Sex: It's God's Idea!

Bible Readings for the day: Psalm 94:12-23, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16, Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22
Meditational Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7
1  Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."
2  But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
3  The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4  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.
5  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.
6  Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
7  I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

It's interesting reading books about the Bible (in addition to reading the Bible itself).  It's interesting because many of these books can give you insight into what the Bible teaches or opens your eyes to things you normally don't know.  Today's meditational reading is one of those things I didn't know before.  I am presently reading Eduard Lohse's "The New Testament Environment" (for pleasure, no less!).  Today I read about the Jewish family and that marriage, in Judaism, was considered as a divine commandment because of God's command to be fruitful and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28).  Jewish men would marry between the ages of 18 and 24, Jewish women (or girls, actually) between 12 and 14.  Pharisees were sticklers for the Law.  Pharisees married.  Yet in this reading Paul, the former Pharisee, says that it is best to remain celibate.  Why?

This is my speculation, not the Word of God.  God's Word is always right; I am often wrong!  But why does Paul urge celibacy?  The idea of engaging God's Word is to sit back and contemplate it, read it, listen to it, let it sink in.  Engaging God's Word is as much an activity of the brain as it is an activity of the heart.  As I read Paul's teaching, knowing his background, I think that Paul is so sure that Jesus is going to return within his lifetime (a wrong assumption!) that he believes that all of our activity should be wrapped up in spreading the good new of Jesus' death and resurrection for the sins of all people.  A married man needs to take care of his family; a single man doesn't have to worry about that.  He can devote himself 100% to spreading the good news of God's love in Jesus.

But notice that Paul also takes our human frailty into consideration.  God made us sexual beings (gasp!); he made male and female for each other (Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve).  He created as sexual beings before the fall!  Unfortunately, with the fall and sin, we have perverted God's good gift of sex.  We are still God's created sexual beings and the love that should shine in us is often perverted into lust.  Because of the sinful nature that still clings to us, Paul recognizes that marriage (and sex within that marriage) is a defense against sexual immorality.  Not only can men and women marry, but they should have a healthy sex life within that marriage (not outside of it!); that is God's will for his sons and daughters.

Some people have the Spirit-given gift of celibacy.  Most of us don't!  There is no need to feel guilty about having sexual feelings, God created us that way.  There is no need to feel guilty about having sex with our spouse, God created us that way.  There is no need to feel guilty about having a healthy sex life with our spouse, God created us that way.  Paul goes so far as to tell us (who aren't given the gift of celibacy) that we should not be celibate for extended periods of time, the temptation to sin outside of marriage becomes greater and greater when that happens.  We should live within the parameters of God's good gift of marriage give to us, that good gift includes sex.  Think of it:  sex is God's idea.  Sex is God's creation.  He is the one who made us male and female.  He did it for us and our benefit!

A prayer:  Lord, thank you for giving us marriage.  More importantly, thank you for giving me my wife.  Let me honor and cherish her the way I should and let me be husband to her in the way you want me to.  Our relationship is a picture of the relationship your Son has with his Church.  Let is be a good relationship.  Amen!

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 585 South St. (Route 75), Suffield CT 06078