The Gospel and Sex

The Gospel confronts our views and practice of sex. If sex becomes our ultimate pursuit, then we will be severely disappointed. That is why those who are trusting in sex as life’s highest pleasure are often the most unhappy. When sex doesn’t come through for them, they have to have more, jumping from one relationship (or porn site) to the next.

Sex gets reduced to an appetite that we feed when we have urges. On the flip side, if sex is reduced to producing offspring, then we strip sex of its power to produce radical pleasure and oneness in the marriage bed. Both of these practices reduce sex to something far less than what it was intended to be.

The bible tells us very clearly that everyone who misuses the gift of sex will be judged. Those who engage in adultery, sex before marriage, pornography, rape, bestiality, voyeurism, incest, pedophilia, prostitution, and the like will not not inherit the Kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). Included in this group are those who might not have acted out their sexual fantasies, but who have lusted in their heart (Matt. 5:27). Ephesians 5:3 reminds us that “...there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” Not even a hint.

But, listen very closely to the good news. Even though the way out of the Kingdom is sexual immorality, the way back in isn’t to clean up your sex life. In one of the most remarkable stories in all of the bible, the religious leaders drug a sexually immoral woman out in front of everyone to kill her as a punishment. Jesus stepped into the hostile situation, saved her from death, and told her that he didn’t condemn her (John 8). How did she get off the hook so easily? Because Jesus was on his way to die for her on the cross. Like the woman in the story, Jesus dies for us while we are in sexual sin, not after (Rom. 5:8).

Jesus was even bold enough to say that prostitutes who repent will enter the Kingdom of God before the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 21:28-32).

Even though sex is a great gift to the world, it is important to remember that Jesus lived a single life. This is something we shouldn’t overlook. As we look at the life of Jesus, we see that sex is not the highest end a person’s life. Sex is a signpost that points beyond itself. Psalm 16:11 says, “...in [God’s] presence there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Through Jesus we can receive unceasing pleasure from God. And those who do experience this kind of pleasure will be freed from using sex in all the wrong ways.

Sex is a visible sign of two people becoming one flesh forever. It is a vulnerable, self-sacrificial act that communicates a heart of commitment to the other.

The cross is our visible sign that God sent Jesus to die for us so that we might be one with him forever. On the cross, Jesus became vulnerable and self-sacrificial to prove his commitment to his unfaithful bride, the church.

This content was taken from a gospel-centered bible study series that I'm working on called Gifts of God. To download the Sex study and others go to: http://t-zach.com/giftsofgod/

Social Justice and the Non-Christian

When Tim Keller was in college, he kept asking himself: “If [some say that] morality is relative, why isn’t social justice as well?” He’s alluding to the fact that some people think life is gray when it comes to issues of morality but very black and white when it comes to issues like poverty and oppression.

To stand firm on the idea that giving money to the poor is a “duh” black and white issue but that having sex before marriage (for example) is a gray issue – is inconsistent and contradictory.

Someone might reply to this by saying that pre-marital sex is controversial, but giving to the poor is not. They would point out that giving to the poor is known worldwide as a “good” thing. It is not relative. It is just a fact. Pre-martial sex however is not.

Let’s break this down a little more. Because there is a consensus in our culture or country that giving to the poor is a good thing, doesn’t mean it is a fact. There have been billions of people scattered through many cultures and countries who have disagreed with the idea of social justice. There has been much injustice and oppression and murder since the beginning of time by various nations. So which cultures are right? Who gets to claim that they have a better grasp of the truth?

If anything, the people who have practiced injustice are more logical than anyone. If no God exists and a “survival of the fittest” is in play, then giving to the poor would be counter-productive to us staying on top of the food chain. If we are going to survive, then moving to the suburbs, ignoring the poor, and holding onto our money is the most rational option!

However, we all know that there are millions of people who don’t believe in God, yet they want to give money to the poor. Why? Is it because the reasoning behind social justice is logical? No, it is rather more illogical if God doesn’t exist.

It we are here because of a random natural act, then everything is up for grabs. Everything is relative. However, if Creator God uniquely created and shaped the world and the people in it, then our passion for every human to have dignity and value seems very "black and white".