This is the third installment in a three part series concerning God’s Truth concerning human sexuality.
In the first installment, “God’s Truth Concerning Sexual Sin “, I explained that God equates sexuality with spirituality, in that the sexual connection between people is symbolic of the spiritual connection between us and Him. To defile the physical connection also defiles the spiritual connection. Therefore, the truth concerning our sexuality and the way we live that out is very closely connected to our spirituality and the way we live that out.
In the second installment, “God’s Truth Concerning Sexual Identity”, I explained that our gender is one of multiple fundamental characteristics assigned to us by God and not chosen by us. If we start trying to change these fundamental building blocks, then we change the final product of our being to something other than what He intended it to be, which impacts every facet of our life in ways which are against His will and, thus, are detrimental to us, whether we realize it or not.
For more concerning these things, please read those first two articles.
I would now like to talk about God’s Truth as it relates to the truth about sexual relationships. In order to do that, we first need to talk about the truth about marriage, the only relationship within which God sanctions sex.
Today, we live in a culture that likes to define truth according to the whims and desires of the moment. Truth, although sometimes difficult to determine, is not subjective. The truth about marriage is not at all difficult to determine but it is very controversial so let’s take a look at it.
First, what is marriage. At the most fundamental level, it is a bond, a God ordained supportive and sexual relationship, between one man and one woman.
Genesis 2
20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
In verse 22, we see that God took part of man and made woman. These are not arbitrary terms but very specifically refer to the two opposite biological sexes. For more about that, see my previous article, “The Truth About Sexual Identity”. In verse 24, we have the first marriage, the first joining of the first two people, which were one man and one woman. After the joining, it says that “they shall become one flesh”, a reference to the sexual union between the man and the woman. Verse 25 indicates that they had no cause to be ashamed of their nakedness in each-other’s presence. There are many contexts in which Scripture prohibits sexual union and uncovering the nakedness of another. If you look at the entirety of Scripture, you will find that absolutely the only context in which these things are sanctioned is within the confines of marriage.
The first time that the Scripture actually speaks of a specific incident of sexual relations, in Genesis 4:1, when it says “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived”, the word translated into English as “knew” is the Hebrew word “yadha”. This is significant because, in other places in Scripture, the word “yadha” is often used in the context of entering into a covenant relationship and that appears to be the context in which it is intended to be taken in in Genesis 4:1. Clearly, God intended sex to only be within the covenant relationship of marriage and sex is, in fact, actually a part of establishing that covenant relationship.
Marriage is the most sacred of all human relationships. Why? Because it is the human covenant relationship which symbolically represents the covenant relationship between God and His Church. This can clearly be seen in many places throughout Scripture. For example, foreshadowing of the redemption of the Christian Church by Christ can be seen in the story of Ruth and Boaz, in the book of Ruth, and the symbolism of marriage directly applied to the relationship between Christ and the Church can be seen in Ephesians 5:21-24. To defile the relationship between husband and wife is to symbolically defile the relationship between us and God.
What about multiple wives? What about divorce? Good questions. Many men in the Old Testament did have multiple wives and the Mosaic law did allow for divorce. However, it is important to remember that the Bible is not just a book of God’s instructions but also a book of history. Many things happened in the Bible that God was not pleased with. Let’s look at two passages of Scripture concerning this, as it relates to polygamy and divorce.
Malachi 2
13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
In verse 14, God makes it clear that He wants you to remain with “the wife of your youth”, who is “your wife by covenant”. Notice that He says “”wife”, singular, not “wives” plural. God hates divorce (verse 16) and we greatly displease Him when we act as though it is OK in His eyes (verse 17).
Consider this conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus.
Matthew 19
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
Jesus makes it clear that God never wanted divorce but He allowed it because of the hardness of our hearts. Under the New Covenant, He only permits it in the case of sexual infidelity on the part of one of the spouses.
You see, God created sex but He intended it only to be within the confines of marriage and He intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, for life.
What about homosexual relationships? We know that God never intended this, for two reasons. First of all, we have seen that God intended that sex was only to involve two people, within the confines of marriage, and marriage was clearly to be between a man and a woman. From this alone, we can deduce that God would not approve of homosexual relationships. Also, homosexuality is directly addressed, multiple times, in both the Old and New Testaments.
Leviticus 18
22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
1 Corinthians 6
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Though I have seen various attempts to explain it away, I don’t think Leviticus 18:22 could be more clear. It says what it says. One argument used to explain it away is that this is in the Old Testament but we are now under the New Covenant (grace). God never changes (Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8) and so He does not approve of homosexuality under the New Covenant either, as can be seen in the fact that homosexuality is included in the list of characteristics of those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Again, it says what it says.
However, we must pay attention to a couple other things here. First of all, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 not only includes homosexuality but also many other sexual sins. Although all sin is not equal in God’s eyes and sexual sin appears to be among the worst of sin to God (see the first article in this series), I believe that all sexual sin (all sex outside of marriage) is equal in God’s eyes. it is important to remember that the very next verse, verse 11, indicates that these sexual sins, as with all other sins, can be washed away by the blood of Christ’s sacrifice, allowing those who have practiced such things to be sanctified and justified in God’s eyes. It is also important to remember that, as is the case with other sin, establishing a relationship with Christ, through which such redemption can be accomplished, requires repentance of that sin. We may struggle to remain repentant but we cannot simply willfully continue and honestly and accurately claim that we have a saving relationship with Christ.
I believe that the erosion of the traditional family unit, starting first and foremost with the lack of reverence regarding the holy institution of marriage, is both one of the primary causes and primary symptoms of the degradation of society in general. Casual sex before and between marriages is common, as is adultery within marriage, and these things are seen as things that just happen. Marriages are lightly entered into and then casually thrown away, with little thought given to the long term consequences on the other spouse, the children, and, for that matter, on the divorcing spouse. Homosexuality, which simply cannot be practiced within a God defined marriage, is openly and proudly lived out and displayed. We eagerly make and consume music and movies that celebrate all these things. We openly make a mockery of God’s most holy of relationships among humans, forgetting that God will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7), and then we wonder why our society is on a ever steepening down hill slide.
As I said, I believe that all of this is both cause and effect. We have a horrible vicious circle going and the only One Who can break that circle is God. That won’t happen by us praying “God please break the circle”. We must reach out to the lost world, to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus the Christ, and then we must teach them to practice what He taught. That starts by us, within the Christian Church, practicing what He taught. It is very easy to let attitudes and even actions of the world creep into the Church, especially concerning things like this, and there is little that can be more damaging to the cause of Christ.
James 4
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Pay particular attention to verse 7 and after. We must make a conscious decision to submit to God and resist the temptations that Satan puts in our path. We must let God bring us to the point that we morn over our sin. We must realize that our sinful ways are not best, are not OK, that they grieve the heart of God and do immeasurable harm to us. We must humble ourselves before God, so that He can lift us up. That is what revival looks like and revival is what it will take in order to bring an end to this problem that is so rampant in our culture. We tend to think of revival as a corporate or mass event but revival on mass begins with revival in our own individual hearts. Please pray for revival in your own heart, listen to what the Spirit says in response to that plea, and do whatever He says.
Revival is only for God’s people, for those who have submitted to God’s only Son, Jesus, the Christ, as Lord and Master. Without that relationship, there is not yet anything to revive . If you do not have a relationship with Him, please look at the “The Most Important Thing” section of this website.
