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Response
Sexual brokenness can be described as any sexual activity or experience that does not honor God. The issue of sexual abuse came to the forefront of public discourse when celebrities revealed the abuses they had endured silently. The #MeToo movement gained traction as survivors of sexual abuse found their voices. We exist in a society with deep sexual brokenness that is facing the consequences of the sexual revolution.
Sexual brokenness is not a new phenomenon. The Old Testament provides instances of sexual violence, rape, adultery, and various other forms of sexual sin (Ezekiel 33:26;2 Samuel 13:1-20;Hosea 4:1-2). The Bible also presents the hope of healing for those grappling with sexual brokenness.
Sexual brokenness stems from humanity’s rejection of God’s authority. When a society eliminates God as its ultimate authority and substitutes Him with situational ethics and personal freedoms, chaos ensues. Sexual expression is frequently the primary target when Satan assails an individual or a nation. Those who reject biblical principles and insist on the freedom to indulge their lusts face a range of societal problems: AIDS, fatherless children, rape, homosexuality, perversions, pedophilia, unwed births, abortion, child molestation, and more.
Sexual brokenness can be addressed on two levels: national and personal. Psalm 33:12 states, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” A nation’s sexual brokenness can be reversed if its people return to God “Therefore say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.”, (Zechariah 1:3). When righteous laws are reinstated, penalties are imposed for sexual offenses, and leadersModeling integrity and morality, a nation regains its collective sanity. Sexual brokenness begins to heal as respect, honor, and purity become social norms. The children born into such a world can grow up whole and happy without the scars their parents and grandparents carried.
Individuals who realize their lives are sexually broken can also seek healing in the Lord. Psalm 23:3 says of the Lord our Shepherd: “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” God is the Restorer of broken people. To restore means to make as though new, and there are several ways that God makes sexually broken people new:
1. He renews our minds through His Word (Romans 12:1-2). He replaces old thought patterns with His truth. Lies that once kept us in bondage are now recognized as lies and rejected «casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; », (2 Corinthians 10:5). Destructive thinking that led to depression, addiction, or promiscuity can be replaced with godly thoughts and self-worth as biblical truth takes root and grows.
2. He heals our attitudes about our bodies. A body that once brought shame becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit when we surrender our lives to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We learn to value our bodies, and we realize we were created for God’s purpose and pleasure «for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: », (Colossians 1:16),not as a toy for someone else.
3. He restores relationships. Whereas in our sexual brokenness, we may have defiled many relationships, we now learn how to treat others with all purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2). We make amends for any part we may have had in creating or sustaining the brokenness, asking forgiveness when appropriate, and forgiving all who sinned against us (Matthew 18:21-35).
4. Once restored, we set healthy boundaries for our sexuality. We recognize that sex is a good gift from a loving Creator and, when used wrongly, only wounds our souls. We obey the command to “flee from sexual immorality” «Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. », (1 Corinthians 6:18). We recommit ourselves to purity in body and soul and set wise boundaries to avoid “making provision for the flesh and its lusts” «But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.», (Romans 13:14).
Part of healing from sexual brokenness is to allow God’s Word, not our culture, to define sexual immorality. If we are to be followers of Christ, we look only to Him for direction «looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. », (Hebrews 12:2). It matters not what culture thinks, what celebrities do, or what our neighbors approve. It only matters what God says, and it is His approval we seek if we want to remain sexually.
Fully healed.
We must all accept the fact that we are broken in various ways. This world shatters us. Evil breaks us. Heartache, pain, betrayal, and abuse can fracture us. Scars remain long after the healing process, and traces of our former selves may still struggle for attention. Those who experience same-sex attraction may always battle that inclination. Survivors of rape may always flinch when touched in a certain manner. Individuals who have endured child abuse and victims of sex trafficking and other sexual offenses may bear the scars and societal judgments for the remainder of their lives on earth. However, inner healing can still occur. Learning to discover complete fulfillment in a vital relationship with Jesus provides the strength to overcome sexual brokenness.
We are “more than conquerors through Him who loves us” «Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. », (Romans 8:37). Referring to the newly reconstructed temple, God declares, “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house. . . . And in this place I will grant peace” «The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. », (Haggai 2:9). When our bodies are consecrated to the Lord as His temple, we can lay claim to this promise for ourselves. We can overcome sexual brokenness when the Lord of heaven’s armies is on our side (Isaiah 41:10;Jeremiah 1:19).
