We live in a sex-saturated society that claims to be enlightened and liberated about sex but is clueless when it comes to the beauty and mystery of human sexuality. It seems that the more we experiment and supposedly learn, the less we truly know and the more broken we become.
Unfortunately, being a professing follower of Christ does not seem to be making a difference in many who claim His name. The church, generally speaking, seems to be either afraid to really talk about sex (as though it might offend the God who gave us sex organs, sex drives, nerve endings and the capacity for pleasure) or takes a page from the anti-drug movement and tells people to "JUST SAY NO!"
Well, this isn't helping our young people or those who are desperately looking for some kind of Biblically informed view to help them understand their desire for sex.
If we are going to claim to be Pro-Life people, we must address the issue of sexuality in our teaching and in our living. With adultery and the divorce rate as high within Christian Churches as in the un-churched community, something is wrong! Our hypocrisy is telling on us! Please follow this link to an article in World Magazine entitled BROKEN SEX. It has some excellent points which we would be wise to embrace.
I just read this last night as I was lurking around WORLD's blog site. It is an excellent article. It challenges those who claim to be pro-life (the church...Hello!) to take their beliefs one step further and address one of the base reasons abortion is "needed" by our culture, sex outside of marriage. One of the things that I have valued most about the leadership at Grace is their fearless, direct approach in addressing these important issues facing our culture (and our Body), then holding us (the Body) accountable to God's word. I think it is interesting to examine the order of the commandments God gave the children of Isreal in Exodus 20:13-15. Verse 13 says "You shall not murder." What is it Christ said in Matthew 5:21 about murder(hatred) beginning in the heart? The next commandment is "You shall not commit adultery". Again Christ follows this up in Matthew 5:27 by stating that looking at a woman(or man) and lusting is committing adultery in your heart. The next commandment in Exodus is verse 15 and says simply, "Thou shall not steal". The irony is that murder(hatred) steals the life and adultery steals the soul. This theft causes tremendous collateral damage throughout the Body...wow, where did that come from? I'd better quit while this is still Doug's blog and not mine!:-)
ReplyDeleteP.S. glad your family is back, safe and sound.
Hi Jennifer! Miss your fam!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the article...I was the teen-ager mentioned who watched a permissive fellowship allow an adulterous relationship like the one mentioned to exist unchecked. This couple is now retired. They seem happy but whenever I bring up God or "church life" I can tell I'm being tuned out.
A great travesty in God's house has always been when our children witness adults "confessing Jesus with their lips while their hearts are far from Him." God help us all. Thankfully, each new morning a generous God continues to call our names, inviting us into that inner sanctuary where fires burn brilliant, consuming every hint of youthful lust. May His goodness lead us to repentance.
One thing is for sure, if you continue to sell the idea that premarital sex, adultery, sensuality, and acts of fornication are all okay and acceptable, you're going to have a tough time trying to push the idea that abortion is wrong.
ReplyDeleteAfterall, it would seem that the number one reason so many people are having sex outside of marriage (or even inside of marriage) is the fact that if they get caught, i.e. become pregnant, they can always deal with the "problem" by simply exercising their "birth control right" and have an abortion.
On this same topic, but from a different angle, why do you think God created men to have such a strong sex drive?
Obviously He clearly wants us to be monogamous and to keep the "marriage bed" holy and pure; but I've often wondered why through the ages it seems that every generation still battles with this "passion" for the female species. Even within David's own immediate family there was incest and he himself couldn't keep himself to just one wife.
Absolutley in no way am I condoning or excusing sexual sin and misconduct; I'm simply curious on your take of why you think God seems to have naturally instilled in men this very strong desire for sex and our female counterpart.
One more thing, sort of on topic. David was able to commit many sins, i.e. adultery, murder, lying, covetousness, etc and all of it primarily based off of his one sin of sexual desire.
ReplyDeleteIt seems, for reasons that I'm not quite sure I've come to grips with yet, that sexual sins always have many, many more consequences than other "types" of sin.
Lastly, more in line with your sermon on Sunday, it has always amazed me that David was willing to look one of his "warriors" in the face and order his own death just to cover his sin; AFTER he had already slept with his wife for pete's sake!! I'm sure they spilled blood together and obviously endured some trials together while being chased down by Saul....and yet somehow he was driven by this "lust" for Bathsheba. Amazing.