty as Christians is to not conform to what the world says is normal when we know that the Bible speaks differently about those things. We also need to make sure that we don’t alter the Gospel in such a way that it removes its teeth. The problem with the world today is the same problem that has plagued mankind since the very beginning. We read in Exodus 5:2 “But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.’” That question, “Who is the Lord?” continues to be asked and it isn’t because God hasn’t revealed Himself. It isn’t because of ignorance on the part of man. Romans 1 makes that incredibly clear that man does not have an excuse when it comes to knowing the Lord. It is entirely because we live in a fallen world with fallen people that have rejected their Creator. They have blinded themselves to the Lord of Hosts. We also see this same attack in John 18:38 “Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” That question is under attack today because society continues to move the goal line as to what truth is. You hear statements like this all the time, “Well, I’m just living my truth” as if truth could be altered to fit individual people and individual circumstances. Truth doesn’t matter to people who have no desire to live holy and righteous lives. Truth doesn’t matter to people who are motivated solely by their own prosperity and sinful lifestyles. Christians need to be able to have an answer to the question of what is truth. But they don’t just need to know the truth, they need to be able to articulate it and defend it. The Church stands before the eyes of a watching world. Martin Luther famously said, “If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point which the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” What areas are being attacked today? What are three areas of identity that teenagers are struggling with that should be addressed? What I would call the three most pressing areas involve sexuality, gender views, and race or racial issues. What is the Bible’s answer to these three issues and how should we as Christians respond to these issues? What I want to do is go ahead and read our main verses because I believe that they will give us some solid footing to stand on. I’ll speak on what Paul is saying and then we will see how what he says lines up with how we as the Church should respond to the three issues. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 4:17–24 ESV

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Exposition of Ephesians 4:17-24

