The importance of sexuality

Few matters are as important as sexuality. All of us are male or female. The sexual gift is capable of great love and hurt. The way we express our sexuality is a demonstration of respect or otherwise for our fellows and for God.

With the introduction of the private members’ bills into Federal Parliament this week the possibility of a redefining of marriage to include same-sex couples is being energetically explored.

At the same time debate within the church has all but divided the Anglican Communion over the possibility of practising same-sex people being suitable candidates for ordination as presbyters and bishops.

The issue is of great importance, not only because it would represent a change to the traditional view of marriage but primarily because it would represent a departure from the Anglican church’s avowed “ultimate rule and standard of faith”, viz “the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments .... given by inspiration of God” (Fundamental Declaration 2, Constitution of the Anglican Church of Australia), a position upheld by Article 20 of the 39 Articles.

At the end of the day we Christians seek to shape our minds and our behaviour by God’s Word – a word which has been described as “God’s love letter to humankind”. As a parent I sought, out of love for my children, to communicate as clearly as I could to them. I wanted them to know that they were loved and what were the best ways of living for themselves, their family and their community. I didn’t always pull this off, but I certainly did my best. We can be sure however, that God gets it right and is full of love in both what He says and why He says it. This is especially so for an area of life so important, both mundane and special, as our sexuality.

The basic teaching of scripture is that sex is a good God-given gift to be exercised considerately between a man and a woman married to each other (Genesis 1:27-31; 2:21-25; Exodus 20:14; Ephesians 5: 22-33; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

No Christian should ever engage in homophobia but neither should any Christian be unloving toward anyone else, whether hetero or same-sex orientated. Christian love toward others will always follow love for God and His ways. It can never be loving for me to encourage a fellow to act in a way that is contrary to God’s mind as revealed in the bible.

The question arises, “What is God’s mind on these matters?” There are a number of clear texts. The clearest is Genesis 2:24 which is endorsed by both our Lord (Matthew 19:5) and the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 5:31),
“for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh”. Here we see the complementarity of men and women which is evidenced by our anatomical make-up and procreational potential.

Other reference texts in the Old Testament are Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:14 and, in the New Testament, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9 -11 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11.

The recently published book Sexegesis, carefully demonstrates that when we meticulously exegete the texts of scripture, they speak against the practice of same-gender sex-indifferent contexts. Exegesis seeks, by a thoughtful analysis of context and the meaning of words, to ‘read out’ of scripture, not into scripture, its meaning.

It is a matter of love to agree with God’s diagnosis so that we can encourage one another to experience God’s generous grace prescription (for both pardon and amendment of life) through repentance, faith and the ministry of the Holy Spirit

(1 Corinthians 6: 9 -11). Our public liturgies declare pardon to repentant sinners only. In other words confession always precedes pardon . It would be unloving of any person to suggest to another that they could find pardon without repentance by a redefinition of any sin. It is a matter of love to hold out, as the Bible says, the completeness of every individual (whether of hetero or same-sex orientation). Our Lord and His chief apostle Paul were single people. Adam and Eve were created complete in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Sex is not necessary for any of us to be a real/complete person. Marriage does not complete us, but does help us, if married, to complement one another. Sexual relationships are not necessary for our fulfillment or happiness.

Chosen celibacy (as distinct from a required celibacy) is a long-honoured option for ALL OF US no matter what our sexual orientation (1 Corinthians 7:7). Indeed all of us are single once and half of us can expect to be single at least twice.

The question at the end of the day is not whether gay people are nice or good people. Nor does it come down to what we think but whether we will be humble enough to love God by trusting what He says and loving enough to encourage our same sex friends to seek God’s grace and strength to live God’s way.

It has been said that ‘the person who spits into the wind spits at himself’. The person or community who ignores God is in reality spitting at themself/selves, as Romans 1:18-30 graphically and chillingly outlines for us. As Christians we owe it to our community in general and to fellow Christians in particular to hold out God’s words of grace, strength and warning. Since it is true, as 1:18-32 points out that none of us is without sin, we do well not to be self- righteous. Yet we do no-one any favour by redefining any sin thus becoming unlovingly complacent or self-indulgent. The apostle urges us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). As Christians we have a responsibility to alert our fellow community members to God’s mind. In a democracy we have a right to petition our elected representatives. To help us understand the importance of these issues can I encourage you to join the webcast this Tuesday evening at St Philips and to write to your local Federal MPs encouraging them to affirm the male-female definition of marriage as an act of love. If it is God’s way we can be sure that it is for our communal and personal good.

As Christians we have a primary responsibility to live godly lives in every aspect of our lives . Scripture, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11 covers heterosexual infidelity, gossip, theft, greed, drunkenness, slander as well as same-sex sex (not please note, same-sex orientation).

Whatever decisions are made in parliament, it is vital that we as God’s people live distinctively Christian lives as mutual encouragement, examples to the young, light to our confused world and primarily to glorify our great and gracious God.

In God’s grace

Peter Brain