Sexuality and Identity | Never Too Far Gone
The purity movement in Christianity, marked by the messages of sexual purity in the 90s and early 200s have recently felt a fair amount of criticism regarding their messaging. The overall idea sought to promote a biblical standard of purity through abstinence based messaging. Now, as people reflect on the purity movement of the Christian church, it seems as if the messaging has done more good than harm. People are recovering from the emotional hurt and pain that came from the messages and how the presentation was given. Truth be told, as the author of this article, I have adjusted my own messaging on the sermons on biblical sexual ethics based on a deeper understanding of the Gospel.
Sex, according to the biblical standard is between a married couple comprised of a genetic man and genetic woman. Any other standard simply engages in poor biblical interpretation and understanding of the scripture and word of God, reading meaning into the text instead of allowing the word of God to speak for itself. Yet, as we present this message, we cannot do so devoid of the Gospel. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1, ESV) To preach purity without the power of the Gospel does a disservice to the greater issue. The message of the purity movement, although founded on the word of God, lacked the love of good news and Gospel that would lead people to repentance. Where it should have paved a path home for the sinner to receive forgiveness by the works of Jesus Christ, instead, proclaimed that a person’s worth would be found in their virginity. If a person engaged in sex outside of marriage, the tone of the message was that they had failed or let God down. In truth, the Gospel never labels a person as too far gone or beyond the reach of God. Those struggling through sexuality and identity can find solace and acceptance, of who they are not what they do, in the arms of God and always return to Him. Then, having been forgiven and redeemed, we all should actively flee from sexual temptation so that God would be glorified in our sexuality.
Never Too Far Gone For Repentance
For many, the purity movement lacked any semblance of forgiveness and repentance, choosing instead to treat a person who has sinned sexually as too far gone. A person’s virginity would determine their worth and the message given is that whoever gave up their virginity in any sense had devalued themselves in the eyes of others and, more importantly, in the eyes of God. The Gospel, however, preaches forgiveness for the person who comes to Jesus Christ and forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV) To Jesus, no one is too far gone. No one is beyond the reach and capacity for the forgiveness of God. And no one can sin so far that they would disqualify themselves from the faith. As the church, we cannot give in to the temptation of judging a person by their past sexual sins and deciding they are too far gone. Christ came to save the hopeless and bring them hope.
For issues of homosexuality and gender identity, we have talked about the tactic of the enemy that has attempted to tie those two different things and bind them to identity. Yet, an additional hurtle for those who have struggled comes with the same stigma of being too far gone in order to come back. A church following in the ministry of Jesus Christ, should become a safe place for those who have sinned sexually to find solace and come home. Only Jesus Christ acts as the gatekeeper to the church and the people of God should welcome a person turning to Jesus with the same grace as the they would want themselves to be welcomed by. We cannot allow a person’s past history disqualify them from the body of Christ and we cannot continue to cast judgment on past sins in which Christ has died for, paid for, and remembers no more (cf. Hebrews 8:12). If the church refused to welcome those who struggled with same sex attraction and gender identity, then we must be willing to cast out those who have committed adultery, those who have engaged in sex outside of marriage, and, by the standard of Jesus Christ given on the Sermon on the Mount, cast out any person who has ever lusted after anyone not their spouse. If that is the case, we have slide backwards to a works based salvation and completely ignored the cross of Christ for a self-sanctimonious works based salvation that will leave everyone condemned to hell.
Flee From Sexuality Immorality
As Christians, then, whatever our past sexual sins have been, we have been born again as new creations in Jesus Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV) The forgiveness of God given to those whose faith and hope are place in Him, giving them new identities and a future hope of glory in Jesus Christ. While our bodies may still seek the cravings of our old life, they will gradually lose their taste as we pursue the Lord with all we have. As the people of God we have been given a new identity and a new opportunity to start afresh. The past actions of our sins do not leave us condemned but gives us hope of a new life that we can be redeemed from our past for a future and greater glory.
The strategy, then, is to flee from the temptations of sexuality and pursue Jesus Christ above everything else. “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18, ESV) Fleeing sexual immorality means we reflect on where were are tempted to cease glorifying God with our sexuality, actively avoid willful and intentional temptation, and establish boundaries while putting sufficient accountability in place. Sexual sins often run rampant in a person’s life unchecked out of a fear of being able to talk about them openly with other. Yet, if we are taking the struggle of sexual sin seriously, we would be willing to sacrifice any aspect of our flesh for the sake of our spirit. We flee from sexual immorality into the blessing of a healthy and redeemed sexuality through the strength and grace of Jesus Christ. God alone defines our sexuality and our identity and as a benevolent God who cares for His people, we submit to Him knowing that His way is better than our own. We flee from the ravages of our past sin life and take hold of the life that God has set apart for His people.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
