Aug 07 2018 32 mins
To follow Jesus faithfully means we need to reorient our values and priorities radically. One radical value Jesus proclaimed was that single men and women had equal standing in His kingdom. Society, which up to that point was centered on marriage and family, was now to include those who were unmarried as valued and equal partners. The apostle Paul and church father John Calvin, counter to the thinking of their time, proclaimed the surprising worth of being single and celibate, echoing Jesus words. Singles are complete in Christ just as much as those who are married. But Christian singles do have a life journey that does not include the experiences of sexual expression that married couples enjoy or, to be honest, of those who choose to live outside of Gods design for our sexuality. We know this is not easy, especially as we live in a culture that often proclaims sexual pleasure as the highest of all human experiences and its counterpoint to deny oneself in this area is to live a life of great tragedy. Singles of all ages need a constant infusion of the gospel to steward their sexuality as an overflow of the beauty and power that comes from devotion to Christ. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Ellen Dykas about her 2014 feature article, Single in Christ and a Sexual Being which is available free on our website. For more articles about biblical sexuality like the feature article on solo sex masturbation and the Christian, please subscribe to the CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL.