No Pride #2 - What Does the Bible Really Say About Sexuality?

One thing I've learned over the years is not to assume people know the basics. And I don't say that to be disrespectful—actually, quite the opposite. We respect people by allowing them not to know and by walking patiently with them toward the truth. So, let's start with the basics and outline a biblical understanding of sexuality.

First, we need to be clear: human sexuality is a good thing. Actually, it's a very good thing. In Genesis 1 and 2, as God creates man, we see something surprising—something not good: man's aloneness. God's solution was not another man, or a general community, but woman. He created Eve and joined her to Adam in marriage. Then, He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. Their union, and the fruit of their sexual intimacy—children—was not just tolerated, but celebrated by God. He called it "very good." That's important to remember, especially because many, even within the church, treat sex as something inherently impure or shameful. But biblically speaking, sex within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is good, beautiful, and pleasing to God.

Second, we must understand that sin has corrupted our sexuality. And that's why our sexual impulses are often disordered—directed toward the wrong person, the wrong context, or the wrong purpose. From the very beginning, sin distorted God's design. Scripture shows how this corruption plays out across a spectrum—from the subtle to the grotesque. Lustful glances, pornography, sex outside marriage, withholding sex from a spouse, same-sex acts, orgies, bestiality, incest, pedophilia—all of these, though not equal in gravity, spring from the same root: the distortion of what God made good. And let's be honest: we're all guilty of this in some way. None of us is sexually whole in ourselves. We all struggle with some form of brokenness in this part of our lives.

That leads to the third—and most important—truth: all sexual sin is just that—sin. It places us under judgment. But God, being rich in mercy, sent Jesus to die for the sexual sins of His people. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, He can restore us to a healthy, redeemed sexuality that aligns with His will and design. It doesn't matter how deep your sin runs; His mercy runs deeper. It doesn't matter how many times you've fallen; His grace is greater still.

So, instead of taking pride in our flaws or being crushed by shame, we can turn to Christ and be forgiven, cleansed, and made new. There is no need to boast in our sin, and no need to hide in fear. There is only one way forward: repentance and faith in the One who makes all things new.

Nino Marques