Holy Sexuality Matters

Dan Hitz is the director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in helping men and women overcome sexual brokenness, sexual abuse, and trauma. You can find more recovery articles and testimonies on the Reconciliation Ministries website at https://recmin.org/newsletter-archives.

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:27-28 NKJV

Why does Biblical sexuality matter? After all, as the world says, “Love is love.” We don’t want to be homophobes or transphobes. Is it really hurting anyone if all we do is look at a little porn now and then? Are we really being haters if we uphold Biblical sexuality? Of course not! We are called to speak the truth in love [Ephesians 4:15]. God created us in His image, and He created us as sexual beings. He told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply” [Genesis 1:28]. God gave us a desire for holy sexuality, and that God-given desire can only be fulfilled as we embrace our sexuality in a holy way.

The enemy has been attacking our sexuality since the Garden of Eden. He knows that if he can corrupt our sexuality, he can drive a deep wedge between us and God. The serpent convinced Adam and Eve that God was holding out on them, and that they should eat the forbidden fruit. God’s heart was to protect Adam and Eve from evil. He created our sexual desires to function within His perfect will. Before they ate the fruit, they were naked and unashamed [Genesis 2:25]. It’s significant to note that the first thing they realized after they ate the fruit was their nakedness. In their shame they sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. In their fear they hid from God [Genesis 3:7-10]. Humans have been hiding from God ever since.

Since we are made in the image of God, the enemy works to corrupt our gender identities. God created two genders, male and female. The latest Google search yields at least 72 gender identities, and presents the idea that gender is now viewed as being on a continuum. If the enemy can confuse people about their gender, he moves them that much further from God’s design of male and female. This either creates more shame and despair, or gets expressed as queer pride. Either way, the wedge between man, woman, and God grows wider.

Ephesians 5:22-33 describes the union between husband and wife as a mystery, and a reflection of Christ and the church. Sinful heterosexual sex, homosexuality, and lesbianism all shatter that beautiful reflection of Christ and the church. Holy Sexuality matters.

We can take heart in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that offers 2000-year-old evidence of sexual redemption. As we humble ourselves, repent, and surrender our lives to Jesus, He forgives us. He cleanses us. He empowers us to live for Him. If you or someone you know needs help to overcome sexual sin, we at Reconciliation Ministries are here for you. Our Living Waters recovery program is starting soon. We also offer Biblically based professional counseling, mental health coaching, and prayer ministry. Call us today at 586.739.5114. We are here for you.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

Photo used courtesy of Unsplash.com. © 2026 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as no fee is charged and credit is given.

Don't Surrender Your Armor

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV

During a recent counseling session with a brother in Christ who was struggling with sexual sin, the Lord brought a blunt reality to our hearts. Not only does engaging in sexual sin necessitate him to take off his physical clothes, it also necessitates him to take off the armor of God, the weapons of his warfare that empower him to stand against the devil’s schemes. That brought a stunning realization of our total vulnerability when we make the choice to take off the armor of God and willingly engage in any type of sin. We make the choice to stand defenseless against the enemy of our souls.

The Apostle Paul realized the dilemma that he was in when he wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” [Romans 7:24-25a] Jesus Christ is our only answer. 1 John 1: 9 reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” There are times when the Lord works directly in our hearts through a one on one encounter in His presence. There are other times when He works through our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ as they “lower us through the roof to the feet of Jesus” [Mark 2.1-5]. There are times when the Holy Spirit calls us to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” [James 5:16] As we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in one on one encounters with Him, and confess our sins to each other and pray for each other, we become cleansed and freed from our habitual sin. We put on the armor of God and become empowered to stand against the devil’s schemes.

Stop Living in the Drain Pan!!!

When our kids were little, we purchased a series of very used refrigerators for our house. One of them had a problem with the drain pan and the tube running from the refrigerator to the pan. Every so often the pan would overflow and start leaking onto the floor. The pan was full of nasty, moldy water and scum. I’d try as carefully as possible to slide it out from under the refrigerator and empty it without spilling most of the filth on the floor. You can guess how that went. Eventually, the tube from the refrigerator to the drain pan would get plugged and we’d have issues inside the refrigerator itself. More messiness.

A few weeks ago, during my quiet time, the Lord showed me a picture of a nasty drain pain full of smelly, moldy water. Some of the scum formed a plug at the bottom of the drain pan and was holding the water in. I recognized the drain pan and its contents. It represented my residual brokenness. The Lord showed me that was an emotional place I retreated to when I felt insecure and inferior. It was familiar. Sometimes it seemed to offer a strange, eerie comfort. It gave me an excuse to not press through the current challenges and risk defeat. It gave me an alternative to being vulnerable, facing the pain, and trusting the Lord to do a deeper work in my heart. The Lord told me to stop living in the drain pan. He was calling me to trust Him and stand in who I really was in Him, rather than cowering in my human brokenness. I was the one keeping the plug in place. He helped me to renounce the plug and repent for retreating to the false comfort of familiar shame and internal isolation. When I did, all of the nasty water started plunging out. Then I saw a picture of a globe and the ocean water was coming out of the globe and gushing through the drain pan to clean it out and open up the doors of opportunity. There were still some stains on the drain pan. I think they help me remember what life in the drain pan was like. I don’t want to go back there. Then I noticed the water was flowing through me to cleanse others. God wants to do a deep work in all of our hearts and equip and empower us to “comfort others with the comfort we have been comforted with”.

What about you? Are you living in your own drain pain? Do you retreat to a familiar hiding place of brokenness when you feel like you’re in a situation that reminds you of your past failures and current shortcomings? If you can relate, I encourage you to repent and take the plug out of your drain pan. Allow the Lord to clean your heart and empower you to stand in your true identity in Christ. You’ll find a strength you’ve never known before, and out of your belly will flow rivers of living water to bless others for the good of eternity. God is calling us out of our familiar hiding places of brokenness and into His marvelous light.

[Photo courtesy of Michael and Dianne Weidner via Unsplash.]