Approximately eight years ago, Proven Ministries financed Barna research into the status of sexual integrity throughout American churches. More recently, our colleagues at Pure Desire have revisited the data with Barna research of their own, bringing more current statistics before our observation. Eight years ago, only 8% of churches reported having anything programmatic in regard to sexual integrity. As of this year, that number has increased to only ten percent. Even after countless pastoral scandals of moral failure and widespread sexual abuse of minors throughout several denominations, somehow the Church at large continues to ignore the problem. These sorts of catastrophic events have become normalized beyond the status of epidemic. Yet 90% of Christendom fails to respond in any way whatsoever, as if they are insulated from the consequences. As the stories continue to bear out, they are not.

What does this have to do with Christmas? Fair question. From my perspective, the main problem is the Church’s silence on sex altogether. Rod Dreher plays the history out incisively in his seminal work: The Benedict Option. Back in the 40s and 50s, the Church began altering its expression and/or behavior regarding sexuality. The sacredness of it had begun to diminish in presentation. This is precisely what made way for the “sexual revolution” of the 60s, with all of the cascading erosion of lunacy and destruction in the many decades since.

The staggering thing to consider is just how abounding the Bible is with human sexuality. At the beginning of our Book, human sexuality is tantamount to our identity as God’s imager bearers. The very first human words in the Bible are the beginning of a sexual encounter. God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai is replete with marriage imagery. Proverbs has 3 chapters exclusively dedicated to the sex talk between father and son. Song of Songs is an entire book rife with scandalously sexualized language between husband and wife. The Master regularly draws upon marriage metaphors in His parables and teachings. Paul does the same in his letters. Of course, the end of the book is a big wedding celebration.

Then we have Christmas. The Advent of our Messiah could not have happened without first being a gospel of sexual integrity.

“And the virgin’s name was Mary.”
*Luke 1:27

Mary’s righteousness had to be exemplary in order for the Creator of all things to find a suitable birthplace for Himself. His own surrogate father, Joseph, had to be prodigious in his own right as well.

“And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.”
*Matthew 1:19

We can’t fault Joseph for his response. If anything, we must admire his restraint. Virgin births aren’t exactly commonplace. Accordingly, even God honors him, granting him audience with an angelic encounter in a dream. This is an uncommon level of prophecy for any human to experience. Joseph’s actions reveal his own sexual integrity. Jesus was born into the household of two very special people. The entire world has been blessed beyond measure by their holy influence ever since.

For all our training in hermeneutics and our reverence for homiletics (whether nuda, prima or sola scriptura), we aren’t yet teaching very much like the Bible presents itself: a Book abounding with a really good Gospel of Sex. Our mission at Proven Ministries is not a fringe expedition on the outskirts of Kingdom concerns. No, this is the heart of the matter not only within our time and culture, but throughout the whole of God’s redemptive story in Creation.

God likes sex. A newfound colleague told me, “I think God had fun when He made sex!” That is a heartening thought. Sex isn’t some unfortunate, conciliatory consequence of the Fall. No, sex was right there in the center of the most paradisal Garden of all time before sin could mar any of our inheritance.

In the conception of our Lord, the absence of sexual intercourse is not due to some stain upon the act. Rather, His signature is most pronounced in neogenesis. The One Who created ex nihilo had to enter our space with similar wonder. After all, He is the One who accomplishes things which no one else can do.

This Christmas, don’t be afraid to read your Bible through a sexy lens. It’s all there. God isn’t shy about sex – we shouldn’t be either.

– C.T. Giles