Last week one of my readers responded to my book with a fascinating question: Regarding your philosophy of “we are not called to focus on what is sinful but to seek what is sacred.”
But what if the Bible calls it sinful?
There are two related parts to my answer for this question.
- First, my phrasing here is important. I am talking about the focus and orientation of life, not necessarily suggesting that the concept of sin has no useful purpose.
- Second, we need to be clear about what we mean when we talk about sin.
- Third, I think it’s important to understand the relationship between sin and the law, so we can learn something useful from what the Bible calls sinful.
- Finally, we need to understand the relationship of the Christian to the law of Moses. What did Jesus mean when he said the law is as elemental as heaven and earth (Matthew 5:18)?
What you Focus on is What you Empower
There is a phrase I like that says, “what you focus on is what you empower.”
You can’t get rid of sin by focusing on sin. Paul makes a case for this in Romans by showing that the law (God’s definition of sin) entered the world to make people aware that everyone falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), not to help anyone achieve righteousness.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Romans 8:3
One reason for this failure is that keeping the law depends on human effort and that is its inherent weakness in helping humanity return to a state of wholeness and restored relationship with God. If a person could be justified by keeping the law (or avoiding sin), there would have been no need for Jesus to bring the gift of the Spirit or overcome the power of death on behalf of the human race.
We don’t achieve a life that is free from sin by fighting with sin. We achieve this by learning to walk in the freedom of the spirit. In my book, I explain how it was important for me to believe Jesus had taken care of sin so that I could release my fear of failure and be free to start walking in the Spirit.
Does this mean that we actively embrace everything the law called sin? “By no means,” Paul says in Romans 6.
Christianity is an invitation into an entirely new way of life that is devoted to intimacy with God and others…why would we engage in any behavior that moves us away from this joy? But still, the focus is on love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience…etc. (not avoiding a certain number of things we think are sinful). I teach about this in detail in my study of Galatians 5 https://youtu.be/_UdJ9BhKEAw?si=BEZgYZDnrBD1OUMk
What Does the Bible Say About Sinful Sex?
There are two Biblical definitions of sin that I think are important to frame this conversation. First, sin is transgression of the law and transgressing the law is sin (see 1 John 3:4). Second, sin creates separation (e.g. Isaiah 59:2). These two concepts meet together in the teaching that love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8). Philosophically, I define love as a pursuit of oneness. Sin (the opposite of love) is a destruction of oneness or unity. What sin transgresses, love fulfills.
See Chapter 24 – UnChristian for more details on this concept. For this post, I will simply recognize that the fundamental purpose of the law is to reveal sin: that which creates separation between humanity and God or between one person and another. See Genesis Chapter 3.
There are ways of expressing sexuality that lead to isolation and ways that lead to intimacy. This is the beautiful implication of the Greek terms used in the New Testament for sexual immorality, sensuality, and lust. It is also explicitly present in the teachings on adultery. However, adultery is more closely related to a violation of covenant than it is to any particular sexual activity (see Chapter 16 – Do you have my book yet? If not, here’s a link to download a pdf right now for your convenience. All of the options include instant PDF access).
Modern evangelical Christianity continues to cling to an unhealthy sexual ethic, which is why so many people of my generation have rejected the tradition. Questions about masturbation, birth control, premarital sex, homosexuality, nonbinary gender, and even open relationships need more than the unsupportable claim that “The Bible says it’s sinful”… because time after time the evidence does not support the mainstream conclusions. All these things can be sinful, and so can married, heterosexual, reproductive sex.
We cannot just dismiss the problem of sexual sin. It just looks completely different than what I expected when I set out to study it! The Biblical teaching about sexual sin does not draw the same lines as the dominant Christian traditions – whether conservative or liberal. I won’t go much further into that here as it is the whole message of my book and there are also many teachings on my Youtube channel.
At the core is a misunderstanding of the words porneia and epithumeia, which do not refer to marital status or sexual desire, but to a life that is oriented around instinct instead of life in the spirit. Instinct is not itself sinful, but without intention and understanding it can easily lead to separation instead of to union (our definition of sin). This applies regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or relationship status.
Choose your Orientation
The literal definition of hamartia (the greek word for sin) is “to miss the mark.” Think for a moment about shooting a bow and arrow or darts at a bullseye. In my opinion it is more helpful to study how to hit the mark than it is to be aware of all the directions one could shoot and miss it.
This was the initial problem that drove me to study sexual ethics. There was nobody teaching how to have a healthy experience of sexuality (as a single person or as a married person). We all just assumed that married was the same thing as moral…and until the wedding night anything to do with sex was sin.
I have started, but not followed through with publishing a taxonomy of “sin” because there are different brands of sin that show up throughout the Old Testament (evil, wickedness, abomination, etc.). The New Testament term of missing the mark implies that we need to know what the mark is. We can’t hit a target just by knowing what is not the target.
