Marriage and Family Meditations XXIII
Psalms 104:34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.
Cornerstone Ministries Napa Valley
Marriage and Sexual Intimacy 2
Hi Family and Friends,
In my last meditation I wrote to you about “Biblical Marriage and Sexual Intimacy” and so this is a follow up to that theme. It seems appropriate for us to examine scripture on this theme because, given the distorted attitudes and controversies of the times; we need to be clear about the Biblical truths (what the bible says) regarding sexual intimacy. It has also been my experience and observations that failure to follow God’s teaching in this area of our lives brings devastating consequences, and causes great harm to family, children and the Church.
In our culture today men and women are severely tempted in the area sexual sin, what the bible often calls Adultery and Fornication. These are often taken from the Greek words Porneia – por-nā’-ä (Key) ( feminine noun) and Porneuō – por-nyü’-ō (Key) (verb). These words are the basis for our English words porn, porno, or pornography.
Broad uses of these words include:
Porneia 1) illicit sexual intercourse a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc. b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18 c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12 2) metaph. the worship of idols a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols
Porneuo 1) to prostitute one’s body to the lust of another 2) to give one’s self to unlawful sexual intercourse a) to commit fornication 3) metaph. to be given to idolatry, to worship idols a) to permit one’s self to be drawn away by another into idolatry
1 Corinthians 6: 13 – 20 “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up 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 harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 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? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we forfeit our lives to Him and His death is imputed to us, we understand that when we receive His death we also receive His life, we are “born again by the Spirit” we are now new creatures “in Christ Jesus”. Our bodies are members of Christ! We are no longer our own, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in us! Jesus paid our debt and died in our place, so now we have the privilege and responsibility to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits which are God’s.
Before we became believers the bible says we lived in darkness and were “dead in trespasses and sins”. Being dead and condemned we had no obligation for righteousness. Now as believers we no longer are slaves to sin, we are no longer dead in trespasses, but alive in Christ Jesus. Rom 6:12 “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” If we did not have a propensity to sin to lust and to desire the immoral and sensual excesses of the world we live in, God would not have needed to give us these commands. But in so doing he has shown us that, in Christ Jesus, we have the authority, and responsibility to “flee sexual immorality” to live in purity and glorify God.
As a pastor and counselor I have seen brothers and sisters in the Lord give in to selfish, immoral, temptations and enticements from the world, and the attitudes and values that prevail in their self absorbed and indulgent habits. Promiscuous sexual behavior has been taught in our schools, purity and chastity are lost ethical values, along with faithfulness, and loyalty. Self sacrificial living is scoffed at in our self exalting culture. Godly virtues (Spiritual fruits) of (self-sacrificial ) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self – control, are lost values that we as God’s people must learn to embrace, and express, in our new lives in Christ Jesus.
May God guide us and find us faithful in living in Him and for His glory.
If you would like to review some of the other posts (meditations) from the past please check my blog site at http://pastorvinceasaro.wordpress.com May the Lord bless your lives in Christ Jesus… Vince