When Desire Becomes Identity – Part 1

Introduction: Persistence Requires Explanation

Not all sins endure in the same way. Some erupt briefly and are restrained by conscience or consequence. Others settle in, gain cultural legitimacy, and eventually demand moral affirmation. The persistence of same-sex sinfulness in modern society is not adequately explained by access, opportunity, or even desire alone. Scripture points us to a deeper explanation–one rooted in the relationship between desire, identity, and authority.

1. From Desire to Self-Definition

Biblically, desire is meant to be governed by God's design, not elevated to the level of personal truth. Modern culture, however, reverses this order. Desire is treated as self-revealing, even self-authorizing.

When a desire becomes the lens through which a person understands who they are, moral evaluation is displaced. What Scripture treats as a behavior to be governed is redefined as an essential feature of the self. At that point, moral disagreement no longer feels corrective–it feels existential.

This transition from desire to identity gives same-sex sinfulness cultural durability. Behaviors can be challenged. Identities demand protection.

2. Theological Insight from Romans 1

Paul's argument in Romans 1 does not begin with sexual behavior. It begins with authority.

Humanity, he says, suppresses the truth about God and exchanges the Creator for the created order. When God is no longer acknowledged as the defining authority, desire becomes self-interpreting. God's act of "giving them over" is not arbitrary punishment; it is judicial permission for humanity to pursue what it has already chosen.

Same-sex behavior functions in Paul's argument as a theological sign, not merely a moral failure. It represents a visible reordering of creation itself–male and female no longer received as complementary gifts, but reimagined according to autonomous desire.

That makes the behavior especially resilient in a culture committed to self-definition.

3. Moral Plausibility in a Therapeutic Age

Modern society evaluates morality primarily through psychological categories:

• Fulfillment
• Authenticity
• Consent
• Emotional well-being

Same-sex relationships can be presented as morally plausible within that framework. They appear loving, mutual, and affirming. Because the damage is not immediately visible, the behavior is treated as neutral or even virtuous.

Scripture, however, evaluates morality through creation order, not therapeutic satisfaction. What feels fulfilling may still be disordered. Persistence arises when a society replaces God's categories with its own.

4. Why Entrenchment Follows Normalization

Once a behavior is normalized, it must eventually be defended. Once defended, it must be celebrated. Once celebrated, dissent becomes dangerous.

At that stage, the issue is no longer sexual ethics. It is who has the authority to define good and evil.

Same-sex sinfulness persists not because it is uniquely tempting, but because it aligns with a deeper cultural conviction: I am who I desire to be.

Why This Matters

If the church misunderstands why certain sins persist, it will misapply how to address them. This issue is not primarily about behavior modification, but about the authority under which a person lives. The gospel must therefore confront misplaced authority before it can rightly address disordered desire.