Christian Perspectives on Sexuality and Identity

From the world’s
perspective, Christ’s
call to a
wholehearted,
sacrificial
discipleship seems
implausibly
unattractive for
anyone, regardless
of their sexuality or
particular
circumstances

If we are to
persevere in the life
of discipleship
ourselves and
persuade anyone
else to join us, we
must somehow
communicate that
what is offered is
not a set of rules,
but a dynamic
relationship with the

We’ve basically
adopted the slogan
from the 1980s anti-
drugs song: ‘Just
Say No!’ That’s
often all we have to
say – exacerbated
by the proof-text
parade if anyone
raises any
objections: Do not
have sexual

That used to be a
plausible argument
for most. To be an
evangelical has
always meant holding
to the truth of ‘The
divine inspiration of
Holy Scripture as
originally given and
its supreme authority
in all matters of faith
and conduct’

And when it comes
to homosexual
practice, those
Scriptures are pretty
clear; evangelicals
like clarity, and
those verses were
more than enough
clarity for many, for
years. We all knew
where we stood.

It’s people, not
theology, that seem
to be powering the
rejection of the
traditional Christian
ethic. It’s Peter and
Jane – and others
like them – not the
Hebrew and Greek.

HOW IS A CHRISTIAN
RESPONSE TO
(HOMO)SEXUALITY
DIFFERENT TO AN
ISLAMIC RESPONSE?

HOW IS A CHRISTIAN
RESPONSE TO
(HOMO)SEXUALITY
DIFFERENT TO A
JEWISH RESPONSE?

"And God said…”
GENESIS 1:3, 6, 9, 14,
20, 24, 26

In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was
God
JOHN 1:1

The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the
glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full
of grace and truth.
JOHN 1:14

In the past God spoke to our
ancestors through the prophets at
many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and
through whom also he made the
universe.

The Son is the radiance of
God’s glory and the exact
representation of his
being, sustaining all things by
his powerful word.
HEBREWS 1:1-3

For I resolved to know nothing
while I was with you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:2

Neither the sexually immoral nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor men
who have sex with men nor
thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom
of God.
1 CORINTHIANS

And that is what some of you
were. But you were washed, you
were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.
1 CORINTHIANS
6:11

HOW DOES THE
MESSAGE OF THE
CROSS SPEAK INTO
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
SEX & IDENTITY?

I wrote to you in my letter not to
associate with sexually immoral
people - not at all meaning the people
of this world who are immoral, or the
greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In
that
case you would have to leave
this world.
1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-10

What business is it of mine to judge
those outside the church? Are you
not to judge those inside?
1 CORINTHIANS 5:12

Whatever God you
believe in
We come from the
same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the
same love
SAME LOVE,
MACKLEMORE
& RYAN LEWIS

I don’t think it is right to say that if
these two folk here, who are in love
with each other and are of the same
gender, should be denied the
opportunity for legal recognition of the
duration of their relationship by having
marriage equality...
KEVIN RUDD, ABC’s Q&A

What is the fundamental principle of
the New Testament? It is one of
universal love. Loving your fellow
man.
KEVIN RUDD, ABC’s Q&A

“You have heard that it was said,
‘Love your neighbour and hate
your enemy.’ But I tell you, love
your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you.
MATTHEW 5:43-44

“Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’ This is the
first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: ‘Love
your neighbor as yourself.’ All the
Law and the Prophets hang on
these two commandments.”
MATTHEW 22:37-40

“This is what I told you while I was
still with you: Everything must be
fulfilled that is written about me in
the Law of Moses, the Prophets
and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so
they could understand the
Scriptures. He told them, “This is
what is written: The Messiah will
suffer and rise from the dead on
the third day...
LUKE 24:44-47

... and repentance for the
forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
LUKE 24:44-47

This is love: not that we loved
God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for
our sins.
1 JOHN 4:10

“In the eight days I
have been out,
that fear has
permeated every
social sphere I
have been part
of…

“ I have been
rebuked in the
name of Jesus,
lost four friends
who refuse to be
close to an
“unrepentant
homosexual,” and
I have even been
told that Jesus
does not love

“The doctor here said, 'In our
experience there will always
be one thing you can name
that is a point of stress, of
deep trauma in your life, that
triggers this.”
VICKY BEECHING

“The problem
is largely caused by
the fact that most of
our comments on
homosexuality are
prompted,
not primarily by a
pastoral concern for
struggling Christians,
but by political
debates in the
world and the church.”

