When the World Sets Up a Throne

Sexuality and spirituality share the same longings. The desire to be known. The desire to be loved. The desire for intimacy and belonging. We want those things from God, and we want them from one another. When sexuality is elevated beyond its design, it does not just become sinful. It becomes religious. It takes on the character of devotion, community, symbol, and celebration. The sharp word of Jesus to the church in Pergamum is not directed at the pagan city around them. It is directed at the people who bear his name. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians that among followers of Jesus, there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality. That is a high standard. It is also a gracious one, because Jesus did not simply command it from a distance. He lived it. He died for every failure to meet it. He rose so that a new kind of life is actually possible.