Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”
Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.” 1 Peter 2:11 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Your desires do not define you.”
Sam Allberry is the author of the book “Is God Anti-Gay?” He serves as the Associate Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. Sam is also a celibate gay man. He has experienced same-sex attractions for as long as he can remember and for many years he acted on those attractions.
Eventually though, Sam came to the point when he had to admit that there simply was no way his lifestyle could be Biblically justified. He realized he had deep desires which he could no longer in good conscience act on. Through prayer, Bible study, and deep thought he came to some interesting and helpful insights.
First, Sam finally came to see that although in the Bible homosexual desires are clearly portrayed as being unnatural and contrary to the will of God, they are described that way right along with a whole host of other desires that are also unnatural and contrary to the will of God. That being the case, he decided he needed to exercise discipline and refrain from acting on those homosexual desires, just as all people are to refrain from acting on the desires of greed, or over-indulgence in alcohol, or heterosexual lust, or any of the others on the list. You see, if we keep homosexual activity in its proper Biblical context, and include it right along with all the other sinful acts we are to refrain from, we see that a person’s response to it needs to be the same as to any other sinful desire. This is what Peter was writing about in 1 Peter 2:11.
Allberry writes, “We live in a culture where sexuality is virtually equated with identity: “You are your sexuality.” We are encouraged to think that to experience homosexual feelings means that you are, at your most fundamental core, a homosexual … My own perception is that I struggle with greed much more than I do with sexual temptation.”
Allberry’s point is crucial, “Your desires do not define you.” As a Christian it is your identity in Christ that defines you. Desires and behaviors contrary to the expressed will of God are symptoms of living in a fallen and broken world but in your inner-most being, you are defined by your identity in Christ, not by your sexual attractions, or over-eating, or your preoccupation with material possessions, or any other desire or behavior.
This subject of our true identity in Christ and how it relates to same-sex attractions is just too important to address in a single devotional message. There is much more we need to consider. Therefore we will continue this discussion tomorrow.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 