Why Are Christians Losing the Culture War Around Sexuality?
The Bible commands us to live pure lives sexually, and in the power of God’s Spirit we should make every effort to do so. But the manner in which God’s desire for our sexuality has been communicated to young people has been deeply problematic, and the evidence reveals that most of us who follow Jesus express our sexuality no differently than those outside the church. Shouldn’t our faith in Jesus make some difference in the way that we live out every area of our life?
In the meantime, we have struggled to talk about sex and our sexuality, largely making it a taboo subject that is awkward at best and stigmatized at worst. Few can articulate why God’s design for marriage and the goodness of our sexuality should be expressed as God intended, so we have largely let the culture have the only voice on these subjects. Our own marriages are often a mess, and we have lost credibility to speak to the culture about a better way to live out our married lives.
Instead, we’ve engaged in a culture war that seeks to demonize those outside the church, even while the Bible’s command is clear that we are not to concern ourselves with the sexuality of those outside the church, but to instead root out the sexual immorality of those who are inside the church. (1 Cor. 5:9-13)
In this episode, we explore each of these themes in order to call out where our efforts have led to unintended consequences, while seeking to recover the fact that God’s commands to live pure lives remain beautiful and good.
Discussion Questions
Do you believe that being a follower of Jesus should result in someone living differently than those who do not follow Jesus? Should this also be true in terms of the way that we live out our sexuality? If so, how would that difference be expressed? What have you observed upon your friends or in your own life?
The Bible tells us it's God's will that we be pure in every area of our life, including our sexual lives. Do you agree this is God’s desire and that God's commands are intended for our good? If so, what good comes from living pure lives sexually and expressing our sexuality within the boundaries of God’s will?
What are the cues that American culture sends to us about sex and sexuality? Which ones are helpful, and which ones are problematic? Can you point to specific examples in media depictions that reinforce these cues?
In what areas has the church struggled to articulate God's plan for sexuality? Where has the church been silent in issues relating to marriage? Do you agree that Christian marriages do not appear to fare much better than those in the broader culture? Do you think married Christians have more sex or less sex than their non-Christian peers?
Do you agree that we are often more focused on what people outside the church are doing with their sexuality than those who are inside the church? If so, why do you think that is?
