Question: Since the sexual revolution uses the rhetoric of the civil rights movement, should we differentiate between racial identity and sexual identity?
In response to this question, Christians must engage carefully in the task of biblical theology. The diversity of races and ethnicities comprises part of God's plan (see, for example, the table of nations in Genesis 10).
The Bible also indicates that God is pleased that his human creatures are organized by families, clans, languages, and nations. Furthermore, Revelation 5 indicates that this pleasure is an eternal pleasure for God.
Those gathered around the Lamb's throne are men and women from evety tongue, tribe, and nation who have all been ransomed by Christ. Thus, Scripture celebrates racial differences. The Bible celebrates these distinctions as part of God's glorious diversity in creation. The Bible, however, unquestionably expresses only one legitimate pattern of human sexuality. Only one framework exists in which conjugal acts can be enjoyed and celebrated-the monogamous, faithful marriage of a man and a woman.
The Bible consistently declares anything outside of this framework as sin. Christians, therefore, mUst think carefully on this issue. Even though we accept that certain individuals have different sexual orientations, we do not accept sexual orientation as synonymous with race or ethnicity.
We recognize racism as sin because it denies and subverts our common descent from Adam and Eve and our common origin in the will of the Creator. We do not celebrate diversity of sexual "orientations" because the Bible does not allow it.
In matters of the law, this issue is often framed in terms of "mutable" and "immutable" characteristics. For Christians, however, these terms do not go far enough. This issue is not simply a matter of parsing out what is "mutable"' and "immutable" in a person's character.
Instead, as Christians, we must return to the theological foundation provided for
us in the doctrine of creation. We must ask ourselves one question: Was this part of God's original plan and purpose for his human creatures?
us in the doctrine of creation. We must ask ourselves one question: Was this part of God's original plan and purpose for his human creatures?