Sexuality and the Gospel

Sexuality and the Gospel

Below are the scripture references used in yesterday’s sermon, along with a short description beside each one, which indicates how/why that particular scripture was used to demonstrate how sexuality points us to the gospel, the good news of forgiveness through Christ’s death and new life through his resurrection.

Sinful Desire
1. Genesis 3:6 — desire has gone awry
2. Jeremiah 17:9 — our hearts our deceitful apart from the Lord
3. Mark 7:20-23 — Jesus says we are “defiled” by what is found within us in our hearts
4. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 — homosexuality is only one of a number of different sinful desires
5. Ephesians 4:22 — we are ALL “corrupt through our deceitful desires” and guilty before God

New Desire
1. Colossians 2:23 — attempts to control desires through “self-made religion” don’t work
2. Ecclesiastes 1:10-11 — giving into desire proves to be empty
3. Colossians 1:21-22 — Christ’s death reconciles us to God, making us “holy and blameless”
4. Galatians 5:24 — faith in Christ joins us to his death and puts to death our sinful desires
5. 1 Corinthians 6:11 — those in Christ have been washed and set apart from old sinful desires
6. Colossians 3:1-3 — we have a new identity in Christ, which changes our desires
7. Psalm 37:4 — when the Lord is our greatest desire, our other desires are properly aligned

Mixed Desire
1. James 1:13-14 — we are still susceptible to temptation to turn back to our old desires
2. Mark 8:34-35 — to follow Christ is to deny our old desires
3. Colossians 3:5-6 — we must actively, in the Lord’s strength, make war on our old desires
4. Romans 13:14 — embracing new identity in Christ is the key to not turning back to old desires

Pure Desire
1. Romans 8:22-23,26 — we currently long for new creation, when our sinful desires will be gone
2. 2 Peter 1:3-4 — the Lord gives us the power to live godly lives while we wait for his return
3. Revelation 21:1-4 — the Lord will one day dwell with us in perfect covenant relationship