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking
to your own interests but each of you
to the interests of the others.
PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4

In your relationships with one another,
have the same mindset as Christ
Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did
not consider equality with
God something to be used to his own
advantage;
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-6

…rather, he made himself nothing by
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And
being found in appearance as a
man, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death— even
death on a cross!
PHILIPPIANS 2:7-8

Be wise in the way you act toward
outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. Let your conversation
be always full of grace, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how
to answer everyone.
COLOSSIANS 4:5-6

All post-Christendom
apologetics should
start with an
apology...

... For forgetting the
humanity of those we
speak about (and to)

... For forgetting to
listen before we speak.

...for not being clear
about our shared
sinfulness

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I
tell you that anyone who looks at a
woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his
heart.
MATTHEW 5:27-28

Neither the sexually immoral nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor men
who have sex with men nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10

And that is what some of you
were. But you were washed, you
were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:11

...including our
natural sexual
brokenness...

Rejoice and love
yourself today
'cause baby you
were born this way
No matter gay,
straight,
or bi, Lesbian,
transgendered life,
I'm on the right
track baby.

I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God
makes
no mistakes
I'm on the right
track, baby I was
born this way
BORN THIS WAY,
LADY GAGA

“What Jesus taught was a
radical message of welcome
and inclusion and love. I feel
certain God loves me just the
way I am, and I have a huge
sense of calling to
communicate that to young
people.”

“I am sure of my
God, who I
believe more than
ever sent his Son
for me, and I am
sure of the
reconciliation he
offers”

“I am sure of the
beauty that all
mankind has
inherited—a
beauty that can
never be
stripped away
by bad words or
deeds, or even
other humans”

This particular
challenge is unique
because at the
heart of it is a
universal lie, that is
that all people who
experience same
sex attraction were
born that way

And so, scientists,
politicians, lobby
groups, right down
to the person who
you sit next to on
the bus who says
oh, I’m same sex
attracted and I was
born this way,
everybody seems
to believe the lie.

It is the most
powerful case for
affirming
homosexuality today.
And, I guess, that’s
why some
evangelical
Christians have put a
huge amount of time
and energy into
fighting the idea that
same-sex attraction

II want to argue, even
if the ‘gay gene’ were
found tomorrow, we
would still not need to
worry about this
particular battle being
lost: a genetic basis
for homosexuality
would not make it
right…

You see, one of the
central truths of the
Bible is that we are
all naturally sinners
from birth and yet are
still held responsible
for our sin.

Furthermore, just as they did not
think it worthwhile to retain the
knowledge of God, so God gave
them over to a depraved mind, so
that they do what ought not to be
done.
ROMANS 1:28

They have become filled with
every kind of wickedness, evil,
greed and depravity. They are full
of envy, murder, strife, deceit and
malice.
ROMANS 1:29

They are gossips, slanderers,
God-haters, insolent, arrogant and
boastful; they invent ways of doing
evil; they disobey their
parents; they have no
understanding,
no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
ROMANS 1:30-31

Although they know God’s
righteous decree that those who
do such things deserve death, they
not only continue to do these very
things but also approve of those
who
practice them.
ROMANS 1:32

“For there are eunuchs who were born
that way, and there are eunuchs who
have been made eunuchs by others—
and there are those who choose to live
like eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:11-12

like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom
of heaven.
Matthew 19:11-12

...for not distinguishing
between orientation and
sin. And speaking as
though the path to
wholeness is a path to
heterosexuality

If heterosexuality is
godliness, the big
change that’s most
been needed in my
life is for me to
become
heterosexual. And so
I’ve prayed hard and
searched hard for an
effective antidote to
my same-sex
attraction.

