What Does God Say About It
“Marriage is honorable for all, and the bed undefiled;
but fornicators and adulterers God will judge”.
Hebrews 13:4
It is God’s wish that those who cannot refrain from sex be at least married. That it is honorable and good. According to God there is no free sex or sex between consenting adults without commitment and marriage. Whenever two people have sex, the bible says that they become one flesh. I give her a part of myself and she gives me a part of herself. I think back on all the times I attempted to have “free sex” and afterwards there was always the desire to have more from one party or the other. There were always complications. In addition, do not let it have been good. I do not know how many of my affairs began as “casual sex”. I dare to venture that a great many marriages have been based on this same attitude. The terms “free sex”, “casual sex”, and “uncommitted sex” are not apart of God’s healthy plan for sexual pleasure for our lives. The laws of God were never designed to punish us, but to protect us. God’s laws concerning sexual misconduct were designed to prevent the spreading of disease, to promote the harmony and stability of the family, and the society as a whole. We have perverted the natural use of our bodies and the lovingkindness of God’s laws. We have elevated our own selfish pleasure over the authority of God. We know better than God what is best for us. So then, are we still under the laws of God? Some may argue we are under grace and not bound by the law. Some would say that God gave us sex to enjoy and that we do not have to follow those antiquated laws. Some would argue that since we no longer sacrifice animals those old rules do not apply. Let us see what Jesus Christ says.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.
I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Matthew 5:17
Paul states that even though we are under grace we are still not to be fornicators or have sexual immorality. That it is in fact the will of God not to be partakers of such behavior, nor are we to hang out with such people. God desires that we pursue holiness. God calls us to avoid fornication. It is only by submitting and surrendering to God that we are able to overcome sin. The bible says that fornicators will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. God takes fornication very seriously for a number of reasons that we will discuss in the next chapter.
“because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
1 Peter 1:16
“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person,
nor covetous Man, who is an idolater, has any
inheritance in the kingdom Of Christ and God.”
Ephesians 5:5
Fornication replaces God’s healthy sexual plan for our lives with our own selfish unhealthy plan. I do not want anyone to think that I am advocating that we should not enjoy the God given pleasures of a healthy sexual relationship in God’s plan. God gave us this pleasure for a reason. If it were not there, I believe that men would stick with men and women would stick with women. I say this not in any sexual sense, but in a purely common sense way. Let us face it we do not share a lot in common. The things that men like to do most women do not and vice-versa. If we are honest with each other there are very few things, we enjoy together. This is not to say that there are not a lot of loving and caring male/female relationships where they share common interests, but as a whole men enjoy the company of men and women the company of women. It is not a right or wrong or good or bad thing, but merely a fact of nature. The way things are. If it were not for the “spark that God has given us for each other, I would venture to say that we would not have been as fruitful and multiplied to the place we are today. In the bible, God says He will put enmity between the male and female. However, by His grace and tender mercy, He has also left that attraction between us. That in spite of our seemingly total lack of commonality, we can still come together and procreate. If you think about it, it is amazing there are still people on the earth. The truth be told we are from two different worlds it seems at times. The point being that God wants us to enjoy our sexuality in a healthy and positive way. The problem with fornication is that it perverts God’s healthy plan. The bible says be content with the wife of your youth. With fornication, I not only do not have a wife of my youth, I am not content with any woman I am with. I lay down with multiple partners and have no commitment to anyone.
Showing posts with label Sex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sex. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Chapter 1 What is Fornication?
CHAPTER 1
What Is Fornication?
The Greek word translated "sexual immorality" is porneia. The Hebrew word for fornication is “zanah”. It is used to describe many forms of sexual misconduct. The term fornication is also used to encompass many types of unhealthy sexual relationships outside of marriage. It can include premarital sexual relationships, homosexual acts, incest, prostitution, lust, rape, and bestiality. It can also be used in a metaphoric sense in the Bible to mean a forsaking of God.
The Princeton wordnet internet dictionary defines fornication as voluntary sexual intercourse between persons not married. It also includes adultery in its definition as extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations.
"If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her,
he shall surely pay the bride price for her to be his wife."
