Sexual Sanctification Is Not the Absence of Temptation

"Change is not the absence of temptations but the raw spiritual ability to be holy even in the midst of temptations."

Christopher Yuan delivered a message during a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition’s 2019 National Conference titled “Holy Sexuality: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story.” Yuan taught that sexual identity has become an idol within our culture, and sexual freedom has become the religion of the land as a result of our hearts being set in defiance against God’s perfect design. Though sanctification is critical activity for every believer, he taught, the Christian life constitutes far more than the avoidance of sinful behavior. It begins with answering our ontological questions in terms of the Imago Dei and developing a “theological anthropology”—recognizing that our identity is not defined by our sin, but by Christ.