The pursuit of
holiness has nearly
always equalled the
pursuit of
heterosexuality for
me... I’ve kept feeling
I’m making no
progress as a
Christian – still
struggling with the
same wrong sexual
desires I did back

That’s when it has felt
least plausible to
keep going as a
Christian...
Remembering the
call to be like Jesus
in everything has
shown me not only
the countless other
ways I’m not like
Jesus, but also the
progress I have

This progress has
often come in the
midst of, and as a
direct result of, my
enduring struggle
with same-sex
attraction.

The language and
imagery of sexuality
are the most graphic
and most powerful
that the Bible uses to
describe the
relationship between
God and his people –
both positively (when
we are faithful) and
negatively (when we
are not).

My sexuality has
allowed me to
understand and
appreciate the
incredible power of
the sexual language
that God uses there
and elsewhere: to
communicate the
passionate nature of
his love for people
like me!

My sexuality might
not lead me into a
loving marriage, but it
does consistently
lead me into a
greater appreciation
of God’s love for me
in Christ.

What I most want to
avoid is any other
identity that might
attempt to displace
my fundamental
identity as a
Christian. For the
thing that defines me
most in life is not my
sexuality but my
status – in Christ – as
a son of God.

I know that too often,
church meetings
have encouraged me
to let my sin, rather
than my Saviour,
define me. That I
have left those
meetings reminded
more of my same-sex
attraction than my
new status in Christ.

They have
unintentionally
encouraged me to
spend too much time
contemplating my
love of some men
rather than
contemplating God’s
love for me.

“This is why we don't
point to ourselves as
models of perfection,
but point to Christ as
the ONLY perfection.
On the Cross, Christ
took on our sinful
identity, and suffered
the penalty we
deserved.”

“In turn, He offers his
righteous identity to
all who believe in
Him. So Christians do
fail and Christians do
sin every single day,
but the base of our
faith in not ourselves
or not ourselves.”

“When people today
ask me how I identify
myself, I never quite
know how to answer.”

“It doesn't feel
authentic to label the
whole of my being by
feelings and
attractions, and my
experience has been
that those parts of me
tend to be somewhat
fluid.”

“The essence of who I
am is far more shaped,
influenced, and guided
by my spirituality than
by my sexuality. I am
wholly wrapped up in
my pursuit of Christ
and his amazing grace.
And I'm quite
comfortable there.”

“I’m not making a
revelation about my
fundamental identity,
other than that, like
all Christians, I am a
sinner saved by grace,
called to live in the
brokenness of a fallen
world.”

What the church can
help people with –
regardless of whether
orientation changes –
is identity. We can
recognize that a gay
script is compelling to
those who struggle
with same-sex
attraction...

... especially when
they see few options
emerging from their
community of faith.
Therefore we can
help develop
alternative scripts
that are anchored in
biblical truth and
centred in the person
and work of Christ.

We can also look at
our own lives and
whether we are really
prepared to live in a
way that makes
Christ our primary
identity, whether we
experience same-sex
attraction or not.

Underneath it's all the
same love
About time that we
raised up... sex
SAME LOVE,
MACKLEMORE
& RYAN LEWIS

“Man's nature, so to
speak, is a perpetual
factory of idols.”
JOHN CALVIN

The world in which
we live cannot cope
with intimate
relationships that
aren’t sexual – it
makes no sense, it’s
just not possible...

Our response to the
sexual revolution
going on outside our
doors has sadly just
been to promote
sexual intimacy in the
context of Christian
marriage

And to encourage
people to keep it
there by promising
this will then deliver
all the intimacy
they’ve ever wanted.

A young couple on
the youth leadership
team were recently
interviewed up front
and shared how
grateful they were
that they’d waited to
have sex until they
were married.

