1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 · Genesis 2 · Proverbs 5:15-19 · Song of Solomon 2:6 · Song of Solomon 8:3
Sexuality
This sermon examines the biblical view of sexuality, warning against sexual immorality while affirming sexuality as God's good gift within marriage. Christians are called to honor God through sexual purity.
Introduction
Sex is a topic that demands a biblical response. This lesson deals with the Christian’s ethical response to sexuality by examining two dimensions: the biblical warning about sexual immorality and the biblical endorsement of sexual relations within marriage. Both dimensions reveal God’s will for his people—a will rooted in pleasing him and honoring the bodies he has created.
Sexual Immorality Warned Against
We do not have to go very far in scripture before we find warnings against engaging in sexual immorality. Any form of sexual conduct which takes place outside of marriage is a sin. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, Paul begins this section with a simple yet profound thought. When he came to their city and taught them about Jesus, he instructed them that they were to live in order to please God. The word “live” is the word “walk,” an ethical term which denotes all of life. It is not the physical act of walking that Paul has in mind but he is using the word to describe a person’s actions. Paul’s instructions were to help this new church make a clear distinction between their new way of life and the pagan world they left. Their purpose was to please God.
This is not a new idea for Paul. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, he placed the idea of pleasing God not only in action but with motives as part of his view of life. God knows the inner thoughts of our lives. He is interested not just in right action, but pure motives. Paul tells these Thessalonians that they are to live so as to please God. We are not to go through life making decisions based on our own whims and wishes. Instead, we make decisions based on what pleases God. We live our lives so that God is honored.
Paul now moves into a discussion which was not uncommon in his teaching, but which is succinctly stated in this text. In verse 3, Paul states that God’s will is that we should be sanctified or holy, and holiness includes avoiding sexual immorality. The word “holy” means to be set apart. In this case we have been set apart for God’s purposes. Such a position means that we belong to him. In this verse holiness and sexual purity are equated.
In verse 4, Paul instructs his readers to learn to control their bodies in a way that is holy and honorable. Paul links these two ideas as a way of signifying purity. Sexual purity is one way that we honor our bodies, and the opposite is true: sexual immorality dishonors our body. Having been set apart for God—that is, to be holy—means that there is a right use for our bodies. Sexual purity is the right use. Sexual immorality includes any type of sexual behavior outside of God’s intention for marital intercourse. God’s intention was for husband and wife to enjoy sexual relations. Sexual relations are intended in the marriage relationship only. Anything else goes against God’s standards. As Christians we are living to please God, not ourselves.
In addition to our call to holiness and God’s intent for our lives, Paul gives three reasons why we are to avoid sexual immorality. First, sexual immorality reflects the attitude of the heathen. In Paul’s day there were two basic distinctions in people—Jews and Gentiles. Jews were highly ethical. Gentiles were not. Paul uses the word Gentiles here in verse 5, writing to a congregation composed of Gentiles by birth. Obviously, Paul’s intent is not to run down being a Gentile but the actions of Gentiles given to sexual immorality. Sexual purity was not high on the list for Gentiles. Paul’s point is easy for us to understand. Sexual immorality is a sign of not knowing God. Sexual immorality is a sign that we live for ourselves and not to please God. Sexual immorality shows that we do not regard our walk with God at a high premium.
Second, Paul says in verse 6 that God will punish those who participate in sexual immorality. Because sexual immorality involves another person, that person is dishonored as well. Paul is very clear that God will punish this unholiness. The intent of this verse is that sexual immorality represents an act of injustice to someone. Adultery is a violation of the rights of another. It violates the exclusive rights of the spouse. Premarital sex violates the rights of the future spouse to the virginity expected in a marriage.
Finally, Paul says that sexual immorality is a rejection of God and his Holy Spirit. To act counter to the way that God has clearly said he wants us to act is a clear rejection of God. God is the giver of the Spirit of holiness. This is the way Paul writes these words—it isn’t that God gives us the Holy Spirit, but he gives us his Spirit which is characterized by holiness. Paul has come full circle. We are called to be holy people and God gives us his Spirit who brings holiness in our lives. God gives us his Spirit of holiness. To participate in sexual immorality is to reject God and his Spirit of holiness. It is to become a participant in unholiness. God’s will is that we should be holy.
God’s Gift—Sexuality
To speak against sexual immorality may leave the impression that God sees something evil about sex itself. Such is not the case. We need to understand that sexuality is God’s gift to his creation. Sex is good. God created us as sexual beings. Misusing our sexual ability is what displeases God. But we honor God when we use our sexuality as he intended for it to be used. Genesis tells us that God created us male and female. He intentionally made us so that we could experience the fullness of our sexuality. But as Genesis 2 reveals, that sexuality is to be expressed within marriage. God’s intent and purpose about our sexuality appears throughout scripture.
In Proverbs 5:15–19, the writer encourages his son to remain faithful to his wife and to find sexual pleasure with her. While it is written from the perspective of a father to his son, the same thing could be said if it were written from a mother to her daughter. The point is that sexual pleasure and fulfillment is to be found within the marriage relationship and from the description in Proverbs 5, this pleasure is good and right.
Perhaps nothing is more illustrative in this discussion about God’s intent for expressing our sexuality than the Song of Solomon. Here is an entire writing which is a love poem between a man and a woman before and after marriage. The imagery in the writing is difficult to miss. For instance in 2:6 and in 8:3, the same sentence is found: “His left arm is under my head and his right arm embraces me.” How else is that sentence to be understood if not for the sexual embrace? Read through the entire writing. There is nothing evil in it. Both the man and the woman look forward to being with each other sexually. They both long to be together. Why did God include such a writing if not to seal his endorsement of sexual union within marriage?
What God creates is good. He created us male and female, which includes our sexuality. Because God created us as he did, then our sexuality is good. To our teens and our children, the temptation to go against God’s will is present. If you have given your life to God in baptism, then you have God’s spirit in you. The Spirit wants to help you in your walk with God, providing strength and resolve to follow God’s will. There is great satisfaction in following God, including in obeying him in terms of our sexuality. For those of us who are married, God created us with desires, and these desires are good. We honor God and his creative mind when we use our sexuality to conform to God’s will and purpose.
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