What God Says About Sex

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August 2, 2022

Sex. A taboo topic, yet we’re surrounded by it constantly.

In music, movies, the show you’re streaming, and even commercials. Whether obvious gestures or subtle remarks, it’s everywhere. So, what is a Christian response to our culture’s preoccupation with and abuse of this divinely purposeful and good gift?

It’s crucial to start this conversation by saying we need to exercise grace toward one another. And by this, I mean GRACE, not tolerance to sin. See, many of your brothers and sisters in Christ (if not you) have fallen victim to the world’s lies on sex, whether before they accepted Jesus or even after. It’s hard not to (do so) when we live in a culture that constantly normalizes, idolizes, profits from, and even masks it as a form of sexual empowerment, bodily autonomy, and liberty. It can get confusing, especially to the nonbeliever or the believer who still doesn’t truly understand God’s intent for sex and what the Bible has to say about it.

So, what does the Bible have to say about sex?

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18–20

Why does God care about sex so much, anyway?
What does it matter to Him if we have sex outside of the context of marriage?Why does He tell us what to do with our own bodies?

Well, first, it’s important to view God as what He really is: the Creator. Our creator. This truth means that our bodies are not our own, as the world so desperately wants us to believe. In the verses above, the Apostle Paul states:

And if we truly believe that and view God this way, everything that comes next is much easier to understand and accept.

See, if I were to create a product from start to finish, I would be an expert on how that product works and functions. What makes it function at its best, and what breaks it or lowers its functionality. In the same manner, God is the product creator, and we just so happen to be the product. He knows our inner workings better than we know ourselves. He knows our deepest, most secret feelings. He knows what makes us function properly and what breaks our hearts and souls, even if we don’t want to admit that we’re hurt. And the truth of the matter is, with sex comes many potential damages.

This brings us back to the verses above, where Paul boldly tells us:

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Paul is trying to get us to understand that this sin of sexual immorality is hurting our own bodies rather than “liberating” them, as our culture would have us believe.

Think about it for a moment; most of the brokenness in homes has to do with sex being taken out of the confines of a loving marriage covenant between a man and woman. Divorce. Sexual abuse. Rape. Abortion. Heartbreak. Distrust and pain from a partner watching pornography. So much trauma could be spared if the creation would listen to the Creator.

Many people, especially those who don’t yet have a relationship with Christ, assume that Christians and the church have all these “rules” about sex to be controlling or oppressive. And isn’t it just like our enemy to convince so many of this lie? Because Satan is the father of lies and the breeder of confusion [John 8:44].

You see, the TRUTH is the very opposite of what Satan would have you believe. Listening to God’s “rules” about sex is the most liberating and freeing thing you could do with your body. God is not only our creator but our protector. He gives us guidance as a means to protect our hearts, protect our souls, protect our families, our children, and the feelings of others. It is out of His great love for us and love for those around us that God gives us these “rules.”

Humans often think that they are immune to the harm and destruction that comes with seemingly fleeting decisions that God deems sinful. But the fact is, we can take one look at the world around us and know that we are not immune. I’m sure you can think of hurts or damage that have come from your own decision or decisions to not listen to God when it comes to His intentions for sex; I know I can. Or maybe you’ve suffered consequences at the hands of someone else who chose not to listen to God’s instruction on sex and intimacy. And suppose neither of these are true for you. In that case, I’m sure you can think of people very close to you that have suffered varying degrees of consequences for not heeding God’s commands, whether it’s infidelity, divorce, abuse, violation, abortion, or simply a broken heart.

The damaging effects of sex not taken seriously are all around us. And it’s hard to believe that our world can still be convinced that it’s truly “no big deal” when there is so much evidence to prove otherwise.

So what can we do? Here are three places we can start.

1️⃣ We can change our view of God, teach our children, and tell our friends. We must view God always as what He is: a good Father. Our creator and protector. One who loves us so immensely that He would not possibly give us an instruction that would bring us anything but blessing. We must trust that our loving Father wants nothing more than to keep our hearts and families intact. We must trust Him completely, therefore surrendering our will and desires and allowing His will for our lives to be our heart’s desire.

2️⃣ We must talk about it. Yes, sex is an uncomfortable topic. But if we don’t talk about it with our families and friends when the time presents itself, it will always remain uncomfortable, making it easier for our enemy to come in with lies and confusion.

You see, if we erase the confusion by not being afraid to have tough conversations (with love and grace) and looking to the Bible with our children/friends to see what God says about sex, then we can be more confident that the truth will be set in our hearts, leaving less room for our culture’s lies to sink in and take place. Be encouraged and empowered to say no, knowing God honors our decisions to glorify Him with our bodies.

3️⃣ We must have grace. Our kids might make mistakes, and our friends might make mistakes. If you’ve ever had a time in your past where you were running in the opposite direction of Jesus as I have, you may have made mistakes. But as followers of Jesus, we must remind ourselves and those around us that there is forgiveness in Him. 1 John 1:9 states:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

And once we confess our sins and are forgiven, we must move forward, walking in God’s will for our lives, turning from our sin, as Jesus says to do in John 8:11. This is a beautiful example the Bible provides us, where we see redemption after sexual sin. Jesus not only saves a woman who was caught in adultery from being stoned to death, but He takes it so much further. He sticks up for her in front of the crowd, saying

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Once the crowd departs, realizing their own hypocrisy, Jesus says to the woman, “‘woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more’” (John 8:10–11).

Jesus, in His loving grace and mercy, sees us where we are, saves us from ourselves, and gives us the strength to go and sin no more. Be encouraged by this today, friends. And remember that God’s heart for us is pure, and we can trust that His boundaries and commands for our lives are good and will only bring us closer to Him and closer to those we love in our lives.