Sex in a Broken World

Great read! I would highly reccomened it to singles persuing purity, parents wanting to give there children a good Christian view on sex, and of course for married people. Paul David Tripp has a way of guiding firmly, yet gently. This book is a bit repetitive at times, but it's full of so many good points I didn't mind them being repeated.

When Paul Tripp writes, I read it. He cares! He cares about you. He loves Jesus. He desires that we understand the challenges of life so that we can better live for Jesus. One of the hottest topics of all-time and will always be is sex. Anyone, who is willing to get his hands and feet dirty with a topic that has been so abused by humans, automatically gets my respect and my desire to hear what they have to say. Two things I think Paul captures greatly in this book: 1. The seriousness of honoring the Lord with your body. We are a temple and our temple has been purchased with a price and we need to embrace that truth and honor it with all that we have. 2. Grace. He is one of my favorite people to read when it comes to grace. He covers the shame and the brokenness of sex. He also covers the grace that covers those who have been damaged by it. Paul covers all of it. It is a must read for anyone who has a heartbeat. Paul gets it. He writes as one who has been in the trenches, fought the battle, and then drops on us how he overcame it. Those are your best writers and people to take advice from. Paul Tripp works hard to have a moment to speak to you, please listen and read what he has to say.

Paul David Tripp is passionate about remedying the sexual brokenness in our world. Sex in a Broken World: How Christ Redeems What Sin Distorts calls Christians to break away from the sexual chaos of the world around us and reclaim it for what it is meant to be: a reflection of the glory of God.



If you have read other Christian books about sexual ethics and related topics, you may be surprised about what Sex in a Broken World is not. It is not a review of sex in media and culture. Tripp does not discuss internet filters and accountability groups. He does not give "sex-ed for married couples."



For Tripp, sexual issues cannot be solved horizontally. It's all about the vertical--where our hearts stand with God. "Our problem with sex begins when we forget that God must be at the center of this part of our lives as he must be with any other." When we succumb to the sexual insanity of the world, we are putting ourselves in God's place, rejecting his sovereignty in our lives.



Our "sex insanity" is not a result of culture, entertainment, or the internet; it "reveals the disloyalty and rebellion of our hearts." The key is a heart submitted to God. "Sexual purity begins in the heart with a love for God that overwhelms all the other loves that battle for the allegiance of the heart."



In a way, some of the more popular recent books about sexual addiction, purity, and faithfulness are easier. Draw boundary lines, make a plan, start a group, add a filter, avert your eyes, make more rules. And I'm not sure Tripp would disagree with those books completely. But Tripp's point is larger and greater. None of the strategies or plans for sexual purity will mean a thing if our hearts are not turned to God.



People affected by or trapped in sexual insanity must work on the vertical before the horizontal, putting our reliance on God first, acknowledging that his commands are "kind, wise, and good," and believing that "only the heart-satisfying riches of the grace of Jesus can protect and free you from the deceptive and dissatisfying 'riches' of this fallen world." Sex in a Broken World is a strong and welcome call to return our hearts to God.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Paul David Tripp’s book Sex in a Broken World is an important book. We all know we are surrounded by sexuality. It permeates our entertainment, our advertising, our identities, and even our news. Almost none of what we see regarding sex is presented from a biblical perspective. As Tripp emphasizes throughout the book: “I’m deeply persuaded that when it comes to sex, we’ve gone culturally insane. The level of functional delusion, of self-deception and self-destruction, that accompanies the way we approach it is simply crazy.” In Sex in a Broken World, Tripp points us to the One who brings peace and order to the craziness. He reminds us that there is hope for those who feel controlled, abused, ashamed, and broken by sex.

Tripp starts the book with several scenarios of both men and women, adult and teenager. These are people struggling with sexuality, with pressures, with addiction, with desires. One scenario ends with a woman asking, “How can I serve a God who hardwires me with desires and then tells me he’ll discipline me if I fulfill them?” This leads to her feeling depressed and confused. Undoubtedly, many people will identify with some of these scenarios and will ask similar questions.

Tripp writes:

If you’re in any of those situations, this is what you need to understand: you live in a deeply broken world that simply does not function as God intended… you will never completely understand our deep struggle with human sexuality unless you first understand the context or the environment in which the struggle takes place.

