Christian Sexual Ethics: Marriage, Singleness, and Same-Sex Attraction

Foundations of Christian Sexual Ethics

Imago Dei: All people are created in the image of God.
Marriage and Singleness: Both are icons of God and are good in different ways.
God's Design for Sex: Fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness.
Human Dignity: It is dehumanizing to reduce a person to their sexual orientation or gender.
Psychosomatic Unity: People are bodies and souls, much more than just their sexuality, attractions, or gender.

Definitive Identity vs. Descriptive Identity
- Definitive Identity: Our most important identity is as sons and daughters of God.
- Descriptive Identities: Aspects of our identity given by birth, self-chosen, or given by society.
  - Examples: ethnicity, height, hair color, sex, traits from parents, abilities, disabilities, political affiliation, religious denomination, societal perceptions.
Relativizing Descriptive Identities: Our definitive identity in Christ relativizes our descriptive identities, making them secondary and understood through the lens of our identity in Christ.
Example: A married person's primary identity should not be "married," but rather a child of God, understanding marriage through the lens of their relationship with Christ.
Sexual Orientation: Sexual orientation is a descriptive identity. It affects how we experience the world, but it is not definitive.
Our attractions are to be understood and acted upon (or not) through our definitive identity in Christ.

Scripture as the Highest Authority: We use scripture to understand definitive identity and how to live it out in relation to descriptive identities.
God's Design for Marriage: Genesis 1 and 2 depict marriage as created between a man and a woman for fruitfulness through sexual union, with male and female distinct from each other.
Lack of Affirmation: There is no affirmation of same-sex unions in scripture.
Historic Christian Position: Marriage is between one man and one woman.
Cultural shifts or personal experiences do not override this biblical norm

Love, Acceptance, and Inclusivity:
- Argument: Scripture calls us to love, accept, and include people in same-sex relationships.
- Response: We are called to love and welcome without condition, inviting people into God's design for sexuality rather than affirming experiences that contradict it.
God-Given Same-Sex Attraction:
- Argument: God created some people with same-sex attraction, so same-sex marriage is good if it is faithful.
- Response: Scripture teaches that we are all born with desires contrary to God's design. Inborn desires do not necessarily make something good.
Interpretation of Biblical Passages:
- Argument: Bible passages about same-sex behavior refer to abusive behaviors, not committed consensual relationships (e.g., pederasty).
- Response: Historical analysis indicates that verses about same-sex behavior include committed relationships and abusive behavior. There is no biblical affirmation of same-sex behavior.

Original Sin: All of us are sinful because of the fall, possessing an inborn sinful nature.
Sin as Disease and Symptom: Sin is both internal and manifested in our choices.
Universal Impact of Sin: None of us are excluded from the consequences of sin, including sexual sin.
Effects of the Fall on Sexuality: This can manifest as same-sex attraction, attraction to someone other than one's spouse, a desire to have sex outside of marriage, or a desire to view pornography.

Temptation vs. Action: Experiencing temptation does not necessitate acting on it.
God Provides a Way Out: Scripture promises a way out of temptation, with the Holy Spirit empowering us to recognize and act on it.
Ongoing Temptations: Temptations may persist, but we are not inevitably controlled by them.
Christ as Our Model: We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist temptation, with Christ as our example.
Sin is Not Good: Consequences of the Fall are not good, so sexual sin cannot be excused. Being "natural" doesn't make something good.

Differentiation: We all have a sexual orientation and experience attraction, but we can choose whether to act on our attractions.
Choice: A person with same-sex attraction can choose celibacy. A person with opposite-sex attraction can choose not to have sex outside of marriage.
Identity: Experiencing same-sex attraction does not mean rejecting definitive identity in Christ, nor does it dictate behavior.
Rejection of False Dichotomy: We reject the idea that one must either fully affirm same-sex attraction and behavior or be homophobic.
Reject Homophobia: We can affirm God's design for sexuality without homophobia, cruelty, or harmful words and actions.

Grace Over Sin: Sin does not have the last word; Christ does.
Grace of Justification: Christ's free offer of salvation is available to all, regardless of their state of sin.
Grace of Sanctification: The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to choose obedience and transformation.
Transformation: We are not doomed to struggle with the same sins forever; the Holy Spirit makes us new.
Loving Our Neighbor: We extend God's gracious love to all people, including those with whom we disagree about sexuality and those in the LGBT community.
Love Looks Like Jesus: Love is demonstrated by inviting others into God's good vision for marriage and singleness, not through cruelty, division, violence, or homophobia.

Invitation to Transformation: All are invited into a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, regardless of their attractions or circumstances.
Welcomed into God's Love: God's love presents a better vision for living out our sexuality than anything the world offers.