ambassadors for the risen Christ ministries

by Shawn Brasseaux

Sex is a very sensitive topic, even for some Christians. For 6,000 years now, our world has abused sexual intercourse. Sex in and of itself is not dirty because the Lord created it to be the consummation of the marriage of the husband and his wife.

Describing the marriage relationship, Genesis 2:24 says: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” God describes sexual intercourse as when “they [a husband and his wife] shall be one flesh.” In the King James Bible, sex is referred to as a man “knowing” a woman (Genesis 4:1; Genesis 4:17; Genesis 4:25; et al.).

The Bible gives us great detail about sexual intercourse (especially in the Old Testament book Song of Solomon). Remember, God’s Word is God’s Word, and there is nothing dirty about it. Mankind has made sex into something filthy, horrible, and ungodly. It neither sinful nor abnormal to look at a member of the opposite sex and show interest. The problem arises when we lust, or continually dwell on the mental picture that we have of that particular person. When we look upon someone besides our spouse, our minds begin to wander into “sexual fantasizing,” and this is when it becomes sin. But, most of our world has no idea of what sin even is anymore!

As a man, I can tell you that all men are “turned on” visually. This is the way God made us men. While the man should have self-control, some women do dress provocatively and this, not surprisingly, appeals to men. Ever wonder why men are more prone to be obsessed with pornography than women? I find it strange that a woman who is wearing almost nothing grows upset or gets defensive when a man stares at her. “Lady, put on some clothes, and maybe he will not be staring at you anymore!”

There have been many times where I have overheard people publicly discussing their sex lives. There is no shame or modesty. Does anyone have any sense of decency these days?

GOD’S FOUR STIPULATIONS FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS

God has set four strict limits on sexual relations, which He has never rescinded:

1. No sexual relations outside of marriage—this includes extramarital sex and premarital sex (Proverbs 5:15-20). As the Bible says, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
2. No sexual relations between humans and animals (Leviticus 18:23; Deuteronomy 21:21).
3. No homosexual relations (Leviticus 18:21; Romans 1:26,27; 1 Timothy 1:9,10).
4. No cross-dressing—no women dressing (or acting) like men and no men dressing (or acting) like women (Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10).

In the Old Testament, for example, the LORD commanded that if a man had sexual relations with a married woman, both the man and the woman were to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22-24). While we are not under Israel’s strict Mosaic Law, God has never rescinded His attitude against sexual sins like fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. Lest anyone contend that God’s attitude toward sexual sins has changed because we are no longer under the Mosaic Law, let us pay special attention to what the Apostle Paul writes to us under grace in the Dispensation of Grace.

For example, look at Romans chapter 1. Notice when God “gave [the nations] up” in Genesis chapter 11, and set Abraham and his seed (Israel) apart from the common lineage of mankind, to what did God give the nations up? The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 tells us:

“24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

We can see direct references to all types of sin, but especially homosexuality (verses 24-27) and fornication (verse 29). Notice verse 32: “they which commit such things [all the sins listed in verses 25-31] are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Even in the Dispensation of Grace, God’s attitude toward sexual sins has not changed. God still hates fornication, adultery, homosexuality, premarital sex, and so on.

Notice in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Paul writes that some of the believers in Corinth were once “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate [perverts and men who behaved like women], … abusers of themselves with mankind.” “And such were some of you,” Paul says. The Corinthians were different people now that they were saved! Notice again, “fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Evidently, these are still sins, even in the Dispensation of Grace.

In Galatians 5:19, the Bible speaks of “the works of the flesh,” or the works of our sin nature: “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,….” These are all sexual sins. Notice, the Bible still calls them evil, even though we are in the Dispensation of Grace and not under the Mosaic Law. The Bible speaks of “them that defile themselves with mankind” because it is still sin, no matter what dispensation (1 Timothy 1:9,10).

Are you struggling with masturbation, pornography, or prostitution? There is hope at the cross of Calvary. While sexual sins are sins, the blood of Jesus Christ has paid for them. No matter how wicked a sin is, the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven it. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). Jesus Christ died to pay for all your sins, every sin you have ever committed or will ever commit. God loves you, and He has forgiven you in His Son Jesus Christ! Why not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you?

Young people who remain sexually pure (virgins) before marriage are often ridiculed. Someone who has not had premarital sex is called a “wimp.” But, it would be in our best interests if we believed the wisdom of God’s Word. We can never go wrong when we let God’s Word be the final authority instead of world’s standards of right and wrong.

