Vandy Hook Ups and a Gospel Centered Sex Ethic...

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/19/college.anti.hookup.culture/index.html?hpt=C2

My nephew, John, sent me the above link to a CNN article about the culture of "hook ups" on the Vanderbilt (and most any) college campus.

Briefly, it describes the pervasive (estimated 75%+) experience of college students getting drunk and hooking up with strangers on most any given party night.

To which I replied to John with some encouragement of a Gospel-Centered Sex Ethic that goes something like this...

Our view of God dictates our view of sex. Or, said differently, our sex life is a demonstration of our view of God.

God is One God who is faithful to his bride, the bride of Christ, the church. He is not capricious. He is not fickle. He is not faith-less. He does not "hook up" with one person or people and then cast them off and "hook up" with another people. He is promised / committed to one bride and remains faithful to that bride forever. Therefore, we do the same in our lives, with our bodies. This becomes our sex-ethic. We demonstrate to a watching world the character and nature of our God. We, too, will be committed to one person - a spouse. And we will remain faithful to her, forever... all of our lives. We will not go from one women to another. We will not hook up with anyone available. For this is not who our God is. So this will not be who we are. Get this... In this way, as we interact with women in this way, then our celibacy becomes our worship and we can take greater joy in our celibacy (in singleness) or fidelity (in marriage) than we could ever take pleasure in the fickleness of the hook up culture.

And this living (by faith) the character of our God INSTEAD of living out (by faith) the character of the world shows the world that we value God above the world... and this is what brings God glory... which is the purpose for which we were created.

And, in a incredible twist, this sex ethic (which sounds restrictive) actually grants us great freedom. Freedom from guilt, shame, insecurity, drama... and frees us to have the capacity to think more of others, to serve, to love, ... and to teach - well.

(for more insight on a gospel sex ethic, please see Sandy Willson's AMEN series on Galatians - specifically "Faithfulness" and "Self Control" at www.2pc.org)