Christianity And Sex Series

Christianity and Sex

1 Cor. 6:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Genesis 2:24-25

Where would you expect to find the following articles? How to Maintain an Erotic Marriage; Sexual Limits: What other Women Will and Won’t Do in Bed. In the Adults Only section of the newsstand? Try Readers Digest and RedBook. Turn on the TV and it’s difficult to find the product in the commercial. Are they selling sex or cereal? Intimacy or instant coffee? Sex has become a cultural obsession but the picture of sex that our culture paints is a cheap counterfeit of God’s design. What we have done is dehumanized ourselves and taken something which was meant to be sacred, wonderful and beautiful and changed it so that it is almost unrecognizable.

And somewhere the church has lost its voice in all of this. We forgot to stand up and be heard. So this morning, we’re going to talk about God’s intention for sexual intimacy in our lives. The challenge, no matter your age, is to be Scriptural Christians because that is the ultimate guide and benchmark for our lives. What does God expect from us? What does God want from us? Somewhere along the way, we forgot that when we follow God’s ways and do His will, we find the very best in life. So often, it seems, we settle for less. But God wants the best for you. He wants a safe life for you and that doesn’t come from safe sex but rather from following God’s plan for this part of our lives and today we’re going to discover it.

Now some of us have failed in this area of our lives: singles, teenagers and even married people. But today, we need to be reminded that God’s grace is so great that it can wash even the greatest sins. Grace is sufficient for any one of you because God loves you deeply. If you’re here today and you’ve blown it in this part of your life, grace, forgiveness and a new beginning is offered for you. It’s never too late for a new beginning. Les Parrot, a Christian counselor, was invited to sit in on a discussion with a small group of men at Seattle Pacific University. All were seniors and about to graduate. A couple of them were engaged to be married that summer. One of the reasons they met was so that each could look at their wife on their wedding night and say, I saved myself for you. The group gave them a sense of accountability to keep their commitment to abstinence. But then one of them caught Les off guard when he said, “All of us had sex before, either in high school or college, so we’re kind of like neo-virgins. And then he writes, If you have sexual regrets and want to start a clean slate, you can walk beyond those regrets toward healthy relationships and guard yourself from having sex too soon.” Our scripture today says, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.’ God’s forgiveness is available o you. Maybe you feel trapped by guilt, shame, frustration, loss of respect and distrust. You can move beyond that. Maybe you’ve experienced a devastating breakup, venereal disease, unwanted pregnancy or an abortion. You can move beyond that too. There is hope… it is possible.”

What is God’s design for desire and sexual intimacy? First, it is meant to be a physical reflection of the covenant between two people. God design our bodies to fit together perfectly. He designed our hormones, our emotions and our desires. When you marry and take those vows, you enter into a covenant to stand by each other for better or for worse for the rest of their lives. And in that context, God gives us something which is like superglue, something that will bond you together and that is the sexual union. Sex is meant to bond two people together in marriage and it was never meant to be pulled apart. I love Duck Tape. It is perhaps one of the most adhesive things in the world. If you take it, fold it over and press it together, you can’t get them apart. Nothing can tear it apart and that’s what God intended for sex and marriage.

Second, it is meant to be a shared experience of joy with one another. God made sex enjoyable for a reason: He wants both the man and women to be able to enjoy the experience, each other and bring incomparable satisfaction to one another. Third, it is meant to be a shared experience of intimacy. Sex was designed to help them experience a closer connection to each other. God created sex to be a significant part of intimate communication between a husband and wife. It is a powerful and emotional bonding experience designed to help strengthen a marriage. As one young married man said, “It allows me to communicate my love in a way that words cannot express.” Fourth, it was meant to protect a husband and wife from temptation. You are the person chosen by God to fill the sexual needs of your spouse. When the husband and wife are physically, emotionally and spiritually satisfied, they significantly less likely to look outside the marriage for fulfillment. Fifth, it is designed to create children. This is God’s grand idea and he said it is going to be great. You’re going to love it. We don’t have to be ashamed about that. This is supposed to be a blessing and to bring about the blessing of children.