Here Paul refers to two distinct peoples: the Gentiles and those that have learned Christ, or Christians. Now we have to understand the audience that Paul is writing to. He is writing to the church in Ephesus which was a church in Greece that was made up of predominantly Gentile believers. While there were certainly Jewish men and women that would go on to become Christians that lived in Ephesus, Paul is likely writing to a predominantly non-Jewish audience and when I say non-Jewish, I mean that he is writing to those that were not born of Jewish nationality. For Paul to say in verse 17, “You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds”, he is basically saying, you have not been saved to walk in the ways that you once walked. You haven’t been saved to be the person that you were prior to the moment you came to Christ. He is saying that one’s nationality does not trump his allegiance to the People of God and the Church. When Paul refers to Gentiles in this context, he is referring to all that are not Christian. What then is a Christian? He is someone that has been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ has brought that person into the family of God and as the Christian joins this family, they become a member of the Church eternal. We Christians stand shoulder to shoulder with a long line of witnesses. Our allegiance is ultimately to Christ and this family. When we come to Christ, we must understand that all other relationships pale in comparison to this one. If it comes down to choose between our physical family and Christ, we must choose Christ first, even if this risks alienating us from others. Jesus in Matthew 24:9 says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” and Luke 21:16-17 “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” Now if we look in Ephesians 4:17-24, we see that there are two ways of living: in a way that is honoring to God and a way that is not. There is a way that the lost live and there should be a way that Christians live. You have heard me say before that the reason that lost people act lost is because they are lost. In some ways, they don’t know any better, it’s natural to them, even though the Law of God is written on the heart of every man, woman, and child. Here we find the root of mankind's problem. John Piper said, “If we want to escape from futility in the practical affairs and relationships of our daily lives, we have to first of all become deep people—people who look deeply within ourselves for the cause of our futility, and who don’t settle for quick fixes and superficial, upbeat attitude changes. We don’t want the surgeon to keep back anything! Tell us everything you found, God! We want to be healed. We want to be free from the very root of futility.” How do the lost live then? Paul says their minds are futile, their understanding is darkened, they are alienated from God due to ignorance and hardness of heart, they are callous, or cruel or insensitive towards others, finally Paul says that they give them up to sensuality and are greedy to practice every kind of impurity. These people are not just wandering into sin, they love sin. They are excited to reach into new kinds of uncleanness and depravity. John Stott describes these people as those that go from hardness of heart to darkness of mind to a deadness of soul under the judgment of God and go into a totally reckless life and these are people that have really lost all self-control. This is the way that every human being separated from Christ lives their lives. This is the way that you and I lived before we were made totally new by the saving work of the Gospel! John Calvin said, “Having destroyed the sensibilities of the heart, and allayed the stings of remorse, they abandon themselves to all manner of iniquity. We are by nature corrupt and prone to evil; nay, we are wholly inclined to evil. Those who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ give loose reins to self-indulgence, till fresh offences, producing others in constant succession, bring down upon them the wrath of God. The voice of God, proclaimed by an accusing conscience, still continues to be heard; but, instead of producing its proper effects, appears rather to harden them against all admonition. On account of such obstinacy, they deserve to be altogether forsaken by God.” Understand that sin is never something that we fall into blindly. St. Chrysostom said that we have no excuse when it comes to sin because it isn’t like we make a false step into it but we work out these horrible deeds in ourselves and make them something that we study and constantly put into practice. But something happens when we are made new in Christ! Paul says in Ephesians 4:20-24 “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Paul says, “You know the way that you used to live and that old way does not conform to the way that Christ has called you to live! If you have been saved by Christ, you aren’t just a polished up version of yourself, you are a totally new version of yourself! The old is gone and the new is come and with the new comes an entirely new way of viewing things.” We are to put a way the corrupt and deceitful desires that we once held onto, we are to embrace holiness and righteousness which is brought about as our minds are renewed by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. In these verses we see a total contrast between believers and unbelievers and these aren’t just little differences, it’s night and day! Just as darkness is a total contrast from light, Christians are to be a total contrast from the rest of the world! Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Thank God! In the midst of all the darkness there is a glimmer of light. Christianity is a protest in that sense; something has happened, there is an oasis in the desert. Here it is; thank God for it!” He is saying that even though the world seems dark, and it is, it is never so dark that the light won’t be able to shine forth. Christians that hold fast to the Word of God are always a breath of fresh air and thank God for that and if you are a breath of fresh air, then you must always answer to God first and society second. God never takes a back seat to the believer. God is never your co-pilot, he is the one that guides and leads every decision that you make. R.C. Sproul writes, “In the final analysis it doesn’t matter what everybody else is doing and it doesn’t matter what the state says is legal or illegal. We are to march to a different drumbeat, for we are to live according to the commandments of Christ.” A Christian recognizes where true authority comes from and it comes from the throne of God alone and we recognize that the Bible speaks with all the authority of God Himself. For Scripture to be God-breathed means that it has been handed down by God Himself and has been brought to man being filled with all the authority, truth, and trustworthiness of God Himself. The issues that we are about to tackle come down to who has the final authority. Who has the final say on what man should do? Does man have final authority or does God have final authority? This is one reason why it was so important for us last night to talk about creation because if man is simply a cosmic mistake, there is no absolute authority. If God is not creator over all He is ultimately not the absolute authority over all. If man is just a byproduct of evolution, he is not accountable to anyone because no one is in a true position of absolute authority. But, if we are created by God, we must ultimately answer to God and if God is the one that created us, then what He says as Creator is the standard by which all men should operate and if God is the source of authority, what He says in His authoritative Word is to be the final word in all manner of subjects. What then does God’s authority and our regenerated lives mean when it comes to Gender, sexuality, and race?

Gender and the Bible

Let me start by saying that I know that gender, sexuality, and race are touchy subjects. In an age of Tiktok, social media, and countless voices all vying for you to live your life however you pleases, the things that I’ll say will probably rub some people the wrong way but that’s ok. Anytime sin is confronted with righteousness, there is going to be some push back and I’m ok with it if someone here or anywhere is offended by what the Word of God says in regards to these issues because I do not think the Bible is silent on them. John MacArthur said, “If the truth offends, then let it offend. People have been living their whole lives in offense to God; let them be offended for a while.”

