Nearly half of the children born in my country are born to unwed mothers. One million more are aborted each year. Teenagers can purchase over-the-counter “morning after” pills. Our Supreme Court has ruled that men may marry men and women may marry women, and anyone who says otherwise is injuring them. Few people think they should wait for marriage to have sex, and many who do marry still end up divorcing their spouse.
This is a depressing situation, but it isn’t new. God told the Israelites not to imitate what they had seen in Egypt or would find in Canaan. And what did they find? Men having sex with mothers, sisters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, other men, and even animals (Leviticus 18:6-23). God said that the people had defiled themselves and He gave the land to the Israelites (Leviticus 18:24-25).
We can’t stop our culture from becoming sexually promiscuous, for the world is going to do what the world is going to do. But God calls us to be different. Here’s how:
1. Believe that sex is the gift of God. Sex was His idea, so He must want us to enjoy it. God is on our side. We can trust that His rules for sex are for our good (Genesis 2:20-25; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5).
2. Enjoy sex within the covenant of marriage. True love is a reflection of our triune God. As the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, so we imitate their love in a true loving relationship with another person (John 17:21-23). Sex is one way we express deep love for our spouse.
We gain a greater understanding of such divine love when we give ourselves to another, and we won’t dare to do that unless we are bound by vows before God. True sexual freedom requires commitment.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
More:
Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 to see how God corrects the world’s view of sex.
Next:
How does the world’s notion of sexual freedom lead to bondage? How does Scripture’s teaching on sexual limits produce true freedom?
Gary Shultz on May 21, 2014 at 6:31 am
Thanks for talking a little about this. It seems in my world there is no escaping the subject of something surrounding sex. I see so many people and families destroyed by the wrong approach to to this gift.
godlove on May 21, 2014 at 8:55 am
Crazy crazy world we’re living in! The most difficult thing is how to be different in this world? True, GOD calls us to “enjoy sex within the covenant of marriage”, but how to deal with a situation where you’re keeping yourself to enjoy sex only within marriage, but realise that NO ONE else around you is doing the same. Therefore, the odds of marrying someone who hasn’t even tried to be as careful as you can be as high as 99%! How can you deal with this reality?
Mike Wittmer on May 21, 2014 at 9:16 am
godlove: This is a great question. It shows how our sin damages not just us but others around us. As with any sin, we must respond with forgiveness, though that doesn’t eliminate consequences. I would pray for myself and for my future spouse, that God will keep us both pure. And that he will give us the grace to forgive as needed. It certainly seems that no one is trying to save themselves for marriage, but remember that God told Elijah he has reserved many who have not bowed their knee to Baal.
godlove on May 21, 2014 at 11:01 am
Thanks a lot for that. The key aspect which I will retain from your resonse is that prayer and forgiveness are of utmost importance.
Prayer not to be polluted by the sinful actions of those around (including fellow believers – and this is where it is the most difficult).
Forgiveness if you’re not lucky enough that the one you want to take as wife (or spouse) is one of the few whom GOD has reserved.
Tom Kopper on May 21, 2014 at 9:55 am
Since life comes from God, then all life is sacred.
So look at this relationship as “sacred” not ‘sexual’.
Regina Franklin on May 21, 2014 at 10:46 am
Dear Tom–Your words ring true of what Paul says when he refers to our bodies as the temple. All of our lives are a sacrifice to our God, not just some activities.
It begs an interesting question: how do we define sacred? I have had many young women tell me over the years that their sexual relationships outside of marriage held a “sacredness” for them and therefore, in their minds, those encounters were acceptable before God.
In our very “spiritual” yet ungodly culture, this distinction of that which is truly sacred becomes even more critical.
Mike Wittmer on May 21, 2014 at 12:09 pm
Tom: I think you put your finger on something important. It’s not either sacred or sexual, but both. Sex is sacred not only because it’s a gift from God but also because it’s perhaps the closest we come in this life to imitating the oneness of our triune God.
alseeking on May 22, 2014 at 3:58 am
The Bible can be used to support our personal prejudices. That is not saying the Bible words are wrong. Just be more compassionate to those who are living lives who we may condemn.
What about a woman who has been raped & becomes pregnant. What about gay people who have been that way since birth? You are blessed if you have not had to go through any of these circumstances. I can here you say, “but the Bible says we should condem these things.” Does that make us superior & righteous to ‘these people’
Luke chapter: 6 verse: 37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released. (ASV)
Mike Wittmer on May 22, 2014 at 5:48 pm
alseeking: Thank you for raising these points. I certainly don’t want to judge or condemn anyone. I am more than happy to leave that to God. But if we love people, we need to share all of God’s love–not just the parts that we like but also the parts we don’t. It’s not unloving to say that certain acts, such as rape, is wrong. It would be unloving not to. Also, everyone I know would blame the rapist for that sin, not the victim.
alseeking on May 25, 2014 at 7:27 am
Thanks Mike.
I like your way of using the phrase ”if we love people, we need to share all of God’s love – not just the parts we like but also the parts we don’t’. A type of tautology of logical thinking that equals judging.
It’s good of you to leave that to God. I’m sure he appreciates it.
godlove on May 26, 2014 at 7:35 am
What do you term “judging”? Is it judging to tell a thief that GOD warns against stealing, or to tell someone who lies that lying is wrong in GOD’s sight? I think all Mike is saying is that it is our duty when teaching GOD’s Word to say what GOD requires of us, both the easy ones as well as those which are not so easy. I don’t call that judging.
alseeking on May 27, 2014 at 2:27 am
Thank you ‘godlove’.
I’m glad you told me what you think Mike is saying.
Much appreciated.
May the Grace of God be with you.