Tripp calls this the “bad news.” As the title of the book clearly states, we live in a broken world. He goes on to walk through Romans 8:18-39. Paul assumes we are going to suffer in this world. We are living between the already, but not yet. Christ has come, and we are saved. Yet, we are still living in the world waiting to be perfected in His image. If suffering is part of all of our experiences, we should expect to experience it in regards to sex as well.

Tripp writes:

You will suffer the reality that right here, right now, sex doesn’t function the way that God intended. You will face the redefinition, distortion, and misuse of sex. You suffer the temptation to take your sexual life outside of God’s clear boundaries.

That’s the bad news, but Paul doesn’t stop there. Paul points us to grace. Tripp writes, “He doesn’t promise us that we will not suffer… No, he promises us that in all these situations he will be with us, in us, and for us. God is the grace he offers us.” In fact, it is in the context of this passage in Romans that Paul states that powerful promise of “If God is for us, who can be against us.”

What I love about Tripp’s writing is that he doesn’t offer fluff. He doesn’t mince words. He doesn’t blow smoke. As a former co-teacher of mine use to say about students, he doesn’t give us too many fuzzy wuzzies when what we need is pricklies. I want that hard truth. Tell me like it is.

At the same time, I know not everyone appreciates hard truths. They knock the breath out of us sometimes. Tripp doesn’t just leave us that way. He brings us back to hope and the breath of life. He goes on to explain God’s grace in light of sexual struggle in detail.

He then explains that the problem is not just the environment, but ourselves—our hearts. He writes:

You see, the humbling truth is that when it comes to sex, we don’t have a thing problem; the thing (sex) is not evil in itself. We don’t have an environment problem, as if our surroundings cause the difficulty. No, we are the problem.

Again, there are some hard truths here. Making ourselves and our comfort, pleasure, and control the center of our universe violates the very nature of the world. God did not design us or the world to work that way. Tripp writes:

You see the problem is not that your heart has the capacity to desire; the problem is ruling desire. Let me say it as I’ve said it before: the desire for even a good thing becomes a bad thing when that desire becomes a ruling thing.

Monasteries, boycotts, and situational awareness won’t solve the problem, because the problem is our hearts. We are self-oriented and pleasure-addicted. As Tripp says, “This side of eternity, your heart is susceptible.” We have to know, understand, and believe this in order to embrace the fact that we can’t save ourselves. We can’t fix the problem.

Tripp goes on to examine pleasure in the next chapter. What is this thing that draws us to it and takes over our hearts? Pleasure is to be God glorifying, but pleasure demands boundaries. Pleasure without boundaries is not God’s design, and it doesn’t work.

Tripp writes:

Here’s the question: What are you asking of your pleasure? You have been designed by God for pleasure. You have been placed by God in a pleasure-saturated world. You have been hardwired with the senses to take in and enjoy the pleasures around you. In short, you are a pleasure seeker. The issue is what kind of pleasure will you give your heart to, and what will you ask of pleasures?

Pleasure is meant to glorify God, but when we ask pleasure to do things it simply can’t, things go terribly wrong. For example, using sex to establish power and control ends in damage and destruction of yourself and others. Using pleasure as a spiritual refuge from troubles will never satisfy you and will only compound problems. Pleasure was never meant to be used to establish our identities, our peace, or our contentment. It can’t save us.

Tripp goes on to explain the difference between big-picture sex and little-picture sex. He spends three chapters explaining what is probably the most shocking, but one of the most important concepts: Sex is an act of worship. Little-picture sex—the isolated, individualization of sex—violates that concept. He writes, “Worship of anything other than God always ends in the worship of self and the individualization of things that are designed by God to connect us to things that are bigger than our wants, needs, and pleasures.”

What are we to do with this? Tripp walks through 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Taking all of those hard truths into account, we have to turn to the scripture and the Lord over and over every day. Tripp walks through what obedience looks like. He walks through how sex is all about relationship. Finally, he gives some very practical thoughts on the gospel and how it applies. These are practical thoughts that people who are struggling with shame, guilt, and hopelessness need to hear because we simply don’t talk about these issues like we should in the church.

I’d have a hard time trying to think of a group that would not benefit from reading Sex in a Broken World—marriage counseling, teenagers, parents, those struggling with sexuality or pornography, the list goes on. It’s a topic that surrounds us, but we often feel ill equipped or ashamed to discuss. This is truly a helpful book on a difficult, but crucial topic. Sex in a Broken World is being published by Crossway on January 31, 2018. You can get a copy here.

