Biblical Sexuality: Living for the Lord in a Canaanite Culture

Biblical Sexuality

Living for the Lord in a Canaanite Culture

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​I am the Lord your God.
You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them.
I am the Lord your God."

Leviticus 18:2-4

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Our culture is obsessed with sex and sexuality, but, then again, so is the Bible.

Sex and sexuality are the lead headlines on virtually ever news outlet.  No streaming service would be complete if some LGBTQ+ scene, plot, or reference had not been inserted in each of its shows.  You can't even say hello to a stranger without fearing retaliation for not using their preferred pronoun.  

Yet, despite the obsession with these topics, our culture couldn't be more confused about them.  

In less than a week we've seen men taking over in women's sports, a man being regarded as the woman of the year, a woman supreme court nominee not knowing the definition of her own gender.  These were but a few of such stories spinning off the news reel.

This is where Scripture offers us good news.  Scripture doesn't play bashful when it comes to the issue of intimacy.  It also speaks profusely in its pages about human sexuality.  

One may say that the Scriptures are just as obsessed about the issues clogging our culture today.  The only difference is that the Bible speaks with authority and clarity, as well as frequency.

One must never forget that the Israelites lived in the sexual sloughs of Egypt and Canaan.  The early church grew up and blossomed in the midst of the decline of Rome, which was overly infatuated with eroticism. 

As a result, the Bible doesn't treat the issues as taboo.  God has let his voice be heard on the matter in order to deal with such a time as this.  

Whether it be temple prostitutes or an impassioned Shulammite, the Scriptures contain all the spirit informing, hormone inducing, eye raising, cheek blushing details we may need in order to gain understanding, enjoyment, and fulfillment in regards to our sex life.

So, despite feeling like we may be losing the culture war, we as Christians can be stout hearted and of good courage.  The answers our culture are looking for lie with us because we possess the truth regarding the human body and its divine design for intimacy.

We shall tackle some of these issues over the next few editions of the Hopewell Weekly.  For now, though, we can simply rejoice in the fact that "the Lord is our God."

Furthermore, we can affirm our calling to "not do as they do" in Egypt and Canaan.  We must follow the statues and rules of the Lord and walk in them, knowing that our purity will testify that the God we serve is himself the very embodiment of purity. 

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The Lord has done great things for us!

We were blessed to have several of our young people profess faith and be baptized this past March.  May the grace of our God only continue to abound!

Good Friday Service 
Join us on Good Friday (April 15) as we meditate upon the seven last words of Christ from the cross and reflect upon his atoning work. The service, which will go from 6:30-7:30 pm, will consist of Scripture readings, music, and a brief meditation.