God and Sexuality

We don’t tend to think or talk a lot about God being the creator of sex. Our western culture tends to leave a lot of this discussion behind closed doors, or for ‘more appropriate’ opportunities to discuss, which seem to evaporate if they ever existed at all.
 Over the last few weeks at Oasis, we have been having a frank discussion about God and sexuality. Why not, God is the one who invented it and the bible isn’t exactly shy or candid about discussing sex. For example, Songs of Solomon reads more like a KFC menu with breasts and thighs littering the dialogue between lovers. As a Jewish man, you had to be married and of a certain age before these scriptures were allowed to be read.
God’s not a prude.
The world would say that the traditional church point of view on human sexuality being between a man and a woman who are married would seem dated and antiquated. Why would we give away such freedoms some in the world would say have been hard-earned?
But we would tend to agree more with the world around the negative sides of sexual behaviour. The #metoo movement has shown us the proliferation of abuse that women (and to a lesser extent men) have endured in the film industry, in state care facilities, schools, and dare we say churches. We’d all have to agree (Christian and non-Christian) that we believe that human sexuality matters.
Where the difference comes is that those that choose to follow Jesus and the church's historical teaching about not having sex before marriage is agreeing with God and adopting healthy boundaries in an area where we are at our most vulnerable.
God doesn’t say no to sex or that it’s wrong. He invented it, He called it good, and told man to have lots of sex with your spouse (Gen 1:28). It was God’s great wedding gift to mankind. Since the fall (Gen 3) it didn’t take long before this amazing gift began to be mistreated. Like all desires and appetites if not brought under the person's control, they can begin to control the person.
Ancient Jewish wisdom writings put it this way:
  
Like a conquered city with no walls, so is a man who has no self-control. Proverbs 25:28
 
Our nation's judicial system agrees with both Christians and non-Christians. Sexual crimes deserve a fitting judgment. We all agree with this because we’d all agree that a sexual crime isn’t just a physical act. It’s not just two bodies. There is real damage done emotionally and Christians would say, and others agree ‘spiritually’ to the victim as well.
In the earliest book of the Jewish scriptures that Jesus pointed to Genesis tells us that when God created man and woman, He said:
‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh (Gen 2:24).
The church's historical teaching on marriage says that when a husband and wife are joined in marriage there is something deeper going on here, something spiritual where a connection is made. A spiritual connection that binds the two together.
Ancient Jewish teaching taught this, and Jesus agreed with it (Matthew 19:5-6). It makes sense that such a spiritual connection should be honoured, protected, and not be debased.
At Oasis we embrace the teaching of Jesus, especially around human sexuality. We believe that the good news of our rescuing saviour is for the world, and no one is excluded from that rescuing love of the Father.
We believe in a God that isn’t prudish or old fashioned, but a God who cares about the most intimate parts of our lives and so gave us healthy guidelines to live by.
​
 Dave Maharey