Wait Before the Wedding Cake
1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Ephesians 5:30-32
Elder Clarence Weaver Sr
Introduction
Sex is one of the biggest issues which God meant to be good between a man and a woman, but this is a subject that is not preached in the pulpits across America. Therefore so many people open the door of sexual sins and sexual malfunction of all types. A sexual relationship is an important aspect of marital satisfaction. We must consider that most people will marry. Therefore we must understand the factor influencing marital sexual satisfaction becomes important in understanding what makes happy, satisfied relationships and individual in our society. This message will discuss God’s purpose for sex, the crippling effect of premarital sex and not to have sex by learning to wait before the wedding cake.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20: (18) Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside of the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were brought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
God Purpose for Sex
Sexuality occupies an important place in human life. It is a unique manner that reflects the image of God and man. While god is no sexual, He is a Perfect Being possesses all sublime qualities of maleness and femaleness in His One Person. Thus, neither man nor woman is fully complete without the other.
In Ephesians 5:30-32, Paul describes the mystery of sex in a marriage between a man and a woman as becoming one flesh and being fully complete in Christ. Sexuality is a gift of God. It is not only necessary for procreation, but is one of the act that in most meaningful manner makes the man and woman “one flesh.” A legitimate sexual lifestyle is that sex is given by God to counteract human loneliness. It was God that said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him.” Sexual intercourse is a kind of marriage. Marriage will teach you for it illustration of what we should be doing with the Lord, and for the Lord, in the spirit. When two become one flesh, you are the Lord’s Love. That’s the mystery of marriage of becoming fully complete in Him.
Ephesians 5: 30-32 (30) For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (31) “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (32) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The Crippling Effect of Premarital Sex
Disturbing human sexuality disturbs the whole person. Demons recognize this fact and exploit it for it. When people are crippled sexually their entire being is damaged. More harm can be done to humanity by debasing sexuality than by almost any other single factor except for spirituality. Thus, the most destructive form of sin one may cause on themselves is sexually is sexual sins. If a religious dimension is also added (SRA), Sexual Religious Abuse the abuse is even more destructive.
Sex is one of the most powerful drives in life. Men and women face some of their fiercest struggles at this point. When sex is out of control, it will leads to some of the greatest personal and social problems faced in humanity. AIDS and abortion result primarily from the abuse of sexuality, as do prostitution, rape incest, homosexuality, and the unimaginable range of sexual perversion humanity practices.
In a newsletter I receive, there was additional information on HPV. The newsletter is Biblical Reflections on Modern Medicine (Vol.; 9; No. 3). It quoted from a report by the Medical Institute of Sexual Health (June 1997).
The quote stated:
One in five Americans under the age of 65 is infected with an incurable viral sexually transmitted disease (STD). Twelve million Americans are newly infected with an STD each year. Three million are teenagers; about seven million are in their twenties.
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is an STD that causes cervical and other genital cancers (both male and female) as well as genital warts. Each year more women die of cervical cancer (about 5,000) than die of AIDS-related diseases. Because HPV is transmitted by direct, intimate (skin-to-skin) contact, condoms provide virtually no protection against HPV.
Waiting before the Wedding Cake
"But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn." (1 Corinthians 7:9)
This verse has generated many discussions and debates within the body of Christ. A common interpretation of this verse is... you better hurry and get married, because it's better than burning with sexual desire. Based on this verse, many single Christians have rushed to the altar, in order to satisfy what they believe is an uncontrollable sex drive. This is not what the Apostle Paul was advocating! Let's look at the passage in its context.
1 Corinthians 7:2, "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."
It is clear from this verse that Paul was speaking to those who obviously did not have the ability to say no to their flesh. This makes perfect sense when you look at the original meaning of the word used for burn in 1 Corinthians 7:9. When Paul spoke, he used the Greek word puroo. Taken in context with the entire passage, it means to be inflamed with lust.
