At the first evening session of the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, Reverend Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St. Ebbe's Church in Oxford, addressed the issue of human identity and sexuality, offering a Christian response to the ongoing sexual revolution through a Christ revolution.
Roberts began by reflecting on the visible signs of the sexual revolution in his home city, Oxford, where rainbow flags flew across public buildings during the LGBT History Month. What began as a countercultural movement in the 1960s has now become mainstream, with few public figures daring to question its assumptions. While this revolution has primarily affected Western cultures, its influence has spread globally, making it a crucial issue for Christians worldwide.
To respond to this issue, Roberts called for Christians to turn to God’s unchanging Word for guidance. Instead of relying on isolated texts, he urged the audience to look at the overarching biblical themes of creation, fall, and redemption.
Beginning with creation, Roberts reminded the audience that God’s design for sex and marriage is rooted in Genesis 2, where He created humans as male and female and ordained marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman. This, Roberts explained, is not a restriction but a pathway to flourishing—designed for the good of individuals, families, and society.
In contrast, the sexual revolution encourages people to "be true to themselves," placing personal feelings above any external norms, whether religious or even biological. This worldview has led to the near collapse of family structures, with devastating effects on children and the vulnerable. Ironically, the revolution has not fulfilled its promise of personal freedom and happiness; instead, it has left many, especially the younger generation, feeling isolated, confused, and anxious.
Roberts challenged the church to avoid silence or compromise on these issues. Some churches have revised their teachings to align with cultural trends, but such adaptation lacks theological integrity and has led to spiritual decline. The church must remain faithful to God's Word, even when it goes against cultural norms, while offering hope and truth to those struggling with sexual identity.
Turning to the fall, Roberts reminded the audience that all people are affected by the fall, including their sexuality, and that no one is righteous on their own. He referenced 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul instructs the church not to judge the world but to extend a welcome to sinners, as Jesus did. At the same time, Roberts highlighted the need for church discipline when sin goes unrepented within the body of believers.
Under the theme of redemption, Roberts introduced the greatest revolution of all—the revolution of Christ. Christ’s invitation is not simply to moral living but to enter into the love story of God, who seeks to restore a broken relationship with humanity through the person of Jesus. So the church should present this gospel of transformation, rather than focusing merely on rules and morality.
“God is for sex, sex is for marriage, marriage is for life, and most importantly, life is for Christ,” said Reverend Vaughan Roberts, addressing the biblical theology of sex and marriage. He emphasized that God’s design for sex and marriage reflects the greater reality of Christ’s relationship with his church. As Paul writes in Ephesians 5, the "one flesh" union of a man and a woman in marriage points to the profound mystery of Christ’s union with his people.
Roberts noted that our sexual, romantic, and emotional longings ultimately point to Christ, which changes our understanding of singleness and family. Singleness is not a problem to be solved; rather, those who are in Christ relate to Him. Jesus affirms the biological family, but the family we will join forever is the family of Christ.
In his closing remarks, Roberts encouraged the church to hold firmly to God’s design for sex and marriage while extending compassion and grace to all. “We wait for the day when the bridegroom will come; at last, the bride will be united with him, all our longings will be fulfilled, and then at last all our tears will be wiped away,” Roberts concluded.