God designed sexual intercourse to function solely within the marriage relationship between a man and his wife. This is why God instructs us to not to engage in sexual relations outside of the marriage relationship. It took science quite a long time to figure out what God tried to warn us about thousands of years ago in Scripture. Now, with increased medical knowledge, sexually transmitted diseases are all too well known.

God made sex, and He made it “very good.” As long as sexual intercourse is practiced between a man and his wife, sexual intercourse is not a sin, and it honors God!

Sex and the Bible II
Shawn Brasseaux
[9 February 2008]

We live in a sexually immoral society. You can tune your radio to hear ungodly sexual remarks. Yet, society would beg to differ and argue, “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be okay.” Turn on your TV, and you can quite an eyeful, as during commercials or perhaps at a (recent) Super Bowl. Even the internet and libraries all around the world have pornographic images and sexually-explicit literature. For the sake of money, these items are sold, and countless souls are trapped in a lifestyle of sexual sin! Some women in poverty have simply given up, defiled their bodies, and walk the dangerous streets of our world to make an income. Some men even encourage it. Oh, how sad!

How can God bear the grief? These people need the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is more than willing to help them. He could clean up their lives, and make them “trophies of His grace.” All they have to do is trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and God will save them forever!

In early 2007, during my freshman year in college, I had a professor who would dress in lewd/vulgar clothing. She would only talk to us about sex and her language was horrible. Last summer, a friend going to another college told me how his biology professor was always making crude, “humorous” jokes about sex. Even in “educated circles,” this type of foolishness prevails.

Quite a few months ago, one of my friends asked me if I was a virgin. He told me that he had sex before, and wanted to know if I had it. I told my friend that I chose to remain pure until marriage, and even though it is difficult at times to keep that promise, I know God will help me keep it. I told him that I respect my wife (even though I know not her identity yet), and I respect her enough to wait until marriage. I know of several other people who are struggling with sexual immorality, and how I pray for those people that they get saved!

If you are a young person, I encourage you to remain sexually pure until marriage. Respect your body, respect the body of your spouse, respect yourself, and respect your spouse. With all the sexual temptations in this world, it is mightily hard to remain sexually pure. But with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, I know that I can—and hopefully will—remain pure until marriage. Every human, except the Lord Jesus Christ, is born with a sin nature. We naturally rebel against God. God says one thing, we do the opposite every single time. I am just as capable of being caught within a sexually immoral act as anyone else is.

The Bible term for sexual intercourse is a husband “knowing” his wife (Genesis 4:1, 17, 25; et al.). In the Bible, God speaks of “a husband and wife not depriving each other” (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). Job 31:1 says, “I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Jesus Christ, also referring to lust, said in Matthew 5:27-28: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

As long as sexual relations are confined within the marriage relationship, God does not find it the least bit filthy! The Song of Solomon graphically describes relations that occur between a husband and his wife. Unfortunately, sex has been given a bad reputation, and that can be attributed to none other than Satan. The devil has defiled something God made righteous and holy, and he has turned it into something evil and disrespectful.

In fact, did you know that the first recorded act of homosexuality can be found in the Bible? There is an indication in Genesis 9:20-25 that Ham raped his father Noah, which is why Noah cursed Canaan, Ham’s son.

Our society has come quite a long ways from the ancient days of the Old Testament, but humanity’s ways have remained static, and so have God’s laws. Nothing has changed. God wants us to obey Him and His attitude toward sin has never changed, and we still want to rebel as always.

CONCLUSION

Sexual intercourse honors God as long as it is between a man and his wife—sexual acts outside of marriage (fornication and adultery) are sin. Sadly, sex sells these days, literally and metaphorically, and sexual sins are very popular for the sake of generating money!

Now that I am nearly done with my teenage years, I can tell you that it is quite normal to feel the occasion “urge” for sex. It is normal to look at a member of the opposite sex and think “wow” before you temporarily go insane. We cannot help but glance at the opposite sex, which is something beautiful. But, respect your body, and have respect for your future spouse, and remain pure until marriage.

Take one quick look at a member of the opposite sex and then turn away, or you will lust after the person and commit sin in your heart (it is this thought that will bring about actual sexual intercourse!). Remain sexually pure until marriage, which is something you will proud of once you are married. You will be glad that you waited all those years! That is a promise!