What does the secular age/world say about gender?

What does the world have to say about gender and gender roles? The World Health Organization defines gender as: “Gender refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed.  This includes norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.” The world believes that gender is fluid, that it is something that one can change on a whim. The world says that if you don’t like the gender that you are, you can identify as something else. The world says that the gender you are born with is not the gender that you have to grow up as. The WHO goes on to say, “Gender interacts with but is different from sex, which refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males and intersex persons, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. Gender and sex are related to but different from gender identity. Gender identity refers to a person’s deeply felt, internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person’s physiology or designated sex at birth.” The world says that sex is assigned but gender is a choice; that it covers a large spectrum. The world says that gender is a personal experience that has little to no relationship to your actual biology. The world says that there are no longer just male and female genders but 74 genders that one can identify as. What does this tell us then? In the eyes of the world, gender is solely an issue of identity and not centered on reality. The world says that one’s preference trumps biology and truth because the claim is that what is true for one does not have to be true for another. Now in some ways, there are some things that can relate to one thing that can be true for one person and a different truth for another person. Take me and Lora for example: she loves her apple pie warm while I love apple pie when it’s cold. Both statements are true in regards to the same thing but how does it differ when it comes to gender identity? The difference is that the “truth” of the pie is more of a preference instead of something that is backed by physical evidence or an absolute truth. When preference is in direct contradiction to truth, then there is a problem. One’s preference does not always equal the truth. Our natural manmade preference is sin but we know that sin stands opposed to truth. The difference comes down to what is known as subjective and objective truth. Subjective truth whittles down basically to one’s opinion, like the cold vs warm pie opinion. Objective truths are truths that are true regardless of opinion and preference. An objective truth of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. When we look at subjective and objective in regards to gender, the feeling that you have about yourself does not decide what gender you are, regardless of what the world may say about the fact. Gender comes down to biology and where does this biology ultimately come from? It comes from God.

What does Scripture teach about gender?

So, what then does the Bible have to say about gender? Think back to what we read yesterday in Genesis 1. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” When it comes to gender, these are the options. Jesus affirms that gender is a man and a woman. Christ says in Mark 10:6 “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’” Kevin DeYoung said, “The Bible teaches that God made us male or female, and no matter our own feelings or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of God’s good design.” What we see then in Scripture and what we see based on God’s design is that one’s gender is rooted in what God has decreed and ultimately in the grand scheme of things, one’s “gender identity” is only a mere preference and not that which they truly are. Take an extreme example, if I say that I identify as a fish and that I am going to go jump into the lake and spend the rest of my days breathing in water, you better hope that I am not being serious because that’s suicide and not rooted in reality. One can identify as all sorts of things but that doesn’t mean that is what they really are. How then can Christians talk to those that struggle with gender identity? Well for one, we don’t go into it with the intention of shaming one out of their thoughts. No one’s ever been shamed into Heaven. Sin has plagued every aspect of humanity and when you were still enslaved to your sins, you were not shamed into Christianity, or at least I hope that wasn’t the tactic that was used. It is not the place of the Christian to condemn but we are all called to correct and you can do the one without doing the other. Christians can say, “I know you struggle with identity, let me tell you about how I found mine because this identity is rooted in that which is absolute.”

Sexuality and the Bible

I wish we had more time on these next 2 issues, but we will do what we can.

