HUMAN SEXUALITY
February 2004

We live in a sex-crazed culture these days, and it’s important to know what God says about human sexuality.

Creation and Sexuality

God created man and women in His own image, and pronounced them good.

Genesis 1:26-31
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."   …God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (NIV)

Human nature as created consists of a number of dimensions that influence one another. Sexuality is one of these dimensions.

God-Honouring Expressions

All human activity, including the expression of sexuality, should have as its end the honouring of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.  (NIV)

Those pursuing godliness are to live lives of purity in thought, word and deed, including purity with reference to sexuality.

Ephesians 5:3
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.  (NIV)

God is honoured by the mutually intimate physical expression of sexuality when this expression occurs between a man and a woman within a monogamous marriage.

Fallenness and Sexuality

Through human disobedience to God, all dimensions of human nature, individually and collectively, have been corrupted.

Romans 1:20-24
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (NIV)

Thus, human sexuality is subject to abuse and misuse which dishonours God.

God is dishonoured by anything which displaces Him from His rightful place of priority in one’s life. Therefore, He is dishonoured, for example, by sexual obsession, the intimate physical expression of sexuality outside of marriage, sexual activity between persons of the same sex, sex with yourself, sex between an adult and a child, between close relatives, or between a person and an animal.

1Thessalonians 4:3
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…(NIV)

Forgiveness and Sexuality

While some temporal effects of sexual sins may remain, sexual sins, like any other sins, can be forgiven by God through Jesus Christ, upon confession and repentance.

I John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (NIV)

If you need to talk to someone further, please do not hesitate to call our church office and make an appointment with one of our pastoral team.

God bless you as you seek to honour him in all things.