Do you really think God would want two people getting married solely because they were lusting after each other? Of course not! Well, doesn't God want a married couple to have strong sexual desire for one another? Of course He does! There is a wonderful example of this in the Bible.
Premarital sex is a huge problem in society today; the numbers are staggering. "Among Americans who have been married, a raging ninety- three percent of men, and eighty percent of women (between ages eighteen and fifty-four) have lost their virginity before their honeymoon" to have sex. "Teenagers are saying, ‘sex is fun’ and ‘everybody is doing it’ Teenagers are saying, ‘sex is fun’ and ‘everybody is doing it’
The problem is this, people are less developed, emotionally and physically before having sex, and they are not prepared for the serious problems that come along with their decision to have sex. There are always consequences when a person chooses to have sex. According to some polls, some people view premarital sex as acceptable as long as ‘two people love each other.
Love is something one experiences when one is mature and ready for a life-long commitment, not when one is involved in a two-year crush. "Premarital sex is based on selfishness, not on love. The other problem is the consequences that adults encounter with premarital sex is that they believe that they are mature enough to have sex before marriage or it’s like test driving a new car to discover whether or not they are going to get it.
You should wait to have sex is due to moral and religious views. Premarital sex and any physical activity that causes the man or woman to be sexually stimulated, is inappropriate before marriage. God wants you to be Holy and pure, and to keep clear of all sexual sin so that each of you will marry in holiness and honor – not in lustful passion as the heathen do, in their ignorance of God and his ways. First of all sex is designed for recreation, so the chances that a woman may become before marriage does not guarantee that she will get married. Second, is the sexual sins that may come from sex as discuss below.
After someone experiences premarital sex there is often feelings of disappointment and feelings of regret over lost virginity. These feelings can cause tremendous problems in the relationship. "When we lose something we know is valuable, we feel regret. People begin to question their love when they feel regret over a past sexual experience. So many people say, "I wish I had waited." God knew that His people would have this feeling of regret, so therefore He had a way to protect them from heartache. He simply reserved intercourse for marriage. God’s design to limit sex to marriage protects us from hurting each other, and provides the proper setting in which to express love through sex. People would be better able to establish a bond of trust and love with the person they marry, if sexual intercourse was reserved.
Confusion is another emotional effect of premarital sex. This often comes from being ignorant of the differences between lust and true love. As Christians we are to develop agape love, the kind God has for us that gives with no exception of getting something in return. When one mixes lust and love, the concepts of giving and taking are confusing. "Love is primarily an act of the will, but has tremendous emotional overtones because it has to do with how we relate to people.
Intercourse is so powerful that it creates a bond, often when there is little common ground between couple. Sex outside of marriage turns the relationship upside down and mixes emotions to the point of misinterpreting feelings. For this reason sexual intercourse should be reserved. Just like the woman at the well, Jesus revealed that he knew she had had five husbands and was now living with a man who was not her husband. Jesus now had her attention And He will have your attention too.
The world is plagued with over thirty-nine sexually transmitted diseases. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) infect three million young adults annually, out of Americas (sic) total of twelve which causes sores and painful swelling of the genitals.”One in five Americans have herpes, yet at least eighty percent of those with herpes are unaware they have it" (Herpes Statistics).
There is no cure for herpes, but it can be treated. STD Gonorrhea, not uncommon among teenagers, causes pelvic pain and painful urination. Gonorrhea is one of the most frequently reported sexually transmitted disease among teenagers. This disease may leave victims sterile. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a deadly virus that kills the immune system. AIDS is a growing danger, and is by far the most serious sexually transmitted disease. "AIDS, for which there is still no cure, is spreading faster among teenagers, than among any other group. AIDS is one of those viruses that takes a long time to develop, which is why it so deadly and so easy to pass on.
Now my brothers and sisters, if that is not enough to make you wait before you give away your wedding cake. I pray that God will give you wisdom that you are not your own. You were paid with the precious blood of Jesus. Keep yourself holy and wait before you give away your wedding cake.
