READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l As the world grapples with issues on sex and sexuality like sex before marriage, same sex attraction, LGBT issues, gender fluidity, let us go back to God’s design from His word to help us. God’s design is holy sexuality, i.e. sex and sexuality set apart for Him.
God’s Design
1. Sexuality as male and female.
Both male and female represent God’s image and together they reflect His image in the way we relate to Him (Gen 1:26-28,31). God has made male and female fundamentally very different and therefore gender is not meant to be interchangeable. A change of gender is out of God’s design.
2. Sex is a gift from God in marriage between husband and wife (Gen 2:24).
The union between man and his wife goes beyond physical union but is spiritual as well. Woman made out of man is to complement the man. Sex takes place within the covenantal framework of marriage. It is a mutual giving of body, emotions and pleasure. Marriage is a foretaste of the eternal union with God. Christ is described as the bridegroom and the church His bride (Eph 5:22-23). Sex outside marriage is contrary to God’s design.
Two paths:
a) married and faithful
Faithfulness in marriage is NOT just not committing adultery. The married are to be sexually and emotionally faithful. There are healthy boundaries to keep from others to avoid lust and temptations.
b) single and chaste
The single is to keep pure not just by abstention but also by fleeing from anything that arouses temptation e.g. pornography. God is concerned with what we do with our bodies as well as our imagination. Lust is considered adultery in the Bible. (Mt 5:27-30)
3. Marriage is not the biblical goal of faith. Discipleship is.
Marriage is a gift for some that becomes a discipleship journey. Our first calling is discipleship because marriage is not eternal as there are no husbands and wives but brothers and sisters in heaven. One is no less if single and no more if married.
God declares as very good His design for marriage with sex in the context of marriage (Gen 1:31). However, sin distorted God’s design.
Prevailing worldview normalises sex as enjoyment of flesh and entitlement according to one’s desire, turning people to objects to satisfy one’s appetite with no responsibility or mutual love as long as the other person consents. Pre-marital sex is normalised and LGBTQ is endorsed by big corporations. There is a worldwide movement accepting sex as personal desire and gender fluidity whereby one can choose to be whatever gender or even binary as one feels like.
How do we respond?
Sin has distorted sex and sexuality to a matter of personal desire instead of our Creator’s design. Our response in the face of dominant culture is counter cultural – to follow God ‘s design and make grace-empowered choices as we offer our bodies as a holy sacrifice and be transformed through the renewing of our minds (Rm 12:1,2). This is possible through the power of the gospel.
Applications
1) Pray like never before
Pray for the next generation to be sexually pure and pursue holy sexuality.
2) Renew your conviction
Allow God’s word to form our minds and conviction, and seek God’s grace to sin no more. Be accountable to one another in the Christian community.
3) Teach the next generation
As parents and grandparents, disciple the children early and help them encounter God in their lives so they get to know and trust Him in all areas of their lives.
4) Empathise, not marginalise
Jesus extends His friendship to sinners and tax collectors. He did not condemn the woman who committed adultery but instructs her to go and sin no more. There are Christians who struggle with same sex attraction and other sexual sins even though we cannot understand why. Empathy creates a safe space for them to share their struggles and for us to journey with them. Empathy is not condoning or compromise. Listen to the other’s story to appreciate the person’s struggle so as pray. Learn to discern facts from falsehood. Love by showing you care despite all that the person is going through. Even if one cannot overcome, the person can make holy choices every day in his/her thoughts. Recognise that all are equally fallen and in need of redemption. Together we help one another stay holy and pursue holy sexuality.
5) Rest in the goodness of our Creator
Focus on helping one another to recognise God’s goodness. For some especially among the young, LGBTQ is not about morality but a justice issue. They question the fairness of God who “discriminate” against LGBTQs as heterosexuals can be satisfied in marriage whereas LGBTQs cannot. We must rediscover who our Creator is, encounter God and His goodness in giving His Son to atone for our sins. Then we can see the justice demonstrated by God, recognise and trust His good design even though we do not fully understand it all.
May we help one another seek God and make choices to follow God’s design that we may be found faithful by Jesus when He returns.
(Sermon notes by Woo Choi Yin)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Read and reflect on Genesis 1:26- 28, 31. How does being male and female reflect God’s image?
- Genesis 2:24 says that a man will cleave to a woman and become one flesh with her. What does the “one flesh” mean? Is sex more than just a physical act?
- If sex is to be between husband and wife, what are the two paths highlighted in the sermon? What are your reflections on these two paths?
- How has sin distorted God’s design for sex and sexuality? How is that distortion prevalent in today’s culture?
- What is our discipleship according to Romans 12:2?
- Why is there an urgency to pray like never before? Who is someone you can pray for?
- Why is empathy so important in the issues concerning sex and sexuality? Do you know of persons wrestling with sexual sin and same-sex-attraction who feel marginalized by the Church?
- How can we show empathy as we listen, learn and love?
- How will focusing on God the Creator and his good design help us embrace holy sexuality as His people?
Take time to pray for each other to stay pure and right in the eyes of God.