Great resource with lots of information I had never considered before. My view and understanding of God’s design for sex is much improved after reading this book. Tons of scripture and real life examples are used to illustrate points. Great book.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whether we know it or not, every human being lives in search of a savior. We are all propelled by a quest for identity, inner peace, and some kind of meaning and purpose. And we all look for it somewhere. Here's the bottom line: looking to creation to get what only the Creator can give you always results in addiction of some kind. The thing you hoped would serve you pulls you into its service. What seemed like freedom ends up being bondage. The thing is not the problem, what you've asked of it is.

What do you think of when you hear the word sex? Does it make you uncomfortable? Does it make you excited? Does it bring shame? God did create sex to give us a joy in the boundary of marriage and he did so with very good reason. The problem is not sex itself but with each of us. How we view sex reflects so much on the person we are. Sex can be used as a weapon, a form of manipulation, of pain and of shame. Sex can dehumanize when it was created to bring humans in existence.

The text gives you the contrast of the good of sex and the bad. However, this is not so much of do not but a better way and most importantly why. As a Christian, it is important for us to understand the doctrine of sex. To be honest, it can be the undoing of our faith and who we serve.

There must be understanding of the sovereignty of sex. Does it belong to us or to God? Is your stance, it is my body or do you guard the use of your body the way you guard what comes into your heart and mind. Again, this is not a matter of don't but do. Don't watch the TV show but have a game night instead. Don't give into flirtation at the office, but give your spouse the encouragement she/he needs from you.

Tripp in his counseling has seen it all and he uses example after example how we can get caught up in the broken world. He reminds every day whom he serves and why and invites us to do the same. We are all in the same battle.

Some of the quotes that I found encouraging.

Only when God is in his rightful place as the unchallenged Master of our hearts will everything else in our lives be in its appropriate place. When something else replaces him, insanity and chaos of some kind always result.

Your bible begins with these four worlds. In the beginning God. (Gen 1:1, and with those words everything in life is given its shape, purpose, and meaning.

So sex is not a-religious thing. Sex is deeply spiritual. Your relationship to your own sexuality and the sexuality of others always reveals your heart. Your sexual life is always an expression what you truly worship. Sex is deeply religious. In sex you are either self-consciously submitting to God or setting yourself up as God. In other words, sex is never simply a horizontal thing. Sex always connects you to the God who created your body, gave you eyes to see and a heart that desires and tells you how are to steward this aspect of your personhood.

We live in sex crazed world and I think we always have. It has been hidden at times but it is always there. Sex is meant to glorify God and in glorifying God, we have true peace and rest. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank You to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

It is no secret that our culture has been highly sexualized. Whether it is sexist language or sexualized commercials that depict male and female stereotypes; or scandals and news about the latest Hollywood breakups and couple hitches; there is a deep public interest and curiosity over what people do in private bedrooms. According to author and pastor Paul David Tripp, sexuality reveals the sinfulness in human beings more powerfully than any other thing. So much so that it has split communities; break apart churches; divided families; and corrupted relationships. Is there hope in the midst of such brokenness? Calling himself a "sad celebrant," he reveals the conflicted feelings and thoughts about sex in a broken world. On the one hand, he is sorry about the sad state of affairs pertaining to the way people use and abuse one another. On the other hand, he is hopeful about the promises of redemption of the world in Christ. What does it mean to live between the "already" and the "not yet?" With Christ having died for our sins at the cross, God has already won our salvation for us. Yet, we remain incomplete and imperfect. Even after the gospel has been preached, we continue to hurt one another in various ways. Sexual sins is a major part of this brokenness. What can we do about it? How do we think redemptively about sexual sins? Can marriages survive adultery? What could sexually charged individuals do with their strong sexual desires? After describing the emotional conflicts about sexuality, the author hones in on Romans 8 passage to point out the reality of the world in sin and the promises of hope in redemption. There will be temptations. There will be pitfalls. There will be hardships of different degrees. There will be suffering, one that includes sexuality as well. In this book, Tripp shows us that God's grace is often "uncomfortable grace"; "intervening grace"; "unstoppable grace"; "providing grace"; and "inseparable grace."


