169. Holy Sexuality and the Gospel with Dr. Chris Yuan

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Welcome to episode #169! This week, Matt and Braden talk with Dr. Christopher Yuan about holy sexuality and the gospel. Your Identity is not in your sexuality. We can’t allow sexual attractions to dictate who we are and how we live. Our sexuality should not be the core of who we are. Our identity should not be: defined by our sexuality; grounded in our desires; and homo or heterosexual. Our identity must be in Jesus Christ alone. God says “be Holy, for I am holy”. The opposite of every sin is holiness. We need to focus on living a life of holiness and purity in the midst of temptation. We’re all going to struggle and be tempted - but we need to yearn after God in total surrender and obedience. The goal is not homosexuality to heterosexuality - you can still be sinning as a heterosexual human. The goal is Christ and taking on His holiness by grace through faith. 
Is sin only limited to our actions? Just don’t act on it is a half truth which is just as bad as a lie. Don’t act on it, yes, but it goes beyond that. In Matthew 5, Jesus doesn’t say “if a man looks lustfully at a woman, he’s fine as long as he doesn’t act on it”. He says “If you lust at a woman, you’ve already committed adultery”. Simply not acting on our lusts and desires is not fully right. Discernment is not simply knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right. “Almost right” can take you on a path that does not land on the end that is Christ. That slight deviation can take you off target. When we are seeking holiness we need to remember that unconditional love is not the same as unconditional approval of our behavior and we need to change course when we are headed down a path of “almost right”. 
Words Matter. If you say “This is WHO I AM” it will impact the thoughts that you have, the choices that you make and the relationships you build. Identity/identify is a newer word, but it’s not a new concept. It’s being in Christ and dwelling with Christ.  Union with Christ is identity with Christ.  Sexuality is about desire and attraction, not about who we are. By simply switching from saying “this is who I am” to “this is what/who I am attracted to” changes where we place our identity.    
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