If you are a practicing follower of Christ, you’ve surely noticed that God’s ways are quite unpopular with those who’d rather wade in the ways of the world. This is especially evident in the arena of sexual relations.
God’s parameters are crystal clear:
…a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Gn. 2:24 NKJV
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Heb. 13:4 NASB
The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. 1 Cor. 6:13 ESV
So, what is God saying? Marriage is between a man and a woman; and godly sex is that which only takes place within a marital environment. There is no gray area of confusion. And if we want to walk according to God’s word, we’re going to take a lot of flak from the world:
“And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently preserved and endured to the end who will be saved.” Mt. 10:22 AMP
God never sows confusion; the choice between right or wrong is always black and white:
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father [but He is not], you would love and recognize Me, for I came from God [out of HIs very presence]…Why do you misunderstand what I am saying? It is because [your spiritual ears are deaf and] you are unable to hear [the truth of] My word. You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He…does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.” Jn. 8:42 – 44. AMP
We are either following Christ, and thus His Father, or we are living under the sway of the angel-gone-bad, who oversees this world.
The world hates us because when we do our best to walk in a godly fashion, it convicts them. So, their tactic is to persecute you, in the hope that you will break down and swim in the muck with them. The Killers recorded a song called When You Were Young, that really exemplifies the world’s message:
‘…the devil’s water it ain’t so sweet, you don’t have to drink right now – but you can dip your feet every once in a little while…’
We are held to be ‘contrary’ in the world’s eyes. Heterosexual relationships? Not good according to the world. Monogamy? Forget about it. Two sexes. They don’t think so…
If we truly want to walk as God would have us to, we must love all of the worldly people, and be ready to sit down and share God’s promise through Christ, should they want to hear it; but we cannot condone their behavior just so that we can ‘go-along-to-get-along’:
“So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].” Rv. 3:16 AMP
That’s not a Jesus that I want to have to answer to…
So, let’s return to God’s Sex Education 101:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple or the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God’s. ! Cor. 6:15 – 20. NKJV
Thus, our body is to be dedicated to sacredly serving God; but if we add immorality to our union with Christ, we desecrate God and Jesus and our holy merger with them.
Paul thought that celibacy was the ultimate answer to victory over sexual immorality, but he realized that the majority of the people could not win that fight; so, he gave us the framework for sexual relations that comply with our Father’s intent:
But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body but the wife does.
Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, but then come again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Cor. 7:2 – 5. ESV
So wise this God of ours. He knows of the strong pull for sexual union between a man and a woman. (He put it there!) God is saying that the place for that to be expressed is in a monogamous marital relationship.
We can also see that we are to give over the control of our flesh to our spouse and vice versa, so that we can achieve a mutually rewarding intimacy. Finally, we can understand that the commission of that union is of such paramount importance, we should not withdraw that right from our spouse as a means of control – or the devil will leverage that ‘withholding’ to try to turn the eyes and heart of our spouse elsewhere.
Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so, destroys his own soul. Pr. 6:32 NKJV
And let us not forget that the perpetrator of sexual infidelity is often caught, which many times leads to divorce – the devil’s greatest tool:
A wife is not to depart from her husband. But if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. 1 Cor. 7:10, 11. NKJV
“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong and violence,” say the LORD of hosts. “Therefore keep watch on your spirit, so that you do not deal treacherously [with your wife].” Mal. 2:16 AMP
Divorce should never be an option unless one of the spouses is an unrelenting, unrepentant adulterer, abuser or one who abandons the other.
Sexual union in a marriage, is a gift from God; it’s a good thing. Not to mention that there are other benefits:
But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks Godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. Mal. 2:15 NKJV
Well, there’s only one way I know of to make offspring. Receive and cherish your gift, and keep it in the home…
Goodnight and God bless.