Ephesians 5:15-33

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

1. What the Bible says about Marriage Marriage and Gender 1. What the Bible says about Marriage Genesis 2:18–25 (ESV) 18 Then YHWH God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground YHWH God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that YHWH God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Marriage and Gender 1. What the Bible says about Marriage 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Marriage and Gender 1. What the Bible says about Marriage God created them male and female. The two become one flesh Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. Adultery is forbidden. Marriage is a living example of Christ’s relationship to the church (morality of sex & marriage) (Spirituality of marriage) 2. What the Bible says about Gender in Marriage 1 male + 1 female 3. What the Bible says about Homosexual Relationships Old Testament: Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Such a serious act that it attracts the death penalty Many religious laws no longer apply. But the moral code is timeless.

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”   Mark 7:18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”   Mark 7:18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

In the New Testament, LGBTQI spells “sexual immorality” The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology “can describe various extra-marital sexual modes of behaviour insofar as they deviate from accepted social and religious norms (e.g. Homosexuality, promiscuity, paedophilia, and especially prostitution.)

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.   26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Marriage and Gender 1. What the Bible says about Marriage God created them male and female. The two become one flesh Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. Adultery is forbidden. Marriage is a living example of Christ’s relationship to the church (morality of sex & marriage) (Spirituality of marriage) 2. What the Bible says about Gender in Marriage 1 male + 1 female 3. What the Bible says about Homosexual Relationships Old Testament: Forbidden (an abomination). Deserving of the death penalty Many religious laws no longer apply. But the moral code is timeless. New Testament: Sexual immorality comes from within and defiles LGBTQI covered by the term “porneia” (sexual immorality) God’s wrath against the Godlessness of society is that He “hands them over” to all manner of sins (including homosexual behaviour) 4. Why, out of all of the sins, is “homosexuality” the one we are discussing? Nobody is saying other sins are “good”; “to be celebrated”; “to be endorsed” 5. How should we relate to our homosexual neighbour?

1. What the Bible says about Marriage Created male and female; Two become one flesh ; Like Christ and the church 2. What the Bible says about Gender in Marriage 1 male + 1 female 3. What the Bible says about Homosexual Relationships Old Testament: Forbidden (an abomination). Deserving of the death penalty Many religious laws no longer apply. But the moral code is timeless. New Testament: Sexual immorality comes from within and defiles LGBTQI covered by the term “porneia” (sexual immorality) God’s wrath against the Godlessness of society is that He “hands them over” to all manner of sins (including homosexual behaviour) 4. Why, out of all of the sins, is “homosexuality” the one we are discussing? Nobody is saying other sins are “good”; “to be celebrated”; “to be endorsed” 5. How should we relate to our homosexual neighbour? Love them as any other We are all sinners, in need of a saviour; Preach forgiveness with faith & repentance Cannot condone or celebrate their sin 6. The Current Debate Activists pushing an ideological agenda of godless society Will put Christians in a position of either honouring God or obeying the Law 7. Most homosexuals (like us): A broken, sinful people, needing a Saviour

Matthew 5:43–48 (ESV) 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Love Pray 1. What the Bible says about Marriage Created male and female; Two become one flesh ; Like Christ and the church 2. What the Bible says about Gender in Marriage 1 male + 1 female 3. What the Bible says about Homosexual Relationships Old Testament: Forbidden (an abomination). Deserving of the death penalty Many religious laws no longer apply. But the moral code is timeless. New Testament: Sexual immorality comes from within and defiles LGBTQI covered by the term “porneia” (sexual immorality) God’s wrath against the Godlessness of society is that He “hands them over” to all manner of sins (including homosexual behaviour) 4. Why, out of all of the sins, is “homosexuality” the one we are discussing? Nobody is saying other sins are “good”; “to be celebrated”; “to be endorsed” 5. How should we relate to our homosexual neighbour? Love them as any other We are all sinners, in need of a saviour; Preach forgiveness with faith & repentance Cannot condone or celebrate their sin 6. The Current Debate Activists pushing an ideological agenda of godless society Will put Christians in a position of either honouring God or obeying the Law 7. Most homosexuals (like us): A broken, sinful people, needing a Saviour