When Saul (turned Apostle Paul) met Christ on the road to Damascus Jesus told him, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). Goads were sharp prods that a man would use on an animal such as an ox or a donkey to get them to move. If the animal was rebellious, they would kick against the goads inflicting pain. That is the picture of what Saul had been doing. It speaks of a convicted conscience that painfully “kicks” against God’s truth. Many today are kicking against the goads of God’s truth when it comes to God-ordained sexuality.

Kicking against the distinction of roles regarding men and women.

The whole world is trying hard to defy the God-ordained distinction of roles between men and women. It is an attempt to defy the reality of Genesis 3:16. Headship is male as ordained by God. Paul in emphasizing that headship is male goes back to the creation account (cf. 1 Cor. 11:3-9; 1 Tim. 2:11-14). This is God’s created order! Even many so-called “Christians” claim to hold to a position of egalitarianism which in effect seeks to eradicate the roles God has ordained. Or worse yet, they profess “complementarianism” and yet push for egalitarian positions. This kicking against the goads of God’s truth ultimately fails and proves painful in the process. Yes, there is equal value, but there is also a distinction of roles as ordained by God.

Kicking against God-ordained covenant sexuality.

God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman till death parts them (cf. Gen. 2:24-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 7:2). Marriage is a sacred covenant commitment in which one is accountable to God for their vows of fidelity (cf. Mal. 2:14-16). Any sexual relationship outside the bounds of holy matrimony is condemned by God.

Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Kicking against God’s laws of nature.

Homosexuality

Romans 1 chronicles the path of depravity that suppresses God’s truth (cf. Rom. 1:18). The wrath of God is manifest against such people in giving them over to “vile passions” (Rom. 1:26). These vile passions involve sexual perversion exchanging “the natural use for what is against nature” (Rom. 1:26). The description is that of homosexuality and the result is that they receive “in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Rom. 1:27). In His wrath God gives such people “over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Rom. 1:28).

Transgenderism

Transgenderism is a total defiance of God’s created order in an attempt to play God! It is a defiance of God’s order of nature in the extreme. This is an example of being given over to a debased mind that has “their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18).

What sets authentic Christianity apart from the world is that we are called to abstain from sexual immorality (cf. 1 Thess. 4:3-8). It is the lost who are given over to the passion of lust (cf. 1 Thess. 4:5). Sexual perversion defines the world; but sexuality as ordained by God defines authentic Christianity. It is a LORDSHIP issue (cf. Jude 4). For true believers, Jesus is LORD and that is the defining reality in how we view sexuality. For us it’s a God-thing! Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is a life-changing reality!

Thot: To kick against the truth goads of God-ordained sexuality is painful and ultimately deadly!

Earnestly Contending, Pastor Dwight J. Oswald