You can hardly go to the shop, watch a movie, or surf the net, without sexual innuendo’s infiltrating something in view. In light of the sexual revolution in our day, and in light of the multiplicity of ridiculous opinions concerning sex from main stream society, here’s a Biblical view of sex for our sex hungry generation to feed on.
In a time where sex and all its trimmings are put into the forefront of our consideration on a daily basis, how shall we think & talk about this thing – sex – which grips & fills longings of young & old in our day? Through media, principalities, advertising, work place conversations, social settings and the inner thought life of Billions, the issue, experience & prospect of sex is huge focus of daily life across the earth.
The general opinion of secular media, in it’s fallen confusion, has exalted sex to a god like status i.e. sex should be sought after at all cost’s, money should be given to it, personal behavior should be conformed to attract it, it should be thought about often & it should be shared with many people. In doing this, our pop-culture, has reduced it to some common yet exiting thing that should be given out freely “so long as long as your safe & self-protective about it” – i.e. condom, pill, abortion. Other’s, in legalistic confusion, or because of bad experience, have defamed it or reduced it to being some necessary evil which should only be done to procreate. All the while God Himself has declared to us what it is, why it is, how it should be done, and what it’s designed for.
These are the three prevailing sentiments in our day concerning sex. 2 of them are wrong & 1 is right.
God: Firstly & wrongly, the majority of our generation hail sex as “God”. Money’s given to it, it’s sought after, read about, prepared for, thought about often, and shared with many. These are all behavioral patterns that follow the devoted worshiper’s of the many world religions across the earth. Every year, some 800,000,000 pornographic dvd’s are purchased in the U.S. alone. It is a billion dollar a year industry and brings in more per annum than the NBA, NHL & Major League Baseball combined. This is ridiculous, defaming & destroying to the pinnacle of God’s creation – the human body which was created to be filled with the glory and pleasure of God.
Sociology stats say that those sexually active from a young age have higher rates of depression, suicide, drug abuse, drunkenness, family problems, pregnancy, & abortion than many other social group.
Scripture gives us the progression of how sex wrongly becomes an idol to man.
Romans 1 say’s that “claiming to be wise, (humanity) became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images (pornography in our day) resembling mortal man…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever… For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error…” – Romans 1
The progression of how sex becomes God to humanity is this: when God’s glory (His nature & ways) is not acknowledged, enjoyed and worshiped at the forefront in the human mind & heart, the way is made for the eyes to be turned & focused upon lesser things and thus eventually adored & followed in the place of God – in our day, as it was in Paul’s, it’s sex and the human body.
Gross: Other’s respond to this and say that “sex is not God it’s gross.” This is the second prevailing sentiment. Many religious people, misguided youth group cultures, and many who have been tragically affected by sexual abuse tend to see sex as gross & defiling. Legalistic people see sex as an impure thing, that shouldn’t be talked about much (especially in the church) & that it should only be done in marriage to make children. On the other hand, people who have been tragically scared by the memory of sexual abuse tend to see sex through the lens of past negative experience’s. These memories scar leave a defiling residue within the soul (mind, will & emotions) thus making sex seem as if it’s gross. Sex is then sometimes totally rejected or totally embraced in wrong ways i.e. Some stat’s suggest 90 percent of all prostitutes, minus the slave trade industry, were sexually abused at a young age.
Both of these views on sex – that it’s either “God” & “Gross” – are killer’s to God ‘s full plan for it.
Gift – The Biblical plan for sex is this: it is a gift to be enjoyed, kept holy & cultivated in marriage between one woman & one man in covenant with God through Jesus. The Bible declares that sex is a God given, God ordained, God designed, God sanctified, God glorifying gift, given to humanity for their enjoyment, in marriage, for the purpose of one man & one woman becoming one, making children, and enjoying each other till death do they part. In the beginning, God created all things good, including sex and the means to do it i.e. humanities sexual organs. This means that sex is not God, nor is it gross. It is a good gift, from a good God, for a good purpose, to make a good thing, very good. Because God created Adam (man) and Eve (woman), we can rightly & authoritatively conclude that heterosexual marriage, is the only God ordained context for sex to be truly good and truly enjoyable.
The Bible gives us a few of the God’s purposes designed purposes for sex in marriage. 1) Sex is for oneness & union between a man & woman – Genesis 2:24 2) Sex is for pleasure in marriage – A Literal, Non-Allegorical Interpretation of The Song of Solomon. 3) To make children & families – Genesis 1:28. 4) For comfort in times of grief – 2 Samuel 12:24. 5) For spiritual protection – 1 Corinthians 7:5.
In Conclusion
God designed sex to be a gift. It’s not God and it’s not gross. It’s not meant to be shared around like a game of “pass the parcel” with heaps of different people. It is meant for one man and one woman for the duration of their life together for the enjoyment, oneness, comfort, procreation, & protection. The human heart was made to rejoice in & glorify God, in all things, including sex – within the covenant of heterosexual marriage. And in that, there is great hope for all who have used, abused or been abused by sex in a wrong way: In Jesus, there is a powerful & steadfast assurance of forgiveness, cleansing, healing, restoration & justice. By faith in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, because of His shed blood, you have assurance, that if you believe in Him & confess Him as the Savior & Lord of your life, He will make all things new for you and He will cleanse you of the sinful residue of your experience. And in it’s place He’ll give you soul satisfying, mind restoring, heart rejoicing joy & freedom in His presence – see John 15:11; Psalm 16:11.
In closing, therefore “let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed (marital intimacy) be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4)”
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