Beautiful Union

Informationen zum Autor Joshua Ryan Butler Klappentext A powerful call for Christians to understand sex as a window into God's story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culturefrom the influential pastor and author of The Skeletons in God's Closet. Beautiful isn't likely the first word that comes to mind when we think about sex. Our reactions are as varied as our experiences and backgrounds. Perhaps the word brings up past baggage. Perhaps it holds yearning for a dream that has never come true. Maybe we would rather not talk about it. Maybe it's all we want to talk about. Around us, our culture is divided by this topic. On one side, progressive voices seek to dismantle historic Christian teachings to fit current norms. On the other side, conservative voices can reinforce messages of shame, judgement, and repression. Beautiful Union offers a third way, one that is both true and beautiful. It gives us a provocative, positive look into the deepest Christian understanding of sex . . . and what sex reveals about God, our world, and even ourselves. Through biblical teaching and livable, joyful answers to our tough questions about sexuality, author and pastor Joshua Ryan Butler shows how sex illuminates the structure of creation, the nature of salvation, the abundance of God's kingdom, and God's heartbeat for the world. Discover afresh the beautiful invitation of our sexuality . . . as God intended it to be. Leseprobe 1 Sex as Salvation I used to look to sex for salvation. I wanted it to liberate me from loneliness, to find freedom in the arms of another. But the search failed. My college sweetheart dumped me. I found a rebound to feel better about myself­and hurt her in the process. I then fell head over heels for the girl of my dreams (at the time) and spent the next five years pining after this friend who didn't feel the same. I wanted to feel wanted, yet wound up alone. Our culture looks to sex for salvation too. We want romance to free us from solitary confinement, to deliver us into a welcome embrace. A nobody can become a somebody, the myth goes, if you just find the right person. Yet the search often leads to sadness. The lover lets you down. The rapturous embrace starts to suffocate. The emotional high crashes and burns. Idolizing sex results in slavery. You can chart up your long list of ex-­lovers and join Taylor Swift in telling the newest applicant, I've got a blank space, baby, and I'll write your name. You can find yourself in the Egypt of a new romantic wasteland, more cynical and isolated than when you first began. Yet I've discovered a crucial corrective in the gospel that can lead us out into true freedom . . . Sex wasn't designed to be your salvation but to point you to the One who is. Union with Christ Sex is an icon of Christ and the church. In Ephesians 5, a hall of fame marriage passage, the apostle Paul proclaims: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery­but I am talking about Christ and the church. Now, the context here is marriage. Leave and cleave is marriage language (we'll look at this in a future chapter), and the surrounding verses are all about husbands and wives, not hook-­up culture. Yet that second part, about the two becoming one flesh, is consummation language that refers to the union of husband and wife. Paul says both are about Christ and the church. This should be shocking! It's not only the giving of your vows at the altar but what happens in the honeymoon suite after that speaks to the life you were made for with God. A husband and wife's life of faithful love is designed to point to greate...

Autorentext
Joshua Ryan Butler is a pastor and the author of two critically acclaimed books, The Skeletons in God’s Closet and The Pursuing God. He and his wife, Holly, along with their three children, reside in Arizona.

Klappentext

A powerful call for Christians to understand sex as a window into God's story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culture-from the influential pastor and author of The Skeletons in God's Closet.

It's time to better understand God's redemptive vision for humanity's greatest obsession. In this bold book, award-winning author Joshua Ryan Butler helps readers rediscover the beauty of the traditional Christian theology of sex by framing it within the greater things it is designed to point to. As our culture's values and expressions of sexuality shift, there is a growing tension between the casual way everyone seems to be "doing it" and historic teaching about the sacred beauty and dignity of the body, which affirms sex as diversity-in-union, of marriage as faithful love, and of procreation as life-giving presence.

At their worst, some Christian theologies of sex have been confused, repressive, and shame-based. They have resulted in situations of sex-negativity, hypocrisy, and even abuse. But contrary to popular opinion, this is not because of the teachings of the Bible. In fact, this is in spite of them. There is a better way, found by understanding God's design for our sexual natures. A way of freedom, pleasure, and meaning.

Influential pastor and respected author Joshua Ryan Butler is used to leading the hard conversations. In this inspiring, provocative and surprisingly fun guide, he shows us all afresh--regardless of our struggles, sexual background, or singleness--the beauty and meaning of sexuality as part of God's story--and empowers all of us to live with clarity, faithfulness, insight, and love.

Leseprobe
1

Sex as Salvation

I used to look to sex for salvation. I wanted it to liberate me from loneliness, to find freedom in the arms of another. But the search failed. My college sweetheart dumped me. I found a rebound to feel better about myself—­and hurt her in the process. I then fell head over heels for the “girl of my dreams” (at the time) and spent the next five years pining after this friend who didn’t feel the same.

I wanted to feel wanted, yet wound up alone.

Our culture looks to sex for salvation too. We want romance to free us from solitary confinement, to deliver us into a welcome embrace. “A nobody can become a somebody,” the myth goes, “if you just find the right person.” Yet the search often leads to sadness. The lover lets you down. The rapturous embrace starts to suffocate. The emotional high crashes and burns.

Idolizing sex results in slavery. You can chart up your long list of ex-­lovers and join Taylor Swift in telling the newest applicant, “I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your name.” You can find yourself in the Egypt of a new romantic wasteland, more cynical and isolated than when you first began. Yet I’ve discovered a crucial corrective in the gospel that can lead us out into true freedom . . . 

Sex wasn’t designed to be your salvation but to point you to the One who is.

Union with Christ

Sex is an icon of Christ and the church. In Ephesians 5, a “hall of fame” marriage passage, the apostle Paul proclaims:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—­but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Now, the context here is marriage. “Leave and cleave” is marriage language (we’ll look at this in a future chapter), and the surrounding verses are all about husbands and wives, not hook-­up culture. Yet that second part, about the two becoming one flesh, is consummation language that refers to the union of husband and wife.

Paul says both are about Christ and the…