Many people have questions about sex and sexuality. Teens wonder about the development of their breasts and genitals. Youths ask questions about masturbation and sex. Society grapples with the issue of homosexuality and transgender inclinations. Sex scandals and assaults get reported on a daily basis. Tripp wonders why such matters are discussed so openly in public spheres but ignored in churches and Christian communities? Sometimes it does seem like Christians and the rest of the world behave like polar opposites. They talk while we shun. They make movies about it while we keep quiet about it. They express it openly while we prefer to keep it low profile. If the gospel is so powerful and redemptive, why aren't more Christians speaking out about it?

When asked about why he wrote this book, the author gave three words: "insanity, addiction, and glory." Insanity because the world we live in are not only infatuated with sexual matters, the world's expressions of sexuality reflect utter brokenness. Addiction is putting what feels good above all else. Glory is an intrinsic desire and we are called toward God's glory. All of them cannot be resolved solely on our human front, but vertical with God. In this book, Tripp covers quite a lot of ground. The list includes:

Debunking the secular-sacred dichotomy (necessary to keep our discussions with God in mind)
Asking why we tend to do wrong even when we know it is wrong
What truly brings us the greatest pleasure?
Distinguishing between "big-picture sex" and "little-picture sex"
That sex is more about worship than individual needs
Sex being based on a relationship, not self-driven desires
Sex about obedience to God's order, not enslavement to our broken human nature
Dealing with sexual struggles courageously

Why should we read this book? Let me offer three reasons.

Three Thoughts
I applaud the author for highlighting the importance of identity. His story of a poor boy spending money on ice-cream is a powerful reminder of how we could get so stuck on a certain identity, that whatever providence we have, we simply use it on present concerns without considering future hope. Without a sense of identity, we let our circumstances dictate our future. If we are able to address this identity question, we will be looking at investment more than mere spending. In Tripp's words, "When you have confusion of identity, you tend to live with a poverty mentality, which makes you a sitting duck for sexual insanity. Only riches can deliver you from riches." If our identity is rooted in Christ, we will recognize that we are forgiven and redeemed. Here, readers can learn from someone who is able to describe what the problems are and to prescribe what we need.

Second, do not underestimate the power of addiction. Whether it is drugs or alcohol; pornography or sex; we are all susceptible to being addicted to anything. In our digital age, many people claim to be constantly connected and always on the Internet. On the surface, it may seem to be just a connection to the wider world. Underneath, there is a crying need for something deeper and more meaningful. Perhaps, addiction is a sign of that restlessness in us that can only be addressed through meaningful relationships. Being addicted can be very self-focused and selfish. When we recognize how deep we are in addiction for anything, we could make a decision about it. Carry on or change course. Tripp gives us many reasons to do the latter, by pointing out that sex is more than simply an act or pleasure. It is a way we worship. It is about relationships. It is about obedience to our divine call of God.

Third, we need books like this because we are still mired in brokenness. Deep in the heart of the writing of this book is the belief we are saved. We do not need to be enslaved on our old ways. We have been freed from the wages of sin because of Christ. The Apostle Paul's admission about inner conflicts and spiritual warfare is far more real than we could ever imagine. This world is broken but it need not stay that way. If we can extricate ourselves from the clutches of worldly desires and to escape the deceptions of this age, we are on the way to healing and wholesome living. Better still, we become an additional soldier for Christ, to help others recover and seek out God's calling for them to be holy as well. A person saved is a person won for Christ. A person won for Christ could win others for Christ. How do we be a part of the solution? Seek to help one person at a time, beginning with ourselves. Let this book arm you.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Sex is a gift that God has given to man and woman in the context of marriage yet the world doesn't see it that way. Throughout history, sex has been distorted and abused. Even people in the church get it wrong. Sex is a beautiful thing yet has suffered mistreatment due to the Fall.

Paul Tripp in his book, Sex In A Broken World, writes that Christians will face temptation when it comes to sex in this life. Yet, Christians can rejoice because we have a High Priest who hears us and sympathizes with our weakness. God will provide grace for us as continue to live our life in the body and face these temptations.

Tripp also dives into our culture's view of sex through various stories of people he has encountered. These people believe the lie that sex is pure satisfaction if you seek to please yourself and it will not hurt anyone else. The truth is it will hurt those around you and will eventually hurt you. Tripp also writes that the gospel helps us to be sex-wise. The Bible says flee sexual immorality yet our flesh will fight it everyday. The gospel shows us that God will change our hearts to follow him and say no to ungodly desires.

