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The Hook-Up And The Sexual Revolution

I believe there is more purity in this generation than most people think

I believe there is more purity in this generation than most people think

There is a Sexual Revolution happening right before our eyes in America. A moral evolution of significant shift.

A values reset. In alarming speed, the world is changing. Things are not the way they used to be. Just look at the generational process in media freedom on television as issues were pushing the limits on language (newscasts and appropriate language used), sexual conduct (Happy Days, Three's Company, Friends, and Reality Television), and even the redefinition of family (Partridge Family, Brady Bunch, The Cosby Show, and Modern Family). What next? And how can this generation of Youth in The Teen Decade impact this Sexual Revolution?

The Sexual Revolution

THE OUTBURST IN CULTURE HAS BEEN THE BEGINNING OF IT…THE GRAMMY’S ONLY PUBLICIZED IT…STATISTICS ARE ONLY THE DATA OF IT…BROKEN LIVES ARE THE OUTCOME OF IT…OUR SILENCE IN THE CHURCH MAY BE THE RISE OF IT.

The Sexual Revolution has been a distortion of biblical love and the dysfunction of new cultural forms of sexuality that have stunned a nation and taken captive our impulses and thoughts and actions. Why? Because we have been shaped by social forms for decades that now dictate thinking and behavior.

Social Forms

These social forms are television, radio, Hollywood, pop culture, peer influence, music, and even family. What used to be wrong is now right. What used to be unacceptable is now accepted. Although this pertains to just about every issue in culture, I want to address the Sexual Revolution.

Although many of the statistics in the current youth culture are seeing positive swings in almost every category (alcohol use, drug abuse, school drop-outs, grades rising, cussing, etc.), I want you to listen to some of these stats of the spiritual life of American young people today as it relates to their sexual lives:

-According to a survey of adults, women have an average of four sex partners during their lifetime; men have an average of seven.

-And 80 % of teen births are from non-marital relationships. In comparison, 40 years ago that number was about 30% teen non-marital births. *750,000 teens will get pregnant each year (200,000 will have abortions).

-Look at the rise of High School students who have had sex by grade (9th - 30%, 10th - 40%, 11th - 50%, 12th - 65 %)

-Finally, 70% High School students have had oral sex, and, 80% of college students have had oral sex

The Hook Up

One of the current topics in Teen & Young Adult sexual behavior is what is called 'The Hook Up'. These are casual relationships with no strings attached.

A few years back the hook-up meant something entirely different than what it means today. My grandpa would HOOK-UP the trailer and haul a load of something. My dad would HOOK-UP the antenna on the rooftop so we could watch TV. I used to HOOK-UP with my friends and go out for pizza after a football game on Friday night. Today, you will HOOK-UP with someone and assume a high-risk, flirting, no strings attached, NBD evening of sex, and no obligation afterwards. We’ve come a long way from HOOKING UP trailers, cable TV, and with friends for pizza after a game.

There are several reasons we are seeing this Revolution in our nation:

First, because we are careless in our communication and jump right to physical attraction rather than conversation - Our instant society and social media patterns have turned our relationships into one-stop shallow flings. We have lost the desire to get to know people and now merely respond to each other externally and not on a deeper level. Our relationships have become increasingly surface level.

Second, because distance in our relationships has created a selfish attitude toward each other and a “I’ll get what I want” behavior - Selfishness is always at the root of our behavior. The revolution of anything begins deep in the heart of people as a strongly held opinion that turns into behavior. Service and selflessness must be restored to our relations with others. Instead of thinking what I can get OUT of a relationship, try asking yourself what you can put INTO a relationship.

Third, because our behavioral freedom has re-written the rules and we have lost the absolutes that would not allow us to justify about almost anything in our lives - Every generation has had to deal with the Bible. However, the further we get from the biblical narratives, the further we get from truth in our culture.

Social Forms have set the moral code and not the bible. When one generation loses its absolutes, where will the next generation get theirs?

Fourth, because the media freedoms (such as the process explained above in news and television) have mirrored culture in their loss of morality and decency - You might say that media has driven the cultural change, or, you might say that the cultural change has driven media. Either way, there is an equal responsibility in the 'pop' culture setting we are living in today. Where is the church? Could we have a greater effect upon culture? What would that take?

A Biblical Definition of Sexuality

To be clear, my conviction on The Sexual Revolution, including gender, marriage, and sexual immorality is simple. I have not based this conviction on my understanding of culture. I have based it on my understanding of scripture. I have shaped my belief over the years through the biblical account of creation in Genesis, Jesus’ words in Matthew, and Paul's words in Romans, 1 Corinthians 6-7, and Galatians 5. As well as other texts in 1 Timothy and Revelation.

