Tag: sex

What Language Does God Speak?

Posted on by Elissa Anne

Hebrews 1:2-3 tells us that “In these last days he has spoken to us by his son … the exact representation of his being!” The synoptic Gospels all agree that Jesus held up love as the highest law (Mt 22:37-40, Mk 12:29-31, Lk 10:27). John took this one step further: “Love one another as I have loved you,” (Jn 13:34). Jesus didn’t merely command that we love, he demonstrated and embodied love. He instructed us to love even our enemies (Mt 5:44, Lk 6:27, 35) and he modelled that love in his treatment of women, prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans, Pharisees and Roman soldiers.

Jesus treated women with a great deal more dignity and respect than was culturally normal in his day and age. He argued for their rights in marriage (Mt 19), he touched and healed women considered untouchable and unclean (Mt 8), he forgave prostitutes without judgement (Jn 8) and he spoke kindly to a divorcee (Jn 4) who had three strikes against her: she was female, divorced and a Samaritan! His treatment of Samaritans in deeming them his neighbours was also unheard of (Lk 10). Similarly, though Jesus opposed the Pharisee’s teachings numerous times (Mt 5:20, 16:6, 23:13-39, Mk 2:24, Mk 3:6), he was always willing to converse and interact with them (Lk 7:36-50). Interestingly, while he dined with the Pharisees, a prostitute tried to express her love to Jesus in what was considered to be a very seductive manner. Jesus understood that she did not know any better and he treated her seduction as nothing less than an act of beautiful worship (see also Mk 14:1-9). While other people treated tax collectors as outcasts, Jesus associated with Zacchaeus as an equal (Lk 19). Jesus turned the other cheek in every regard, even when the Roman soldiers arrested him. One disciple cut off a soldier’s ear and Jesus’ response was to heal the soldier and go with them quietly. He did not consider them his enemies (Mt 26:52, Lk 23:46). Jesus was anti-discriminatory in his approach to other religions, other classes, other races and the opposite sex.

The dilemma that the body of Christ faces today, is in being equally anti-discriminatory towards all people groups we could ever possibly encounter. In the past Christians have discriminated against left-handers with claims that it was a sin to be born left-handed because the “goats” are to be placed on Jesus’ left side (Mt 25:33, see also Gen 48:13-18). Christians have used multiple Biblical passages to warrant prejudice against women including but not limited to: “Women should remain silent in churches” (1 Cor 14:34 see also 1 Cor 11:5, Eph 5:22, 1 Peter 3:1-7 etc). Still today Christians justify racism with slogans such as “The children of Ham turned black for their sins.” Homophobia is the new racism. The fad today is to throw verses such as Romans 2:27 and Leviticus 18:22 at the GLBTI (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex) community and tell them that their sexual inclinations are sinful. When did God give the church the right to judge what is or is not evil, wrong, sinful, unhealthy or harmful? Did not Jesus say: “Do NOT judge … for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged!” (Mt 7:1-2)?

Jesus said: “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” (Mt 19:11-12). Eunuchs had different genitals and sexuality to other males and this passage blatantly says that some were born that way. Must we not consider, then, that it is possible to be born gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex? If the body of Christ includes murderers, rapists, alcoholics, adulterers, discriminators, bigots, racists, and homophobics, then it most certainly includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people as brothers and sisters!

If the body of Christ is truly going to extend the love of God and represent Jesus, then we must refrain from judgement toward the GLBTI community and welcome them into our churches without demanding change, with full acceptance, love and grace toward them.

Grace to be Homosexual and Christian

Posted on by K2 Media

I believe that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). So the only “condition” on my salvation is that I put my faith in God’s ability to save me rather than in my works or in my theology or even in my faith (i.e. I don’t have to have “enough faith” or “more faith” because Jesus actually has “more than enough” so I’m just putting my flimsy-human-faith in His grace and faith to save me.)

It is important to note that even my faith is not a work, as indicated by Eph. 2:9 and that what faith boils down to is that Jesus saves me. Nothing more than Jesus. Nothing less than Jesus. Jesus only. By grace not works. Nothing I do or don’t do can change this (Westerners call it “right standing” I prefer the Easterner’s view of –) “right relationship” with God.

When I was a child I was led to believe I had confess my sins, try to be more sorry, try be obedient, read the Bible every day, pray more, go to church regularly, be baptised, get my theology right especially things like: God is triune, Jesus is both God and man; then later it was: speak in tongues, give money and serve God. I was burnt out before I reached adulthood. Now I understand that not a single one of these things has any bearing on my salvation.

The criminal on the cross was saved by recognising Jesus’ ability to save him without doing any good works or debating theology. The prodigal son was welcomed home before and without saying sorry, let alone actually being sorry or doing any kind of penance.

A lot of Christians will argue that you cannot possibly be a Christian and not change your sinful behaviour. They quote James 2:26 – Faith without deeds is dead! However this is not a warning about how to lose salvation, it is simply a fact that our deeds flow from what we believe. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches (John 15). The fruit of the spirit (Galatians 6) naturally sprouts from the vine. The branches don’t muster all their will-power to grow fruit; they simply produce fruit naturally because they are plugged into the source: the vine.