The worlds view of sexuality

There is certainly a lot more in regards to sexuality that we could cover and I won’t be able to address every single issue but we will tackle that which is thrown into our face more than any other and that is the issue of homosexuality. The world has no problem with same-sex relationships. The world also has no issue with sex, they’re obsessed with sex. They say that if it feels good, do it, regardless of what it may actually cost people. The world doesn’t believe that sex should be between one man and one woman, a husband and a wife. In fact, most people are laughed at when they say that they hold fast to traditional marriage and family roles. Some people claim that being attracted to the same sex is natural because they were “born this way” or they have a “gay gene” which makes them gay but does that actually exist? Scientifically, there is nothing conclusive that says that people can be born gay. Christopher Yuan writes, “The American Psychiatric Association made this statement as recently as 2015: “Some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime.” Scientists are far from discovering the factors that contribute to the development of sexual attractions, so it’s untenable and irresponsible to claim that the innateness of sexual attractions is a proven reality.” However, despite this, many don’t see an issue with same-sex relationships and same-sex attraction. One would think that when someone looks at the number of health risks that are increased when sex is extended beyond one husband and one wife that they would think that something’s wrong. What does the Bible have to say then about homosexuality?

The Bible and sexuality

There are a number of Bible verses that people have used to support the traditional view of sexuality. One verse that is constantly used is Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Now I have also heard arguments against this verse that says that it has nothing to do with homosexuality and that homosexuality is simply a way of people living out that which they truly are. I want to point out that in the series of verses that verse 22 is in, there are a number of sexual sins that are referenced and they all go against what God has put forth and they are all a direct assault on His holiness. I believe that the Bible is clear and that God has the final word on what sex is and what it isn’t. If God says that same-sex relationships are a sin, it is a sin. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Now what I’m about to say is probably going to sound extremely controversial in light of the culture that we live in but I’m gonna say it anyway because I believe it is true: There is no such thing as a gay Christian. No homosexual will be in Heaven. However, let me be clear here: there is no such thing as a gay Christian because there is no such thing as a Christian that is enslaved to sin. How do we know this? Because Jesus is clear that you cannot serve two masters. You cannot be enslaved to sin and enslaved to Christ; it is one or the other. Now let me add to that: There is no such thing as an abusive Christian, there is no such thing as a murderous Christian, there’s no such thing as an adulterous Christian, there’s no such thing as an immoral Christian because you cannot serve two masters. Charles Hodge wrote, “Believers are, in the Bible, often called heirs. Their inheritance is a kingdom; that kingdom which God has established, and which is to be consummated in heaven. From this inheritance all the immoral, no matter how zealous they may be in the profession of the truth, or how assiduous in the performance of religious services, shall be excluded. Let it also be remembered that immorality, according to the Bible, does not consist exclusively in outward sins, but also in sins of the heart; as covetousness, malice, envy, pride, etc.” You see it’s not just the homosexuals that are outside the kingdom, it’s all sinners that are outside the kingdom. Let me try and give you a little bit of hope if you or someone you know identifies as homosexual, bisexual, etc. 1. There is a huge difference between being enslaved to sin and struggling with sin. You can be a Christian that struggles with same-sex attraction and be saved. Why? Because you are not enslaved to those passions. A Christian can struggle with pornography and still be a Christian? Why? Because you are at war with those sinful passions that are inside you because you hate that sin which Christ died to save you from but you notice that the old self still comes around sometimes. Satan will throw old lusts at us in an attempt to deter us from our course because he knows that which we used to love but when we come to Christ, we have a new love. We have a new purpose, we no longer need the old because we found the new. We don’t want the old wine because the new is far better. If you struggle in these areas, come and talk to me. In fact, if you struggle with any type of sin, I would love for you to come and talk to me because I want you to embrace the freedom that comes in Christ and not continue to be shackled to the old way of life that would lead you only to death and destruction. The second thing I want to say is that the Church has done a horrible job with ministering to those that suffer from sexual sins. The Church has in many ways, acted as if this was the only that exists or that it is the only sin that Christ is incapable of forgiving and if you have struggled with these sins and the Church has done nothing but shame you, I am sorry and I apologize for them because no one has ever been shamed into God’s Kingdom. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” The purpose of Christ coming to the world was to seek and save the lost. John Calvin wrote, “By saying that He did not come to condemn the world He points to the true purpose of His coming. For what need was there for Christ to come to destroy us who were already ruined over and over again? Therefore we should not regard anything else in Christ than that God out of His infinite goodness wished to help and save us who were lost. And whenever our sins press hard on us, whenever Satan would drive us to despair, we must hold up this shield, that God does not want us to be overwhelmed in everlasting destruction, for He has ordained His Son to be the salvation of the world.” Your sin is not unforgivable and it is not the place of any Christian to condemn you but instead, we are to lead towards righteousness and this leading is done in great love for you. Every Christian that has ever existed has at one time been enslaved to sin but has been forgiven by the sinless Savior. Every Christian who has ever lived has been someone that should have been a living testimony to the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of God and we did not deserve a single drop of that and the Gospel that saves all sinners that seek Christ is offered to you. One last thing that I want to throw in about sexuality is that sex is not everything. If you think that sex is that which you need more than anything and it is the one thing that will give you fulfillment in life, it won’t. What you all need to understand is that you are not just a peace of meat to be devoured. Sex is a wonderful gift from God but it is a gift that is to not be exploited and it should only be enjoyed within the context of marriage between one man and one woman. What you guys need to understand is you are far more than just your body. Girls if all your man wants you for is for your body, you are too good for him. Guys same thing for you. If all she wants you for is sex and your body, there is going to be a time when that won’t be enough and you’ll be tossed aside for the next body. You need to find someone who will love you for you and not for what you can give them. If sex is at the center of your relationship, that won’t be enough to carry it. Eventually your body will fade and your looks will fade and what will you be left with? A broken heart and a sense that you are not good enough so you will sink yourself lower and lower and put out more than what you can afford to put out. None of you need sex to be happy. Sex is not designed to be something that you throw around without a care in the world. Sex between a man and a woman is your way of saying, “I belong to you heart, body, and soul. I belong completely, exclusively, and permanently to you.” Life is more than sex so choose to live wisely.