The Genesis Intent (Genesis 1-3), or, the creation intent. This is the first and foundational rule to sexuality. It is a theology of firsts and types. Where God defines sexuality. There is no confusion on Male or Female in scripture. And there is no mention or need for a ‘third way’ or ‘transition’ or ‘neutral’ gender.

The Matthew Intent (Matthew 5, 15, 19), or, the messianic intent. This is Jesus on sexuality. And he quotes the OT words of Moses from Genesis. Isn’t that interesting? Jesus could have EVOLVED. He could have ADJUSTED to His day. But His definition of sexuality was taken from the creation or Genesis intent.

My conviction:

Here is the first thing that I say when asked about the sexual revolution today:

1. Our personal sexuality belief will come from culture or from scripture. It is the ideological and theological framework. It will be changing if it comes from culture, but, it will be constant if it comes from scripture. That is why the arguments have changed in the cultural arena and yet have stayed the same in the scriptural arena.

2. I know that we look at and interpret scripture differently. But there are enough clear guidelines in scripture to agree on.

3. There are constants in human sexuality theology - Genesis 1-3 and Matthew 5, 15, and 19, and Romans 1 are theological foundations of human sexuality. These are the words of Moses, Jesus, and Paul.

4. In these texts, Moses, Jesus, and Paul did have something to say about human sexuality. Definitions or prohibitions related to gender, marriage, sexual immorality (adultery, fornication, prostitution, idolatry, abnormality, incest, beastiality, and homosexuality) even if they did not directly address the specific word of the topic in question.

5. What we do know conclusively from these texts, is that each kept marriage and sexual relations within marriage between a man and a woman. And God created two binary genders in the human species – male and female. Any deviation from that form or ethic was not the creation intent or Jesus’ support of it or Paul’s address of it and becomes a secondary un-natural order; a cultural or personal order and not a scriptural order. And because of any new unnatural order or ethic, mankind must do mid-course correction to bring our ideas, experience, and feelings back to scripture.

6. There are many other verses inspired by the Holy Spirit to authors (including Paul in 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, 1 Timothy 1 and John in Revelation 18, 21) who spoke on this subject. All of these author’s words have these original texts from Moses and Jesus as foundational unity on their address to the subject.

7. Our differences should not divide us. So we have a different interpretation of sexuality in the scriptures than some people may have. Maybe you believe, as I have stated in this book, that marriage is between a man and a woman, that sex before marriage, outside of your marriage, or with the same sex is sin, and that God created humanity male and female. But just because someone believes differently than we do, what right does that give us to treat them with partiality or judgement?

I contend that what we really need is a box. A code, or ceiling, or walls, and fence. Because otherwise, we land where we are today. With everyone analyzing and giving their own version of truth. Sure, we may read the same biblical text and see different things. But, there are some absolutes even in scripture. The important part of this parse to me is really simple. And that is making the determination of the argument by scripture and not culture. From an absolute box.

Soundbites:

It really is hard to get down to a soundbite in such an information age. But maybe this will help you get to your conviction on this matter as you read the scriptures yourself.

But this is my soundbite when I am asked:

The Sexual Revolution going on in America today with regard to sexual identity issues, the sanctity of marriage, and sexual promiscuity, is part of the sexual dis-order that is contrary to the clearly stated biblical principles – principles found in the words of Moses in the book of Genesis, Jesus in Matthew, Paul in Romans and other texts, Jude in the book of Jude, and John in The Revelation defining the creation of humankind as male and female, the relationship of marriage between a man and a woman, and romantic and sexual relationships between a man and woman within the sanctity of marriage.

The foundational truth of human sexuality is that God said He created them Male and Female and told them to come together as a family and to perpetuate the human race. That’s it. No other choice. No third way. No options for same gender marriage or unions. Or sexual relations outside of this intent. Whatever ideas or trends would come through the ages in culture that are non-conforming to the Genesis Intent of human sexuality are not God’s order.

Here are a few of the scriptures that could be the foundation of your belief:

Genesis 1-3 - The Theology of Firsts

Matthew 5, 15, 19 - Jesus’ words on the sexual revolution

Galatians 5.19-22 - The 'Lists' of the flesh and the Spirit

1 Thessalonians 4.4 - How to possess your vessel in purity

1 Timothy 1.9-11 - The natural and un-natural sexual behavior

1 Corinthians 6.9-11 - The natural and un-natural sexual behavior

Romans 1-3 - A process of deception and a clear definition of sexual behavior

Jude 5-8 - Jude’s words about sexual immorality and Sodom and Gomorrah

If we are going to make a statement to this generation about Sexual standards and a return to the Biblical framework, we must make a statement clearly and consistently. It does sound idealistic to expect a revolution back to a 'theology of firsts', but, because I am willing to even tackle this subject, I will gladly be an idealist.

Jeff Grenell