Talking to the youth
group guys in a lads-
only session after,
the husband said sex
was the best
experience he’d ever
had – God was so
good to have created
something so
pleasurable. It would
be that good for them
too – if they kept it for

WHAT DOES THIS DO
FOR A SAME SEX
ATTRACTED TEEN?

WHAT DOES IT DO FOR
A CELIBATE PERSON?

WHAT DOES IT SAY
ABOUT WHERE WE
LOOK FOR JOYFUL
SATISFACTION AND
WHOLENESS?

“You have made us
for yourself, and our
hearts are restless,
until they can find
rest in you.”
AUGUSTINE,
CONFESSIONS

“But at the beginning of creation God
‘made them male and female.’ ‘For
this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his
wife, and the two will become one
flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but
one flesh.
MARK 10:7-8

There is neither Jew nor Gentile,
neither slave nor free, nor is there
male and female, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.
GALATIANS 3:28

“For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and the two will
become one flesh.” This is a
profound mystery—but I am talking
about Christ and the church.
EPHESIANS 5:31-32

like eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven.
MATTHEW 19:11-12

“Celibacy, whether
deliberately chosen
as a vocation or
reluctantly accepted
as a circumstance,
is hard.”

“But when tempted
to self-pity, I
remind myself that
that’s true, not
just for those
attracted to the
same sex, but for all
who remain single
despite longing to
be married.”

“I wish that all of you were as I
am. But each of you has your own
gift from God; one has this gift,
another has that.”
1 CORINTHIANS 7:7

Recognise the humanity
of those who aren’t
‘heterosexual’ (or are
single), and that
wholeness is found in
Christ

I have what I call
‘kitchen floor
moments’. I call them
that because they
involve me sitting on
my kitchen floor. But
I’m not doing
something useful like
scrubbing it, although
it could always
benefit from that.
Instead I’m there

And the reason for
my tears is the
unhappiness that my
experience of same-
sex attraction often
brings. The acute
pain I sometimes feel
as a result of not
having a partner, sex,
children and the rest.

Make Christian
community
welcoming for those
who aren’t
‘heterosexual’ (or are
single)

When a same-sex
attracted Christian
embraces a gay
identity and lifestyle,
we need to recognize
that it might be, to
some extent, not just
their fault, but ours
too.

The plausibility of the
life that I have
chosen is closely tied
to this experience.
When church feels
like a family, I can
cope with not ever
having my own
partner and children.
When it hasn’t
worked is when I
have struggled most.

The same-sex
attracted Christians
I’ve met who are
suffering most are
those in churches
that haven’t grasped
this at all and that
don’t even notice
these individuals.

At the resurrection people will
neither marry nor be given in
marriage; they will be like the
angels in heaven.
MATTHEW 22:30

“Jesus is better than
sin. It doesn't matter
what the specific sin
is, Jesus is better. He
is more valuable,
comforting and
satisfying than
homosexual behavior,
and I can say that
from experience.”

“The world will tell
you to embrace
your homosexual
desires because it'll
make you happy in
this life. Jesus tells
you to deny
yourself and follow
Him and promises
to give you eternal
life if you do.”

“You must decide
everyday who you
will believe and who
you will follow: the
way of the world or
the Way of Jesus
Christ.”

Baby I was born
this way
Oh there ain't
no other way
BORN THIS WAY,
LADY GAGA

“Don’t you know that when you offer
yourselves to someone as obedient
slaves, you are slaves of the one you
obey—whether you are slaves to
sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to
righteousness?
ROMANS 6:16

Freedom from idols
is freedom.

They exchanged the truth about God
for a lie, and worshiped and served
created things rather than the
Creator—who is forever praised.
Amen.
ROMANS 1:25

But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,

nor can they utter a sound with their
throats.
Those who make them will be like
them,
and so will all who trust in them.
PSALM 115:4-8

“But now that you have been set free
from sin and have become slaves of
God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
ROMANS 6:22

Christian Perspectives on Sexuality and Identity

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