God's Desire for Sexual Union, Part 2

Introduction

A. Last week we noticed that God created sex and that through this means he reveals something about himself. We also noticed that sexual activity within marriage is the seal of the covenant which God creates when two people are married. A covenant requires both words and actions. The words of a marriage ceremony confirm that two people want to not only be married but are making the commitment to be married no matter what. The sign of that covenant is sexual intimacy.

B. Today we are going to continue our look at God’s Desire for sexual union looking at Ephesians 5, a text we have viewed before. As we study today we are reminded that our God has given us a great gift in sexual intimacy. His gift to us is to be used to honor him and to reveal his wisdom and his holiness.

The Text

A. The context of Ephesians 5 is in light of how God’s children are to live in this world. Living as children of light carries great responsibilities and opportunities. In our text, Paul is describing family relationships as children of light. As we saw in an earlier study, husbands and wives engage in mutual submission. The husband through loving his wife. Sacrificing for her. Giving for her. The wife submits through respecting her husband. Treating him as a person of worth and value.

B. Throughout this section Paul uses Christ and the church as ways of demonstrating the husband and wife relationship. Husbands love as Christ loves the church. Wives submit as the church submits to Christ. This comparison allows the reader to understand something profound — the husband/wife relationship is an analogy of the relationship between Christ and the church. Obviously, the spousal relationship is not perfect. These imperfections reveal themselves so often that we lose sight of the ideal. We begin to criticize; take each other for granted; mistreat one another; even ignore one another.

i. Can you imagine Christ ignoring the church or the church ignoring Christ?

ii. Can you imagine Christ mistreating the church or the church mistreating Christ?

iii. Can you imagine Christ taking the church for granted or the church taking Christ for granted?

C. These are impossible to imagine and yet because of the imperfection of the human relationship of marriage we often move in this direction. Paul calls husbands and wives to a higher vision of what is. Notice in verse 29, Paul reminds husbands that they care and feed their own bodies because they care about themselves. In the same way, a husband is to feed and care for his wife. Even Christ does that for the church. Feed and care are general terms demonstrating nurturing and providing for one’s wife. Then in verse 30 Paul in what some may see as insignificant says “for we are members of his body.” Paul is talking about the church. We, the church are members of his body. Again, the emphasis is on the binding link between Christ and the church.

D. Then Paul quotes Genesis 2:24. That statement which was made by God at the first wedding is now spoken here to describe the marriage of Christ and the church. Paul in verse 32 calls this a mystery but now that which was hidden is now revealed. With the first uniting of a man and a woman in marriage God intended for the marriage relationship to be a demonstration of the relationship between Christ and the church. Adam and Eve did not know it. But Paul now says the mystery is revealed. But it isn’t just the relationship. Paul quotes all of Genesis 2:24. It is in sexual union that the oneness of bodies takes place. This oneness is a demonstration of the oneness of Christ and the church.

E. Paul uses sexual intimacy to reflect on the spiritual intimacy of Christ and the church. The closeness of Christ and the church cannot be underestimated. And if there is a physical analogy which gives us a glimpse of that closeness, it is sexual union. When a husband and wife engage in sexual intimacy, they may think of nothing but physical pleasure and release. But God gives us a different picture. This means that sexual union is not only physical it is spiritual. The truth exists whether one accepts it or not.

Implications

A. Let me suggest some implications from this theological truth. First, no longer is sex only about physical pleasure now it is about a spiritual demonstration. Thus, sex isn’t about feeling in the mood but about oneness. Best estimate is that 50% of couples have sexual issues at some point in their relationship. Most often it has to do with desire. One or both have little desire for sexual intimacy leading to frustration for one or both. So we have lots of information about increasing desire. Take a pill; think certain thoughts; do this or that. As followers of Jesus we now have a spiritual reason to engage in sexual intimacy — to reveal God’s great mystery of oneness and oneness is a gift.

i. Ever not felt like attending a worship assembly or engaging in worship? Did you go ahead anyway? Why? Because there is some understanding that worship isn't only about the physical aspect. That in worship we join with our God and praise him.

ii. Such is the case with sexual intimacy. Desire isn't always available and neither should it be the primary drive for sexual intimacy. Rather engaging in sexual relations allows us to express the spiritual intent of God leading to worship of the One who gave us this wonderful gift.

B. Second, for those who have violated God’s will through engaging in sexual immorality and for those who have been hurt by others through sexual means, the union of Christ and the church can give you a new vision to work from rather than the guilt and shame of previous experiences. Sexual sin remains with us. Sexual abuse leaves deep scars. But both can be left behind with an opportunity to see that there is a higher view of sexual intimacy. What a person did to you sexually was not intimate when it violated God’s view of oneness. What you engaged you sexually may have been pleasurable but the guilt of your past can bow down to the image of intimacy which God creates.

C. Third, in Revelation 21, John sees one final vision. It is the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of the clouds to be inhabited by the Son of God forever and ever. Most see this vision as a description of heaven and it well may be. However, the city in verse 2 and 9 is called the bride and in verse 9 is said to be the wife of the Lamb. To me the image seems to be speaking of the church. In Rev. 22:17, the text says “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” It is a bit easier for me to imagine the church bidding all to come and be the bride of the Lamb. Here is the point. Scripture uses this image as well as the image of Ephesians 5 to make a very powerful point. Jesus is the husband. The church is his bride. He loves his bride. Gave his life for his bride. And the bride respects her husband and wants more and more to come and enjoy the closeness and intimacy with him. Invitation.

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