The rest of the book deals with putting sex back in the right context and that is the way God designed it. Sex should also be an expression of worship where we praise God for the husband/wife He has given us. Sex isn't about you, it is about God and glorifying him.

Paul Tripp takes the controversial topic of sex and presents a gospel-centered picture of what the Bible says it is. Yes, this world will distort it and we will face temptation, yet we should not lose heart. The Bible promises that God will provide a way of escape when we face temptation. The Bible also says that the world's desires will fade away including its distorted view of sex.

This is hardly a few weeks that go buy that I don’t have a conversation with somebody about sexual sin. Whether it is a young man struggling in the church that I pastor or it is seeing it first hand as the male that I’m ubering around in my car is trying to convince the girl with him to come back and cuddle just a bit, it is evident that we do live in a broken world. Paul David Tripp talks about this world gone crazy in his book Sex in a Broken World: How Christ Redeems What Sin Distorts, published by Crossway. In this book he doesn’t deny that we are sexual beings, but we live in a world that is not sexually healthy but is deeply broken. In this world God does not promise us that we will not struggle, but rather He has given to us the best gift ever in it—Himself. As a matter of fact according to the author, “The cross is our guarantee that in all our struggles with sex, no matter who we are and what those struggles may be, God will give us everything we need. If He willingly gave us His Son, we can rest assured He will gladly supply what we are not able to supply for ourselves.” There can be victory in this area of our lives!
In this book Tripp takes a close look at the brokenness of this world but challenges the Christian to not use that as an excuse to chase sin. He encourages the Christian to take a good long look at his/her own heart and ask the question of whether or not your heart is controlled by a higher pleasure of God, which is greater than any other pleasure you could seek. The question is this: Is God the master of my heart? Everything else falls into place after that. In this book the author goes in great detail to show us that we must have a heart-controlling love for God that can protect us in this world that we live in.
Tripp completes his book with some practical advice on how to find victory in this area of your life. He points to hope found in the gospel and in the power of God. He says, “When you begin to understand that you’ve been invited to a meal that will never end, that you’ve been welcomed to the King’s table forever, you’ll quit looking to sneak a bite at other tables.” Understanding what we have in this relationship with God, goes far in the victory we all need.
This is going to be a book that I keep close. It is going to be a book that I recommend time and time again because of the pervasive nature of this sin and this sinful world that we live in. I found many of the truths in this book to be applicable not only to sexual sin, but any sin. This is one that you need on your shelfs not just for yourself, but for those you love.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An exploration into the "sexual insanity" of the present day and an attempt toward a way forward in Christ.

The author speaks to the difficulties and challenges manifest in understanding and practice of human sexuality today and considers it as insanity/craziness. He identifies the problem in a myriad of ways, ultimately speaking of it as idolatry and self-worship in self-sovereignty. He attempts to locate healthy sexuality in Christ and how it can glorify God in Christ. He concludes by reckoning counterfeit forms of sexuality today as its own form of impoverishment.

The author is not wrong in his assessments and in most of what he has to say. He speaks forthrightly and strongly at times to work through the pretenses and justifications a lot of people would offer and gets right to the heart of the issue in terms of self-sovereignty and self-will in sexuality in ways that would benefit many readers.

And yet...the tone of the book is almost uniformly negative and full of chastisement. The author's Calvinism is evident throughout; the tone of the conversation about sexuality manifests a total depravity perspective, and his final discussions of salvation are tinged with perseverance of the saints. It did not at all surprise me to see a Puritan quoted toward the end of the work; the whole book has a puritanical feel to its diatribe and presentation. I am sure the author quite sincerely and honestly wanted to speak of the benefits and positive nature of sexuality, and while it is done at many points in the work, any actual belief in anything positive about sexuality was lost in the overall harsh tone of the work. That framework also means that the work may help convict the believer but will not be found very persuasive to anyone else.

A work that might benefit some who profess Jesus but have been a bit hardened by sexual sin. Absolutely not recommended to help convict the unbeliever or for the young or overly impressionable; it might well backfire.

I think Tripp's writing gets better all the time. What a hard and difficult topic to sometimes deal with, especially in our current culture and climate. Our world is broken and good guidance isn't always available. Thankful for books.

Everything by Paul David Tripp is great! I loved how this book promoted a healthy, Christ-centered view of sexuality. The author did a great job of explaining the theological implications behind sex without making it awkward.