The Danger of Sexual Liberation in the Church

Sexual Liberation

Sexual Liberation. Sex-Positive Christianity. Sexual Revolution.

These are a few names labeling a movement that essentially affirms any and all consensual sexual activity between people as long as the act doesn’t bring harm to anybody in the process. This not only opens the gate, but throws it wide open, to a variety of sexual activity. 

What saddens me is that I’m starting to see more and more “Christians” advocate for this movement. People waving a Jesus banner while also communicating that sex is cool with him as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.

People want to detach shame from sex, and I do get where they are coming from. For too long the Church hasn’t talked about sex well and we need to have more hard and uncomfortable conversations about it. However, shame exists for a reason—it’s tied to a sin. Without shame we don’t see our sin, and therefore, we don’t see our need for Jesus and redemption. Detaching shame from sex isn’t the answer; Jesus is.

What is Sexual Immorality?

There are many verses in the Bible regarding sexual immorality but perhaps the best place to start is with the Creation story in Genesis. In chapters 1 and 2 we find reasoning as to why God created for Adam the woman Eve—to be a compatible partner. He continues to describe that the two should join in marriage and become one flesh. With that said, an emphasis is placed on the important role their relationship plays in procreation. In its purest form, sexual immorality would be any sexual act outside of a marriage between one man and one woman.

1 Corinthians 6 provides us with further insight regarding the dangers of sexual immorality and what it might entail. Verses 9-10 shares,

“Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality...will inherit the kingdom of God.”

From this, we see right away that adultery and homosexuality would align with sexual immorality.

The root word for immorality in this passage is porneia, meaning illicit sexual intercourse, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, intercourse with animals or close relatives, or sex with a divorced person. It also stems from porneuo, which has a similar meaning but also is defined as prostitution and lust.

Those are a lot of words, yes. And attaching the word lust to sexual immorality creates room for a longer list including porn, pedophilia, and masturbation (in most cases). But if we return to the simplest context of God’s desire for sex in Genesis, we find that again, sexual immorality would entail any sexual activity outside of a husband and wife enjoying each other with mutual respect for God and each other.

Sex in the Bible

The honest truth is, God does have a whole lot to say about sexual immorality in the Bible. (I recently wrote an article about this for Crosswalk that you can read here.) To say that God wants us to enjoy an abundant life or that the Bible is filled with outdated opinions on sex—real arguments I’ve heard—is to take God’s Word out of context. In reality, it’s a false theology born out of a place of people wanting to do what they want to do without condemnation.

Do we need to change our conversation regarding sex in the Church? Yes. But is this movement the answer, or even remotely theologically sound? No. God wants His people to enjoy sex but within the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman. That’s His design and to say otherwise is human exertion at work.

Friend, don’t be deceived by the attractive ideas some want to push because it makes them, and you, feel better about engaging in sin. May your perspective be rooted in the Word of God.