Sex and Marriage

Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ’70s, it might appear as if our society has become more and more sexually promiscuous. In reality, however, we’ve probably just become more open about the promiscuity that has always existed. The early church faced a culture that had very destructive beliefs and practices related to human sexuality. One of the things that set early Christians apart was their understanding of the beauty and sacredness of human sexuality as designed by God. Join us for part seven of Boundaries as we discuss God’s design for human sexuality and how it points to the very essence of our most basic desires.

Passage (Read it):

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 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 prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”  But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should 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 together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:5 (ESV)

A Divine Design (1 Corinthians 6:12-14)

A Sacred Union (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)

A Holy Boundary (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

Daily Reading:

Sunday: Psalm 16
Monday: Ephesians 5-6
Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:40
Wednesday: Genesis 1-2
Thursday: Revelation 21-22
Friday: Matthew 5
Saturday: Proverbs 5-7

Other Resources:

Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller
The New Rules of Love, Sex, and Dating, Andy Stanley