Religion & Spirituality
reTHINK #3 Sex & Sexuality By Louie Marsh, 9-19-2021 “We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.” ― Tom Robbins “Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!” ― George Bernard Shaw “Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together; sophistication demands that they submit to sex immediately without proper preliminary talk. Not courting talk — real straight talk about souls, for life is holy and every moment is precious.” ― Jack Kerouac, On the Road Sex - IT’S SACRED The average male loses his virginity at age 16.9; females average slightly older, at 17.4. About one out of 10 married adults — 12 percent — say that they typically sleep alone Two-thirds of college students have been in a "friends with benefits" relationship, citing the lack of commitment required as the main advantage to such an arrangement. According to a survey of adults aged 20 to 59, women have an average of four sex partners during their lifetime; men have an average of seven. 36% of women have lied to a man they were sleeping with about the number of sex partners they've had. 49% of men have lied about the number of sexual partners they've had. Sex & Marriage: About 3% of Americans wait until marriage to have sex (1 in 30). In highly religious groups it’s up to 20% that wait till marriage. More women wait than men – 60% of those who wait are women, 40% men. More people waited in the 1950’s but not as many as you’d think. 1954-1963 – 11% 1994-2003 – 3% 1) I live within GOD’S SEXUAL BOUNDARIES. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (ESV) NIV, NLT, MESSAGE all say Body, Wife- LB and GW, Vessel – NAS, ASV, NKJ. Greek is vessel – Paul either means spouse, or body – there’s equal weight for each one. God’s Sexual Context – HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 Christian belief in heterosexual marriage and that homosexually is wrong, does not stem from the Law or Paul – but from the very creation of mankind. Moses and Paul simply follow what Jesus shows us – that it was from the beginning that we were made that way. 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. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 1 Corinthians 7:2-9 (ESV) God’s Sexual Style – 4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 (ASV) The Christian view of sex within marriage is that BOTH spouses put the pleasure of their spouse before their own – thus insuring fulfillment for both IF they keep this ideal! You don’t just demand your own way or wishes – that’s wrong even in marriage. 2) I REJECT LUST – and all it leads me to do. "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV) The present participle βλέπων characterizes the man by his act of continued looking. The construction πρὸς τό with the infinitive denotes purpose (not result), it is somewhat like our phrase, "with a view to," etc. (R. 1003, 1075); the aorist infinitive is effective, referring to accomplished lusting; verbs of desire govern the genitive. Jesus does not say that by the accomplished lusting or by and during the act of looking at the woman the man in question commits adultery. The aorist ἐμοίχευσεν, with ἤδη emphasizing the feature of the time, precedes these acts. The man who casts lustful looks is an adulterer to begin with. The sin is already "in his heart" and only comes out in his lustful look. If the heart were pure, without adultery, no lustful look would be possible. Hence Jesus does not state how the guilty man can free himself of the sin as did the man mentioned in v. 23, 24. The man's very heart and nature must be so changed by divine grace that lustful looks will become impossible for him. It ought to be understood that what is thus said of a man (πᾶς ὁ, masculine) is equally true of a woman. Likewise, "every man" is general and cannot be restricted to married men; and γυναῖκα cannot refer only to a married woman who belongs to another man. A bachelor's lustful look upon a maid is certainly as adulterous as the lustful look of a married man upon another man's wife. - Lenski New Testament Commentary - Lenski Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel. To do this I must THINK like God does. “20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20–21, ESV) “21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,” (Romans 1:21–24, ESV) 3) I live to PLEASE GOD first. 1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 (ESV) 4) I live a life of LOVE. 9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 (ESV)