In Sacred not Sinful, I go into the idea there is only one law: the first and greatest commandment. The point of the law, the prophets, and the Spirit is to guide us into a love for God and others that includes ever part of life: body, mind, spirit, relationships.
That is the mark.
Do any of us hit it, or is it a constant pursuit and evolution in every part of life, including sexuality?
If we recognize that hitting the mark requires practice (aka. missing it a lot), there is freedom to grow, to be open with others and to seek God for help as we journey through life. On the other hand, if we live in constant fear of missing the mark, it becomes scary to practice, to be vulnerable, even to be honest with ourselves or with God.
That is why I think it is so important to choose an orientation that is focused on what is sacred, instead of what is sinful. By pursuing the mark, we will gradually stop hitting things that are not the mark.
Freed from the Law – Antinomianism?
Usually when people make this argument they are following the logic that the New Testament “sets us free” from Old Testament law. Is that the perspective you’re taking?
Not exactly. The relationship between the Old Testament law and sin is beautiful and nuanced.
I believe everyone is under the law, unless they choose to walk in the Spirit. Here’s an example of why…
Imagine driving on an interstate highway. There is a safe speed to travel on any road (determined by the laws of motion). Speed limits (the law) makes the safe speed plain for everyone to read. The written law is simpler than teaching people how to feel the dynamics of the road, to feel the gravitational forces, and understand the capacity of their specific vehicle. Whether the law is there or not, a car that is driven too fast will slide off the road. This is why I don’t think it’s helpful to dismiss the Old Testament or the law.
However, I don’t think that’s the end of the story. Here’s a quick reel I made on this a few months back…
When it comes to life, relationships, and sexuality…I think it is important for us to understand why the law was created in the first place.
Sometimes it’s actually dangerous to drive the speed limit, and you need to know when it’s better to go faster or slower. The “spirit of the law” in this case is driving at a safe speed. This will look different depending on what roads you drive and what vehicle you have (aka. what is your age, maturity, understanding, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship status)?
The Old Testament law was created to teach people something by regulating their behaviors. Now that Jesus came, we know what that something was: living in love – which we do by the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:3
To continue the driving analogy, I can’t throw out the speed limit until I know how to drive safely, and the laws/signs are there to help me learn this. But when we focus on the number instead of the reason it’s there, we stay ignorant about life and it’s actually unsafe. Some people will even start to reject the idea of following the speed limit and do things that are dangerous to themselves and others. Consequences follow. This is why I don’t think it’s helpful to dismiss the Old Testament law.
In summary, Jesus did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). Through faith in his name, sons of Adam can receive adoption as sons of God. This is a change in identity that invites a whole new way of life. Instead of trying to access God by being good, we believe that we are already one with the Source of life. Faith is the gateway to a growing level of intimacy with the Creator that spills over into a life of love and abundance.
Do you believe this?
Closing Thoughts
My “gut feeling” agrees with you regarding “we are not called to focus on what is sinful but to seek what is sacred, that may look different for all of us.” I do think that issues of sexuality can be blurred and one thing might be beneficial for one person and sinful for another person.
But when text contradicts my “gut feeling” I have to wonder if my gut feeling can be trusted or can be right.
First of all, I love this sense of awareness and the ability to hold on to a feeling of contradiction! Whenever I get this feeling of contradiction, I like to dive into the text. I think of it as an invitation to deeper understanding and insight!
Second, I think it is so important to live with integrity. Whenever there is a question about something being sinful, I advise someone not to do it until they feel totally free. This has been my journey and I am grateful for it! If you want to explore this idea in the scripture (especially Romans 14), I will suggest watching this Youtube video: https://youtube.com/live/T14_6lBbSaQ?feature=share
And to conclude this post, I will also offer a real life example of this concept from my Boondocking adventures!
When you’re set up to live off grid, it is possible to park anywhere and spend the night sleeping comfortably. There are sometimes, though, when it’s hard to find a “legal” place to park overnight. Even though it was easy to stop, even though it wasn’t hurting anyone if I did, I was sometimes uncertain of whether I was allowed to be sleeping there. Anytime I didn’t have a clear “yes,” I did not have a good night of sleep.
I didn’t get in trouble, and sometimes found out it was legal to park where I did. But I didn’t have peace because I wasn’t sure it was right. This is why I say “ignorance is the enemy of intimacy.” You have to know what is good in order to be free of the fear that something might be bad.
You have to know the sacred, or you will always be under the fear of something sinful.
In my boondocking scenario, I loved finding places where someone had put up a sign, a firepit, and a picnic table. In these places I felt free because I knew how to look for the signs. So what are the marks and invitations of sacred sexuality?
Stay tuned 🙂
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