Exodus 22:16
The Bible says that when a man takes (has sex with) a virgin he has to pay a price and marry her. Moreover, he cannot divorce her for as long as he lives. The Bible says that he has “humbled” her. In other words, he has humiliated her and caused her to feel shame. How many of our young women today feel “humiliated” by their virginity being taken? The family and the bridegroom were supposed to present the bride as pure before God and the community. When she has been violated, the violator has not only taken her honor but the honor of her family as well. These ideas may seem trivial in our modern day world, but they are still relevant. The reason they are relevant is that a man values purity even though he is the very one trying to defile it. We have many instances where men upon getting knowledge of a female loved one being violated cannot face the loved one. Most people believe that it is because he feels shame for the loved one, but actually, it is the opposite. The man feels ashamed because he could not protect the loved one; I speak from personal experience. Even in a lot of cases where the loved one was a willing participant many men still feel a sense of shame and blame the man for “enticing the female.
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24
For the purpose of this book, we are going to use the definition of sexual relationships outside of marriage for fornication. As we see, indiscriminate sex was never God’s plan for us. God's Divine Plan throughout the scriptures has involved a man and a woman in matrimony. We see that from the beginning of time it was that way and continues to today. Some will say that times have changed. That was thousands of years ago. It does not matter; according to God; His Word always remains the same. Unlike our frequently changing society, God remains the same.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words
will by no means pass away."
Matthew 24:35
Marriage was given to a man and a woman to raise a family. Nowhere is a family presented as a single male or female except in the case of death. A family in the sight of God has always been and always will be a male and a female parent raising children. Now does that mean God will not bless single parents? Of course not! However, we should remember it is we, who have perverted God's plan, not God changing His plans. There have been a number of outstanding single parent households, but let us understand this was not God's design. God has taken a bad situation and used it for His glory. However, make no mistake this in no way changes or modifies God original plan. We should not continue to believe that God will allow us to blatantly defy His revealed Word simply because it does not fit into our current lifestyles and mores. God was not created in our image, as many would have us to believe, we were created in His image. How can the clay dictate to the potter what vessel should be made? Does not the potter have power over the clay to create whatever He chooses with the clay?
I look forward to your comments...
What Is Fornication?
The Greek word translated "sexual immorality" is porneia. The Hebrew word for fornication is “zanah”. It is used to describe many forms of sexual misconduct. The term fornication is also used to encompass many types of unhealthy sexual relationships outside of marriage. It can include premarital sexual relationships, homosexual acts, incest, prostitution, lust, rape, and bestiality. It can also be used in a metaphoric sense in the Bible to mean a forsaking of God.
The Princeton wordnet internet dictionary defines fornication as voluntary sexual intercourse between persons not married. It also includes adultery in its definition as extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations.
"If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her,
he shall surely pay the bride price for her to be his wife."
Exodus 22:16
The Bible says that when a man takes (has sex with) a virgin he has to pay a price and marry her. Moreover, he cannot divorce her for as long as he lives. The Bible says that he has “humbled” her. In other words, he has humiliated her and caused her to feel shame. How many of our young women today feel “humiliated” by their virginity being taken? The family and the bridegroom were supposed to present the bride as pure before God and the community. When she has been violated, the violator has not only taken her honor but the honor of her family as well. These ideas may seem trivial in our modern day world, but they are still relevant. The reason they are relevant is that a man values purity even though he is the very one trying to defile it. We have many instances where men upon getting knowledge of a female loved one being violated cannot face the loved one. Most people believe that it is because he feels shame for the loved one, but actually, it is the opposite. The man feels ashamed because he could not protect the loved one; I speak from personal experience. Even in a lot of cases where the loved one was a willing participant many men still feel a sense of shame and blame the man for “enticing the female.
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24
For the purpose of this book, we are going to use the definition of sexual relationships outside of marriage for fornication. As we see, indiscriminate sex was never God’s plan for us. God's Divine Plan throughout the scriptures has involved a man and a woman in matrimony. We see that from the beginning of time it was that way and continues to today. Some will say that times have changed. That was thousands of years ago. It does not matter; according to God; His Word always remains the same. Unlike our frequently changing society, God remains the same.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words
will by no means pass away."
Matthew 24:35
Marriage was given to a man and a woman to raise a family. Nowhere is a family presented as a single male or female except in the case of death. A family in the sight of God has always been and always will be a male and a female parent raising children. Now does that mean God will not bless single parents? Of course not! However, we should remember it is we, who have perverted God's plan, not God changing His plans. There have been a number of outstanding single parent households, but let us understand this was not God's design. God has taken a bad situation and used it for His glory. However, make no mistake this in no way changes or modifies God original plan. We should not continue to believe that God will allow us to blatantly defy His revealed Word simply because it does not fit into our current lifestyles and mores. God was not created in our image, as many would have us to believe, we were created in His image. How can the clay dictate to the potter what vessel should be made? Does not the potter have power over the clay to create whatever He chooses with the clay?
I look forward to your comments...
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