** DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A “G” RATED POST. Please be aware that the topic is sexuality. There are no gross or graphic descriptions – but it is what it is.**
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Left to our own devices and the patterns of the world, the human existence is as depraved and as fallen as it comes. We are given over to fleshly lusts and desires. Our passions unchecked become destructive whims and drives that leave us wounded, aching and incredibly dissatisfied. We were created passionate beings. Desire was given to us as a life-seeking drive that would push us into God and seek His life-giving nature. But when the messages we receive are: Sexuality is bad. Don’t have sex. Push down your desires and pursue what is “good” without an understanding that sexuality was created to complete the picture of God in mankind through marriage… We find ourselves feeling unworthy and seek to satisfy those desires with the “next best thing.”
.
.
.The Bible talks of a godly “knowing” that is indicative of the way that “a man knows a woman” in intimacy. The Bible is practical, it is necessary daily and it must be applied to every aspect of our human existence for full redemption to be realized. Are we allowing God only to redeem our souls and not our bodies, our sexuality and our distorted reality.
Pastor Bob closed out last night’s class with Romans 1:20-32 (NIV):
20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
He pointed out that his grandfather had gone to study scientifically in Russia, Siberia actually. A place where the people were ordered by their government to be atheist. His grandfather discovered that these scientists who had studied the most intricate details of creation and applied science to it found that there had to be a God. In a place where God was utterly denied – His creation cried out that He exists. Men are without excuse — even if they are never given ear to the Gospel. God proves His existence and He is clearly seen in His creation.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
This begins to paint the picture of our current world and national culture. Because the people knew of God, but refused to glorify and give thanks to Him – acknowledge Him as God – they were given over to futile thinking and their ability to recognize Him became dull. DARKENED. They thought themselves wise, but were really fools. They gave up the eternal glory of God – the life He offers us- for the worship of the creature rather than the creator. Idolatry.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
So God allowed them to be given to their lustful and sinful hearts, and their sexuality became their godless idol. They exchanged truth for a reality based on lies and began to not only worship what was created, but also to serve it rather than the creator.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
When we ask why God allows children to be abused and sexually assaulted, why the culture is turning more and more desensitized to the sacred and the fragile nature of human sexuality we need only read Romans 1:26-27. Perversions and liscentious sexual behaviors like promiscuity and adultery – pornography and the like are the penalty for allowing ourselves to be given over to worship that which God created and sanctified as a way that He could be reflected and identified in His creation… rather than worshipping and praising God for the gift of sexuality.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
MIchelle,
Great post…I need to have you do my notes for my classes. I am sure you said it better than I. I love that we can begin a healthy dialogue about God’s Glory in ALL things. Thanks for sharing.
Bob Hamp
The truth about sexuality is controversial when presented the way the world sees it.
You’ve done an amazing job of covering every aspect of it here.
I’ve always viewed this as one of the things Paul instructed the “older women” to teach the “younger women.” And visa versa with those Y-chromosome’d creatures!!
Good/”necessary” post.
Thank you!
It is so very important to see sex as God sees it within the bonds of marriage. It is a form of worship…it is a form of prayer…one of the most amazing books to heal me and help me was Holy Sex by Michael Pearl based on Song of Solomon. Thank you for braving to address it. I have done so on occasion as well and find that most godly women are glad to have someone help them get free of their wrongful thinking in this area. And for me it was good to thoroughly enjoy sex thinking that I was pleasing God and obeying Him and worshipping Him rather than doing something that is acceptable but not pleasing…I have never been the same!