Q&A: Are sexual sin and sexual brokenness the same thing?
Explore additional resources about sexual discipleship.
Java with Juli: #166: We Are All Sexually Broken
Blog: A Road Map to Sexual Integrity in the Midst of Sexual Brokenness
Transcript
We often use these terms sexual sin and sexual brokenness as if they’re the same thing. We kind of lump them together and interchangeably, and they’re sort of as a fine line because I think in many ways they play into each other. If I am in a pattern of sexual sin that is going to lead to brokenness, and in a similar way if I’m struggling with sexual brokenness that really opens up temptation for sin, but they’re not exactly the same thing.
So let me use the example of someone who has experienced sexual trauma in their past because of that trauma, they are going to be walking into some forms of brokenness. They may have some lies that they believe about their sexuality for instance. They might believe that no one will ever truly love me because I’m damaged goods now that is broken. It’s not sin. It’s an aspect of their humanity that has been warped by the enemy and warped by pain. If someone has a history of pornography, even if they’re choosing now not to engage in pornography, we can see even from brain technology that the wiring of their brain has been impacted by that porn use. So even though they’re not actively sinning today, there are elements of brokenness.
Sin on the other hand is the willful decision to violate God’s standard, and unfortunately sin is something that we struggle with every day. We’re tempted to do every day. We do every day whether it’s in how we think about things or how we act or what we fail to do. Do, you know, the bible says if you know something is right to do and you don’t do it, it’s sin? It is that the choice, the act of choice of going against God’s express will for us and so it’s important to see the overlap of sin and brokenness, but also to realize that I may still feel that temptation out of my brokenness, but I have the choice to say no to walking in sin. So what does sexual integrity look like? It means surrendering brokenness to God because we want to continue to pursue healing, but it also means making the willful choice every day to follow what God has expressed in His will for you.