For some reason Western-Christians will argue that all sexual sins are very strong evidence that a person is or is not producing good fruit. I don’t know why we are obsessed about sex, but think about the truth of what I’ve just said:

  • Pastors caught in adultery are dismissed and shamed
  • Women who get pregnant out of wedlock are shunned by the people they thought were their best friends
  • Homosexuals are told they have to change or else they aren’t Christians
  • Pornography is burned at teen rallies
  • Divorcees are criticised as failures for their divorce and told, not only that it’s a sin to divorce, but that it’s a sin to re-marry even though, logically, it would be better for them to remarry, than to “burn with passion” (and most likely fail) to stay celibate for the rest of their lives

I don’t know when the Western preoccupation with “sexual sin” began but I don’t believe that being homosexual or an adulterer or addicted to pornography is any worse or better than telling lies, pretending to be happy, serving the church with a resentful heart, giving with a bitter attitude, or trying to gain approval by saying all the right Christianese phrases around Christianese friends (all of which Christians deliberately do in church all the time). We Christians are all bearing both good and bad fruit because we are still living in a fallen world and our salvation has not come to its completion in the earthly realm even though it has in the spiritual realm.

Once again, none of these “deeds” – the ones hidden in people’s hearts and the physical acts people try to hide – can change the fact that God has made us righteous, holy and blameless in his sight (2 Cor. 5:21, Eph. 1:4, Col. 1:22) including being homosexual.

If you focus your attention on Jesus, you will naturally produce more good fruit. If you focus on sin and guilt and confession and repentance, you will produce more of the same: more sin and more guilt! However, ultimately, Jesus righteousness is attributed to those who put their faith in his grace. God does not see your earthly “bad fruits” because he sees Jesus’ righteousness and the more you see yourself as the righteousness of God, the more your will naturally produce “good fruit” anyway!

The key, according to John 15, is to remain in Jesus i.e. to fix your eyes on his grace not your works or even your fruit. Your bad fruit has been and is being cut away, and your good branches are being pruned. You are safe and saved by putting faith in his grace.

The woman caught having sex outside marriage

Posted on by K2 Media

There is a story in the Bible referred to as: “The woman caught in adultery.” I would like the rename it: “The woman caught having sex outside marriage.” We don’t know what kind of “adultery” it was. This could simply have been a case of sex before marriage. She could have been a married woman with a man who is not her husband. She could have been divorced. She could have been a widow. She could have been a prostitute. It is even possible she was a victim of rape. All we can really gather is that she was somehow got caught having sex with a man she was not married to.

This woman is dragged before Jesus and the witnesses say: “In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

The New-NIV records Jesus answer as: “Let any of you who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her.” In other words: “If you’re so perfect, you should be the one to kill her!”

One by one, every single person leaves. Why? Because they all know, they are just as bad as she is.

The law said she had to be killed. It didn’t say this was optional. Jesus is perfect. He has every right to kill this woman for her “sin.” Instead, he looks into her eyes and he says: “Neither do I condemn you.” In other words: “I won’t hold you to the law. Instead, let me fulfil the law and the consequences for you. I love you too much to let you die – watch me go and die for you!”

Next Jesus says: “Go and sin no more,” or “Go and leave your life of sin.” Too many Christians think this is the point of the entire story. The point of the story is: “Neither do I condemn you.”

Nonetheless, let’s take a look at this verse about not continuing in sin. Jesus said this after he had already forgiven her, without her ever saying that she was sorry. Jesus is not looking for repentance, he forgives unconditionally. And when we understand that we are forgiven and we are free of the law and that Jesus 100% does not condemn us, then he, in effect, says: you don’t belong to sin and sin doesn’t belong to you.

He is saying: “You belong to me now. I have made you new. I have forgiven you. You do not have to live in sin and you are no longer a slave to sin, so go and your sins will be no more. You’ll stop wanting to do them. You’ll stop living like that because forgiveness has freed you.”

He is not saying: “Stop sinning or else.” He is saying: “I know you’ll stop sinning.” It’s not him putting pressure on this woman by saying: “I know you’ll stop sinning because you owe me.” It’s more like this: “After the cross I can no longer see your sin because I made you a new creation. You will be free and rid of sin because I WILL MAKE YOU FREE!”

Jesus is showing this woman that sin is forgiven and she no longer has to die or feel guilty or even change. He forgave without her having to change. In fact he changed her. This whole event would have changed her life in a positive way.

The fact that this woman’s sin was sex, only makes the story more riveting because the Western world condemns sexual sin more than any other kind of sin (in my experience and opinion) even though all people commit sexual sin. Jesus proved that all people commit sexual sin when he said: “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Unless a person died before puberty, I doubt there is a soul on earth that hasn’t commit adultery! Why the Western church chooses to labour against this “sin” so passionately but does not take the plank out of its own eye, is beyond me!

Jesus said: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and be free from sin!”

Grace and Abortion

Posted on by K2 Media

Why do so many people think that sin is black and white – like it’s always wrong to lie, always wrong to steal, always wrong to have an abortion…

How many lies do you tell in a day? Shop assistant asks: “How are you?” You reply: “Good thanks” but you’re really thinking something completely different – like maybe you’re running late and wish he/she would hurry the hell up, but what business is it of theirs right?

Would you seriously tell a starving child not to steal? Would you tell them that it would be more righteous for them to starve to death than to find themselves some food?

And on the issue of abortion, have you ever been faced with the situation where the baby in your womb or your partner’s womb was literally killing the mother because the baby was growing in your/her fallopian tube??? Or what if there was something else wrong with you or the baby and you were advised to abort? Can it really be as simply as: abortion is always wrong under every circumstance? I am not pro-choice nor am I anti-abortion. I am pro-adoption and I would love to have children someday. But far be it from me to judge someone for having an abortion when I have never been in their situation.

Thinking that we have the right judge other people’s so-called sin and make broad sweeping generalisations about what is right and what is wrong, only isolates people and results in an “us and them” mentality. I don’t want to stand against other people’s so-called sin and pass laws that force people to live according to my concept of right and wrong. I want to follow the example of God who (according to Romans 5) only introduced the law so that GRACE WOULD ABOUND ALL THE MORE.

The law kills, but the spirit gives life.
We are not under law, but under GRACE.