•I Corinthians 7:1-7
•Glorify God with your Sexuality
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 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.
(I Corinthians 7:1-7, ESV)
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.
(I Corinthians 7:1, ESV)
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 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.
(I Corinthians 7:1-7, ESV)
•Main Point
• Paul takes the pastors approach to sexuality
• He reminds us that in the marriage covenant sexual desires are to be fulfilled
• Finally, both celibacy and sexual union in marriage are gifts from God which are good
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality
• Last week we addressed the concept of Spiritual versus Physical
• Paul encouraged us to glorify God with our bodies (I Corinthians 6:20)
• There is an understanding that sexual relations could hinder spiritual growth
• In such a dichotomous understanding of physical versus spiritual such an understanding makes sense
• This understanding makes little sense when we consider the rest of the Scriptures and it’s understanding of the physical
• If the physical was only ever bad then it would be impossible to glorify God with our bodies
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (2)
• Should we be talking about sexuality at all?
• Doesn’t our culture talk about it enough?
• There might be some who are thinking, “We shouldn’t talk about sex!”
• One would argue that it can be just as damaging to not talk about sex
• Our culture has a serious problem when it comes to sex and sexuality
• Is it possible that if we opened up about these basic human desires…we would help people make good choices when it comes to marriage?
• If we were to teach our sons and daughters that in marriage their body will belong to their spouses, do you think they would choose a spouse too quickly?
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (3)
• By being silent about sex we push people into the cultures understanding of what is good concerning sex
• Their understanding…has led to far greater harm and hurt than anything truly liberating or good
• The Church can, and should, respond to the culture by talking about sex in its proper context
• To say a good healthy sexual relationship is between a husband and wife
• To cherish it as a gift
• Physical desires, sexuality, is not a bad thing in and of itself
• It is the abuse of sexuality which leads to evil, not sexuality itself
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (4)
• The Scriptures tell us the marriage covenant is where sexuality finds its proper place
• The marriage bed is the safe place where sexual union can and should occur
• In the marriage covenant there is mutual submission
• To be open and honest about their desires, trusting the other will seek to fulfill them
• This does not mean we cannot have meaningful relationships outside of marriage
• The sexual nature of marriage is a gift
• It is one of mutual submission which God has entrusted to each husband and wife
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (5)
• Indeed, once this foundation is set up it easily overflows onto other nonsexual areas of married life
• Let’s say a wife says, “I could really use a back rub.”
• The first response is a shrug
• He provides for his family…His body is body is tired and hurting too
• Another response is to give his wife a back rub
• Is it because he isn’t tired? No
• Is it because there is nothing else to do? No
• Why do it? Because his hands are given to her, his strength is given to her
• By giving his body to his wife he glorifies God with his body
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (6)
•If she says, “I could use a back rub” his response is to oblige because just as his hands belong to her, her back, her body, belongs to him
• If her back is in need, then that means his back is in need because her body belongs to him
• Just as he has a responsibility to care and love his wife’s body, so too his wife has a responsibility for his
• Seeking to fulfill his needs with her body which she has given to him in marriage
• Husbands have authority over their wives, and wives have authority over their husbands
“You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
(John 19:10-11, ESV [Emphasis mine])
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (6)
• This authority should not be abused
• We could see how this could lead to abuse
•The husband could demand without every giving, and vice versa
• One can see how this sounds dangerous
• It is incredibly dangerous talk!
• Willingly giving yourself to another person
• Them putting their trust in you as well!
• This is the Biblical approach to understanding the physical relationship between husbands and wives
• Last week we saw how Paul utilized Genesis (2:24) to show the danger of sexual immorality [two shall become one flesh]
• “18 Flee from sexual immorality.” (I Corinthians 6:18)
“8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
(I Peter 5:8-9, ESV)
“7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
(James 4:7, ESV)
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (7)
• We are in basic hand to hand combat with the devil
• Response to sexual immorality…”RUN!!!!!”
• Where do we run to? The marriage bed
• It is a battle where husbands and wives stand firm together
• This only becomes dangerous when it is abused
• It is abused when spouses do not give each other their dues
• Paul reminded us in Genesis how the two become one flesh
• When God created everything it was, “good.”
• What was not good? For man to be alone (Genesis 2:18)
• The relationship a man has with a woman in marriage is unique because it is of one kind with another
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (8)
• In a way this leads to us understanding the Trinity
• The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit love one another
• Husbands and wives are unique in that they become one flesh together through sexual intercourse, two becoming one
• Paul recognizes sexuality and marriage is a gift
• Not having these needs is a gift as well
• He did not have sexual needs, and that is as much as a gift as marriage and sex
• There are many who believe that procreation is something they should be seeking
• The end all be all for human existence is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (9)
• If, in knowing God, you know His will for your life is to not partake…praise the Lord!
• You have been given a blessing to be able to do things that married couples cannot do
• For example, if I were not married I would have far more time for pastoral ministry
• I do, however, have those urges and God has given me Carissa and given me to her
• The Church does not own my body, Carissa does
• It limits me when it comes to particular ministries
• However, I can seek to show husbands how to love their wives
• I can minister to you by being an example
Application Points
• Glorify God with your Sexuality (10)
• So we praise God for our brothers and sisters who have remained celibate or recognize a call to celibacy
• We praise God for our brothers and sisters who have sex in marriage
• We rejoice in the fact that all of us have been given such gifts
• We would encourage spouses to their gift with each other, and that we would encourage the celibate with their gift as well
• Topics of sexuality are not icky or gross, but can be understood for the glory of God
• “Glorify God with your bodies.”
• Glorify God with your sexuality
Application Points
• The Gospel of Christ
• Origins
• Fall
• Redemption
• Glorification
