Sex..... Why Not?

What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage?  

 

 

It’s true that the Bible never specifically mentions premarital sex or sex before marriage in those words. However the Bible does mention sexual immorality

--Flee from sexual immorality.  I Cor 6:9

--We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of [Israel] did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.  1 Cor 10:8

 --But sexual immorality … must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Eph 5:3

So when the Bible says sexual immorality is wrong — what exactly is it talking about?

What Is Sexual Immorality?

“Sexual immorality” is the English translation of the Greek word PORNEIA.  So what did PORNEIA mean during New Testament times?
I looked this word up in Greek dictionaries, and they all said PORNEIA meant “fornication.”  And dictionary.com says fornication means “voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.”  So PORNEIA — sexual immorality — includes sex before marriage.
Friberg’s Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament agrees, saying that PORNEIA meant “every kind of extramarital, unlawful, or unnatural sexual intercourse [including] fornication, sexual immorality, prostitution.”  Extramarital means outside of marriage, which includes sex before marriage.
So PORNEIA — sexual immorality — means sex before or outside of marriage.

So here’s how Paul’s readers would have heard 1Corinthians 6:9 –
Flee from any sex before or outside of marriage.
And 1 Corinthians 10:8 –
We must not indulge in sex before or outside of marriage as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
And Ephesians 5:3 –
But sex before or outside of marriage … must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Eph 5:3

So God’s Word is clear.  The God who created us, and who created the joys of sex, commands that we not have sex before marriage.

But Why?

We don’t have to know the reasons.  When we see Jesus’ love for us displayed on the Cross, we can be certain that Jesus loves us perfectly, passionately, completely.  So, when we hear Him say — don’t have sex before marriage — we can trust that this command is part of His love for us.
But still, it can help to know why.  So does Jesus ever explain why?  I think He does —
in Matthew 19:6 where Jesus is talking about marriage –

So they are no longer two but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

“One flesh” includes sexual intercourse.  Sexual intercourse is a wonderful gift from God.  Its intimacy and pleasure and vulnerability deeply bond a man and woman.  This bonding brings great joy when nurtured and protected by love and commitment — but it brings great pain if it is broken.

So to bless and protect us, God commands that this profound closeness occur only between people who are committed to each other in marriage.

Someone I once heard used the illustration of flypaper.  Once  two pieces of flypaper stick to each other, it’s impossible to separate the pieces without ripping them up.  In the same way, once two people are joined through sexual intercourse, it’s impossible to separate the relationship without ripping them up.

As In A Mirror

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT)

Descending from the presence of God, Moses’ face was filled with the glory of God. It was a temporary glory. The Old Testament did not allow that God’s people remain in the presence of God’s glory forever. As Christ followers, the Holy Spirit now lives permanently in us. So walking by faith, even today “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” we know in the future “we shall see face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Though we don’t comprehend everything now; “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12b).

God gives His glory to those who seek Him. The Lord calls us to give ourselves heart and soul to his service. The Lord also encourages us to get closer, so that we can better reflect His glory. What happens when we fall? He is ready to forgive us and fill us with His glory in a way greater than we previously knew. Let us remember to continue to persevere through faith and prayer as we offer ourselves to God.

Today, thank The Lord, that we are being transformed to reflect HIS glory. May we become transformed into HIS likeness more and more every day.

God So Loved

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

The love of God has dimensions and calculations that are mysterious to humans. The expanse of his love is so huge that it covers the world. The focus of his love is so specific that it deals with individuals. Perhaps we could say, “God so loved the world that he values people individually.” People matter to God. They are not just a number lost in the massive population of 7 billion people.

Too often Christian workers get lost in the masses and begin to minimize the value of the individual. Gripped by best business practices, a servant of Christ can begin to focus upon what is cost effective in reaching the most people. The temptation then becomes to overlook the individual and their potential impact for the kingdom of God. In doing so we may begin to see people a bit differently than God does.

In Acts 8 we see God using an evangelist, Philip, to make a significant impact upon the multitudes of Samaria (8:4-8). Best business practices may have dictated that he stay where people were responsive. Yet God’s calculation was a bit different. God moves him into the wilderness of Gaza to minister to one man. God valued this individual and transplanted Philip from a successful ministry to the masses to reach one (8:26-39). Individuals within the mass of humanity matter to God.

Today ask the Lord to see the individual people whom Christ values within the broad scope of our ministries. Ask Him to help us to love people like He does—giving attention, care, and love to individuals that cross our paths 

Kingdom Sowing

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

 (2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT)

Paul is addressing the church of Corinth in his letter, and in this section is telling the church how he’s been boasting to others about Corinth’s financial gifts to the body if Christ. He informs the Corinthians that he’s sending some brothers in advance to collect the money so that it can by given as a willing gift and not later taken as a reluctant exaction.

Since we’re no longer obligated by law to give a certain percentage, Paul spends some time reminding us that “each one must give as he has made up his mind” (vs. 7), and that we shall reap what we sow—an agricultural analogy to receiving what we give. And this is a sound investment for we’ll be reaping from the hands of an all-powerful God who owns all the heavens and all the earth. The harvest promises to be plentiful: all sufficiency in all things at all times and abundance in every good work.

This harvest, however, is directly correlated to the planting. If we sow little, we’ll reap little. If we sow much, we’ll reap much. Reflect on this by asking yourself what’s better: sowing into the grounds of the Almighty Groundkeeper, or storing in the barns of our mortal selves

 Today ask the Lord to give you courage to joyfully sow abundantly and to trust that He is the provider of everything you need.