The Biblical texts plainly teach God's view on sex and marriage

This teaching is stated positively in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis. It is reaffirmed in the teaching of Jesus, who specifically endorsed the statements of those opening chapters. It is stated negatively in Jesus' strong words about those who break up marriages. When the apostle Paul brought the message of God to the non-Jewish world, various ritual and ceremonial practices were abolished, but not the teaching related to marriage and sexual practices.

Obedience to the word of God is not a theoretical or academic matter. It is a matter of deepest obedience to the One who made us.

By the grace of God there is forgiveness for breaches of God's standards and divinely empowered strength to live chastely. But we fail God and we do no service to our fellow men and women by saying or implying that God's standards are other than they are, or that they are less than they are.

Dr Carnley implies there is something fundamentally different about modern times and sexual expression. Doubtless many things about modernity are different from antiquity, but our sexual make up and sexual drive are not among those differences. Whatever adaptations changing times may necessitate, changing God's standards of sexual behaviour is not among them.

Even passing knowledge of the sexual mores of young people in Western societies indicates a potentially "lost generation", lost because of a loss of moral compass. In a way the sexual behaviour of modern Westerners resembles the promiscuity that characterised much of the Roman world. Around us we see despair and purposelessness among many of our younger contemporaries. We in the Christian churches serve them best by telling them God's truth, with humility and love, but a love that is robust and genuinely caring.

It is in humility, not arrogance, that a Christian affirms to his or her sisters or brothers that this is the way to please God. There should also be no doubt that leaders in our churches should be above reproach and be those whose lives exemplify the very biblical and Christian teaching that they are duty bound to give.