23 Oct Supreme Court Nominees, Natural Law, and What God Thinks About Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
Romans 1:26-27 – For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 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.
When shopping at the store, it is common to find products that announce on the packaging that they are “all natural”. The assumption is that something that is natural is far healthier for you than something that is man-made.
What is true of products is also true of people. Romans 1 says that God is our Creator and He made us male and female by “nature” to have “natural relations” sexually in the context of heterosexual marriage. The concept of what is natural refers not to the way people and things are in our current fallen, sinful, and cursed world. Instead, what is natural is the way things were according to God’s original creation design before sin and the fall ruined everything and everyone God created good. Before sin entered the world, there was a man and a woman who lived according to male and female gender roles who married and then had heterosexual married sex which resulted in children and obedience to God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. That is natural. All deviations are unnatural.
According to the Bible and much of western history, what was considered natural was as follows:
- Sex: Our male and female God-given biological status is determined by such things as sex chromosomes, gonads, internal reproductive organs, and external genitalia. Today, people are told that they, not God, choose their sex and can undergo surgery to re-create the way the Creator created them. Admittedly, .1%-.2% of babies are born with ambiguous external genitalia, and between 1-2% less severe ambiguity according to common studies.
- Gender: Our gender was believed to flow from our biological sex with masculine males and feminine female roles starting at birth with boys being wrapped in blue blankets and girls wrapped in pink Blankets. Today, gender is not chosen by God but instead chosen by how someone feels such as a male trapped in a female body and vice-versa. Gender roles are said to be toxic, hateful, and bigoted. However, the Bible speaks directly to males and females with specific commands, including husbands and wives. This includes the command to, “act like men” as one example in 1 Corinthians 16:13.
- Sexuality: It used to be believed that your sex determined your gender and that it was natural for your sexual interest to be towards the opposite sex and gender. Of course, today this is not considered normative and there is great opposition to “heteronormative thinking” with groups committed to Critical Theory and the dismantling of sex, gender, sexuality, and marriage in the name of social justice. For those who have concealed their desired sex, gender, and sexuality the term “closeted” is used. For those who believe God erred giving them the wrong sex, gender, and sexuality and want to re-create the way God created them, the act of “coming out” is a public declaration of a deep loyalty that is in many ways a counterfeit of Christian baptism – a public act to declare who you are and what you are committed to.
In the end, it all comes down to the Word versus the World as the only source of any note standing against the cultural avalanche is the Bible:
The Word vs The World
Sex: Fixed Binary Male/Female Sex: Fluid on an Intersex Spectrum
Gender: Fixed Binary Masculine/Feminine Gender: Fluid on an Unfixed Spectrum
Sexuality: Fixed 1 man and 1 woman in marriage Sexuality: Fluid on an Unfixed Spectrum
Lastly, Paul’s concept of “natural” law was taken up and formalized by the Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. This concept has taken root in Catholic education, which explains why many lawyers think in these categories after being trained in Catholic schools and universities. This also explains why 6 (and possibly 7 as Neil Gorsuch was raised Catholic but reportedly attends an Episcopalian church) of the 9 US Supreme Court justices are Catholic. This also explains why their faith raises an issue for critics of natural law as happened recently in the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, who is reportedly a Spirit-filled Catholic.
To find the free Romans study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit legacy.realfaith.com or download the Real Faith app.
