The Exchanged Life
I basically take the view about same sex attraction (SSA) as I do anything else that any fallen & broken individual may be dealing with in life. SSA certainly isn't the only issue I deal with, it is one of many. My view is that all of our brokenness, temptations and sinful behavior are the result of the Fall . . . Original Sin . . . we were all born with this Adamic nature . . . I like to call it "Adam's spiritual DNA" (Genesis 3).
Redemption is about GOD's love for us and His desire to have an intimate relationship with us. I can't understand why GOD wants that but I believe it's the reason He created us in the first place. What happened in redemption . . . Jesus' death, burial, & resurrection . . . was that He (Jesus) paid the penalty for the Fall and it's results and EXCHANGED our sinful nature with His righteousness (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 6; and the Exchanged Life -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21). As a result, we who are in Christ, no longer have Adam's spiritual DNA but we now have inherited Jesus' spiritual DNA--the very life of Jesus Christ living His life within us and through us by Holy Spirit: righteous
(2 Corinthians 5:21); set free & liberated (Galatians 2:4); justified & redeemed (Romans 3:24); forgiven (Ephesians 1:7); sealed (Ephesians 1:13); sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2), holy (Ephesians 1:4); perfect/complete (Colossians 2:10); blameless (Ephesians 1:4); accepted (Romans 15:7); son/daughter (Galatians 4:7); seated in Heaven already (Ephesians 2:6); etc. This is absolute reality, not simply our "position" . . . it is our new identity . . . who we are in Christ (Romans 6).
As Paul taught in Romans 7, just because we love Jesus and have been filled with Holy Spirit and have inherited Jesus' spiritual DNA, a new identity in Christ, doesn't mean all our temptations, struggles, disease, suffering, sinful behavior are instantly zapped and cease. We still continue to live in a fallen and broken world, we continue living with a fallen and broken body that is susceptible to fleshly lusts and desires, and the Enemy is still alive and well (Romans 7). But the good news in the midst of this journey is that Jesus has set us free from this “body of death” (Romans 7:24-25) and there is “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Our life in this world is an on-going process or journey or great adventure of pursuing GOD & His purposes for us . . . pursuing His purpose of why we are here, why He created us. I believe this life-long process and purpose is to grow in an intimate love relationship with GOD. As we continue on this journey of spiritual growth and maturation in our authentic love relationship with GOD we become more and more truly satisfied with GOD, our True Love and Lover. As John Piper puts it . . ."GOD is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
So my focus is NOT on any external sinful behavior, nor is my focus on external lusts, desires and temptations. My focus is on pursuing GOD and falling more in love with Him. John Elderedge describes this process and relationship well in his incredibly wonderfully titled book, "Sacred Romance." This is what GOD desires for us and from us . . . to experience a "Sacred Romance" with Him. I absolutely love that concept.
GOD's heart is broken when we allow anything in this life or this world to become our focus, our love or more important to us than our relationship with Him, regardless of what that "thing" might be (sex, food, materialism, other relationships, religion, etc.). Anything that we put before GOD becomes an idol. I think our sexuality, our sexual needs and our need for relationships with others have become idolatrous for most people. The book of Hosea is a good example of this. I believe this is truly the story of the entire Bible. The Bible could be titled, "Sacred Romance."
I also believe that as we grow in an authentic intimate love relationship with GOD our desire for anything in this world diminishes, becomes less and not nearly as satisfying because being truly satisfied in the LORD is so overshadowing and all encompassing; nothing can compare (2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Philippians 3:4-21). So why would I want to settle for a lesser lover like homosexuality or any other worldly distraction?
A major mistake we have made in the Church is to focus on worldly issues and sinful behavior rather than focusing on growing in our relationship with the LORD. I believe a person can be truly born again and continue to battle with SSA just like truly born again people continue to battle with many other sinful issues like pride, gossip, anger, envy, jealousy, etc. I believe a person can be truly born again and also embrace a gay-identified lifestyle because they have been blinded by the Enemy, just as many born again believers have been blinded by the Enemy to many of their sinful behaviors and attitudes that they embrace. The entire Bible deals with this continuing battle that all people experience, including those who are in Christ Jesus.
As Paul taught in Romans 7, just because we love Jesus and have been filled with Holy Spirit and have inherited Jesus' spiritual DNA, a new identity in Christ, doesn't mean all our temptations, struggles, disease, suffering, sinful behavior are instantly zapped and cease. We still continue to live in a fallen and broken world, we continue living with a fallen and broken body that is susceptible to fleshly lusts and desires, and the Enemy is still alive and well (Romans 7). But the good news in the midst of this journey is that Jesus has set us free from this “body of death” (Romans 7:24-25) and there is “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Our life in this world is an on-going process or journey or great adventure of pursuing GOD & His purposes for us . . . pursuing His purpose of why we are here, why He created us. I believe this life-long process and purpose is to grow in an intimate love relationship with GOD. As we continue on this journey of spiritual growth and maturation in our authentic love relationship with GOD we become more and more truly satisfied with GOD, our True Love and Lover. As John Piper puts it . . ."GOD is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
So my focus is NOT on any external sinful behavior, nor is my focus on external lusts, desires and temptations. My focus is on pursuing GOD and falling more in love with Him. John Elderedge describes this process and relationship well in his incredibly wonderfully titled book, "Sacred Romance." This is what GOD desires for us and from us . . . to experience a "Sacred Romance" with Him. I absolutely love that concept.
GOD's heart is broken when we allow anything in this life or this world to become our focus, our love or more important to us than our relationship with Him, regardless of what that "thing" might be (sex, food, materialism, other relationships, religion, etc.). Anything that we put before GOD becomes an idol. I think our sexuality, our sexual needs and our need for relationships with others have become idolatrous for most people. The book of Hosea is a good example of this. I believe this is truly the story of the entire Bible. The Bible could be titled, "Sacred Romance."
I also believe that as we grow in an authentic intimate love relationship with GOD our desire for anything in this world diminishes, becomes less and not nearly as satisfying because being truly satisfied in the LORD is so overshadowing and all encompassing; nothing can compare (2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Philippians 3:4-21). So why would I want to settle for a lesser lover like homosexuality or any other worldly distraction?
A major mistake we have made in the Church is to focus on worldly issues and sinful behavior rather than focusing on growing in our relationship with the LORD. I believe a person can be truly born again and continue to battle with SSA just like truly born again people continue to battle with many other sinful issues like pride, gossip, anger, envy, jealousy, etc. I believe a person can be truly born again and also embrace a gay-identified lifestyle because they have been blinded by the Enemy, just as many born again believers have been blinded by the Enemy to many of their sinful behaviors and attitudes that they embrace. The entire Bible deals with this continuing battle that all people experience, including those who are in Christ Jesus.
Redemption doesn’t instantly rid us of sinful behavior. If this were true we would not be dealing with spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18). Think about your own life dear believer. You are truly born again so are you now living a perfect life? Can you honestly say there is no sinful behavior or attitude that you have embraced? Are you truly intentionally striving to rid yourself of every sinful behavior and attitude? (Don’t put your focus there; it’s a losing effort!) Could there possibly be something in your life that is contrary to GOD’s plan and purpose but you may be blinded to by the Enemy and therefore you are embracing it?
No, redemption does not instantly rid us of sinful behavior but redemption does instantly re-create us to be all that GOD created us to be: righteous, holy, blameless, sanctified, perfect, justified, forgiven, loved and loveable, accepted and acceptable, sons/daughters of our Father in Christ Jesus. Praise His Holy name for His redemptive work and purposes!
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