Race and the Bible

I wish we had more time to talk about race because it is a pressing issue today but instead of talking about how the world views race, we will just talk about how Christians are to view race. Racial issues are no stranger to Scripture and we see this in the tension that exists between the Jews and the Gentiles specifically in the New Testament but Christ came to tear that dividing wall down. It sounds cliche and maybe it is but there really is only one race and that is the human race. Paul says in Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Paul also says in Colossians 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” In regards to the one’s worthiness of the Gospel or the need to love someone, their background or nationality or race should not be a factor. N.T. Wright said, “It is to say that differences of background, nationality, colour, language, social standing and so forth must be regarded as irrelevant to the question of the love, honour and respect that are to be shown to individuals and groups.” Racism can be solved by loving one’s neighbor as themselves. Racism exists because of sin and because man does not love his neighbor. Now this doesn’t mean that all distinctions about people vanish away. It doesn’t mean that the color of one’s skin completely vanishes but what it does mean is that the ground is level at the foot of the cross and that the People of God operate with a new mindset. The factors that they once cared about are gone and in its place is Christ in all and above all. Douglas Moo said, “Those who belong to Christ constitute a “new humanity,” within which the distinctions of this world, while not obliterated, are relativized. The Christian community is comprised of people who maintain their gender, familial, and social identities. Jews are still Jews in Christ; Gentiles are still Gentiles in Christ; slaves are still slaves in Christ. But these earthly identities are no longer what is most important: solidarity in Christ is now the ruling paradigm for the new community.” When we come to Christ, we are to embrace the renewing of the spirit of our minds as Paul said and one great way of doing this is by recognizing that every single person on the face of the earth is our neighbor and is someone that is made in the image of God and is therefore deserving of our love and kindness. I wish that we had more time to talk about this but we are going to have to end it here. The way that we deal with the three areas that we spoke of tonight is by embracing now the worlds mindset but by putting on the newness of life that Christ has given us because the old has passed away and the new has come.