How Can Christians Respond to a Sexually Broken World?

We live in a world that is sexually broken. Our culture’s distorted view of sexuality encourages sexual behavior in ways that dishonor God’s original design for sex.

 When it comes to sex, we live in a cacophony of discordant and deafening sounds. C.S. Lewis once wrote,

“Sexual desire has become like a piano key that is played at all the wrong times. Though God designed it for beautiful melodies, it has instead soured the music.”

I’m sure that was true when Lewis wrote it, but I also know he didn’t live to witness the sexual revolution of the 1960s or the sexual turmoil that marks our world today.

A Sexually Broken World

God made us sexual beings. He invented sex and created it to be good. However, we live in a world that is sexually broken. Our culture’s distorted view of sexuality encourages sexual behavior in ways that dishonor God’s original design. We see evidence of this in many ways:

• Mobile apps designed for strangers to merely hook up
• Pornography
• Infidelity of church leaders
• Broken marriages
• Child abuse
• Date rape
• Sex trafficking

Where Sin Increases, Grace Overflows

As followers of Jesus, what should our response be to a sexually broken world? How do we live in a culture where sexual sin abounds? Romans 5:20 tells us, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.”

The more sin exists, the more grace is abundant. Where sin increases, grace overflows. We are to be wholesalers of God’s grace, offering it in bulk.

So what is our role in a culture filled with tainted and sex-saturated people?

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 we read, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Our role is to help people discover that they’re looking for God.

What Is Our Goal As Christians?

Our goal is not to enforce our behavioral ideals on people, but to love people and graciously help reconcile them to God.

The problem is many Christians think they are expected to advocate for political legislation that forces our moral and sexual beliefs on people who are not Christians.

God has not called us to advance federal legislation. He’s called us to point people to Jesus.

Likewise, God has not called us to be right. He’s called us to be loving.

Our goal is not to enforce our behavioral ideals on people, but to love people and graciously help reconcile them to God.

Responding in Love: Scarlet Hope

You may wonder if a strategy of loving people and graciously sharing Jesus can work, especially with people who are sexually broken and sinful.

One of my favorite examples showing that love in action works is Rachelle Starr. Rachelle is the director and founder of a ministry in Louisville, Kentucky called Scarlet Hope.

Rachelle grew up the daughter of a pastor who taught her to love people, no matter what. Rachelle saw things in her church while growing up that pushed her away from her faith for a time, but her father’s example of loving broken people never left her.

Years later, Rachelle was driving past “Theatair X,” a theater selling adult entertainment when God spoke to her. She describes her calling in this video clip:

Prompted By God to Bring His Love

If we call ourselves his followers, it’s not a stretch to think that we are called to communicate with those considered the most sinful.

Rachelle had a specific prompting from God to bring his love to women working in the sex industry; just as we all have a commission from God to bring his love to people.

In the Gospels, Jesus seemed to connect with the most sinful people in every town. If we call ourselves his followers, it’s not a stretch to think that we are also called to connect with those considered the most sinful.

Rachelle spent the next year and a half praying, fasting, researching and strategizing. She kept asking God what, precisely, he wanted her to do. Finally, one day, she felt like God spoke to her again. Listen as Rachelle describes receiving direction:

Choose Obedience and Take Action

We often second-guess God’s direction. I think we can easily become paralyzed by too many options, so we don’t do what we’ve been called to do. As a result, we are reluctant to be obedient to God’s calling. Sometimes, I think we even avoid moving forward because “we are praying about it.”

Rachelle sensed God was telling her it was time to take action, but, again, we don’t need God to tell us that today, because he already has. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) and “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We’ve already been told to go. The only question is whether we will obey or not.

I wonder if we sometimes wait to take action because we want God to give us a particular sign or show us precisely what we should do. However, God often shows up after we’ve already chosen to be obedient and take action.

So, that’s what happened for Rachelle. She chose to be obedient by going to a strip club and showing God’s love to the women working inside. She details this in her own words:

Love Breaks Down Barriers

It was in that moment that Rachelle discovered something I’ve seen many times before: People are far more open to love than we’d imagine.

I believe that people need truth and love and that’s what Christians should be ready to offer.

I believe that people need truth and love and that’s what Christians should be ready to offer. Unfortunately, providing truth in the absence of love creates a tension that tends to shut people down and turn them away.

The solution is to lead with love. Love breaks down barriers and opens people up.

None of us woke up this morning hoping someone would convince us of a truth we don’t believe. However, everyone woke up this morning wanting to be loved. Leading with love encourages people to be receptive.

The strip club owner let Rachelle bring food in so she could give a homemade meal to the women who worked in the club. He allowed this because she exhibited a genuine love in her attempt to simply meet the need of these women.

Sharing Love is Sharing Jesus

When Rachelle started bringing in home-cooked meals, the women were a little confused at first. They weren’t used to Christians showing them any love, but they quickly warmed up. And, soon, Rachelle started seeing results.

One story Rachelle shares is about a woman who showed up at the strip club because she needed money to provide for her kids. The woman felt intimidated by the idea of taking her clothes off in front of men and had attempted to mask her shame with alcohol. Listen to how she met and started having a conversation with Rachelle:

That woman met Jesus because Rachelle answered God’s call to share his love with people, especially with people caught in sin or stuck in a sexually broken culture.

“Those People” Need Grace, Too

Sometimes I think Christians try to motivate themselves to share Jesus by reminding themselves that “those people” need grace. That’s true, but what’s even more apparent is that we all need grace. I love how Rachelle describes this shift in perspective in this clip:

Hear Rachelle’s entire story in The End of Me Video Series

It’s not just “they” who find themselves broken. We’re all just as broken.

Moreover, we share grace with a sexually broken world not only because they need grace but because we need it and have received it. How can we be selfish with it?

Amazing moments and transformations occur when we stop judging others and forcing political solutions to our society’s sexual issues. Bringing God’s love and the hope of Jesus to others, no matter how different or distant they may be, is our calling.

Watch Rachelle’s full story and more inspiring stories in The End of Me Video Series. The End of Me features pastor and bestselling author, Kyle Idleman (not a fan, gods at war) and is produced by the award-winning team at City on a Hill Studio.

PURCHASE ‘THE END OF ME’ VIDEO SERIES NOW