A popular misconception about God is that He's perpetually frowning about sex. Quite the opposite. The Bible teaches that sex was God’s idea. He designed it. Sex is a sign of God’s goodness. Many also seem to think that Christians are prudes who hate the thought of anyone having fun or finding happiness in life. When in fact, we believe the Bible is the sure guide to human flourishing.
As western culture trends increasingly away from the biblical model of marriage, we will likely see many more headlines meant to stir outrage like the one featured recently at The Christian News Network: Three Lesbian Women ‘Marry’ Each Other, Claim to Be World’s First ‘Throuple.’
How should we respond?
Christians certainly need to pray, be humble, be kind, and serve the less fortunate. But Christians also need to know what the Bible says by interpreting it faithfully. We need to graciously explain God's truth to others in the context of relational credibility and be known as much for our compassion as we are known for a commitment to the truth.
Jesus plainly reinforced the model of male-female marriage found at the beginning of Genesis (Mark 10:6-9). Furthermore, He said that all sexual activity outside of the biblical definition of marriage is wrong and that such activity “defiles” the participants, whether consensual or not. In other words, it leads to the opposite of happiness and fulfilment. When Jesus forbids something, He forbids it out of a loving heart.
Mark 7:20-23
And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
Contrary to another popular misconception about judging others, It isn't judgmental for Christians to declare what Christ Himself declared. But we should never stop at merely affirming what the Bible calls good and what it calls sin. We need to present the gospel as the message of hope for everyone. No one is too sinful and too far away from God who cannot be rescued. "What must I do to be saved?" cried the jailer in Acts 16. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," is still the reply today. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). The good news of the gospel is that we can get rid of guilt and be freed from sin by going to Jesus.
If you’re a Christian who wants to be better prepared with a godly, well-rounded response to the world around you—particularly on this issue—keep calm and read the articles and Scriptures linked above. Christ calls His followers to think well. Matthew 22:37 includes the phrase: "love the Lord... with all your mind." To that end, here are several resources from trustworthy Bible teachers to help you think and respond more biblically:
Short Video Answers:
- Why can't same-sex marriage be included in the biblical view of marriage? (Daniel Akin)
- How did Jesus address homosexuality? (Alistair Begg)
- Should Christians have an activist stance against homosexuality in this culture? (Denny Burk)
Articles & Books:
- Moral Mayhem Multiplies - Now, It's Polygamy's Turn (Albert Mohler)
- Is God Anti-Gay? (Sam Allberry)
- God, the Gospel, and the Gay Challenge (Albert Mohler)
Your turn. What do you believe about the issues of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and polygamy?
Alex Crain is the editor for Christianity.com. You can follow him on Twitter @alex_crain.