The Bible and Sex
The Bible has a positive and negative view of sex. It is a God-given gift, to be enjoyed and celebrated, but it needs to be controlled.
POSITIVE VIEW
“ So God created man in his own image; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…..”
Genesis 1:27-28
Sex is God’s gift to humans at Creation, and a part of his plan for humans. The first command to humans was to have sex! It is a part of our God-given human nature, to be celebrated and enjoyed. It expresses love and keeps relationships alive. Sex is for companionship, children and pleasure. It is creative – humans can take part in God’s creative work by having children. Sex helps to cement relationships – husbands and wives are encouraged to meet the sexual needs of their partners.
NEGATIVE VIEW
“ You shall not commit adultery.”
Exodus 20:14 - the 4th Commandment
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
1 Corinthians 6:18-19
Sex outside marriage, adultery and lust are wrong. They are condemned over 30 times in the New Testament. When sex is misused, it causes harm and ruins lives (1 Tim 6:9-10). The human body is a Temple of God and should be treated with respect because God lives in each person.
Temptation to sexual sin is common, but should be resisted and controlled. Having a sexual nature does not mean having to be driven by this nature. Christians agree that sex is wrong when it is selfish or hurts others. Sex without commitment can damage people.
However, Christians do not have the right to judge others. They should set an example, encourage others and forgive. They believe that anyone who confesses sexual sin will be forgiven. A fresh start is always possible with God, no matter what someone has done.
“ But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purified as from all our wrongdoing.”
1 John 1:9
The Bible and Homosexuality
There are many passages in the Bible that refer to homosexuality, and at first glance, the position seems to be clear. For example, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 - conservative Christians describe this as a clear example of God's vengance on towns where homosexality was common. Liberal Christians say this has nothing at all to do with consensual, same-sex relationships - this was all about lust and rape.
Leviticus 18:22 is another commonly used passage in the debate about homosexuality. The King James translation says:
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
Some Christians think this speaks for itself, and is clearly a condemnation of homosexuality. Others look both at the context and the accuracy of the translation. The previous verse deals with ritual child sacrifice to a Pagan god. As such, some Christians believe this passage is really condemning a sexual act of ritual worship to a Pagan god, not homosexuality in general.
Similar debates can be had about a number of passages in the Bible that seem to condemn homosexual sex. Christians of all denomonations, including some very high up in the church, disagree about what the Bible says about homosexuality. Some argue that if homosexuality was wrong, Jesus would have specifically condemned it.
Have a look at the TV and FIlm section to find out more about a film that deals specifically with what the Bible says about homosexuality.
