West Main

MORE POSITIVE THAN NEGATIVE

In our upcoming Blurred Lines seminar in May, we will be continuing our conversation on human sexuality. In this second part to our study on human sexuality we will focus our attention in part on this ancient and familiar Genesis text: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

The Genesis text awakens us to the fundamental creation mandate of being sexually differentiated as male and female. Before one command is given on how to live before God and with one another, we see that our sexual difference is a part of what it means to be created in the “image of God” and shapes in large measure what we are as human beings (male and female). Yet it seems that the theological and moral significance of sexual difference is not often discussed in our congregation. Perhaps we take for granted an understanding of our sexual difference as obvious and therefore not worth considering.

It may be that familiarity breeds neglect as well as contempt. Our seminar seeks to rectify this neglect and put forward a positive, moral, and theologically constructive presentation on the value of being male and female for God’s covenant of marriage. Why does sexual difference matter when engaging in the practice of marriage? How does sexual difference affect the ethics of marriage? Why and how is sexual difference morally and theologically significant?

Inevitably, questions concerning the same-sex marriage debate will also require our attention. If sexual difference is not morally and theologically fundamental to marriage, then why object to same-sex marriage? How could we morally, ethically, and legally deny those with same-sex attraction the joys, privileges, and blessings of marriage if sexual difference is not a fundamental necessity of the marriage covenant?

Simply saying, “Because God says so!” is an answer, but not much of an explanation. We need as a body of believers to unpack the power of God’s Word on the significance of being male and female for the marriage covenant. We need a positive message on male and female. Too often we argue from a negative to a positive. In other words, we talk about how wrong same-sex marriage is and then hope by default to see how right is sexual differentiated marriage. The problem of such an approach is that we typically end up with more negative than positive, because we spend more time on the negative not leaving much room for the positive. Therefore, many outside the church seem to know more about what we stand against, then what we stand for.

The Blurred Lines seminar seeks to be more positive than negative. Our hope is to discover the beautiful picture the Revelation of God paints of being male and female within the marriage covenant. We pray that such an appreciation inspires all people, regardless of the nature of their sexual attractions, to desire the honor and promotion of an exclusive sexual differentiation for the marriage covenant. Such an appreciation will be a blessing for the Church as well as our society.

– Terry