Sex

It is God's will…that you should avoid sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

About half of all marriages end in divorce. Divorce is painful—it tears apart two lives that were being woven together into one. It causes economic hardship and tears down self-esteem. It undermines your trust that other people will keep their promises. Perhaps worst of all, divorce inflicts terrible trauma on the children of the household.

In an effort to avoid the problems caused by divorce, more and more people are choosing to live together instead of getting married. They look at co-habitation as a test drive for marriage, to see if the relationship has legs for the long haul. Of course, avoiding divorce isn’t the only reason people move in together. Some just want a sexual relationship with no strings attached—a ‘friend with benefits.’

The sexual act was created by God as emotional glue to bind a man and woman together as life partners. Sexual activity achieves that purpose whether you intend it to or not. Why do you think so many people blurt out the words "I love you" when in the throes of passion? When sexually active couples break up, the pain of separation is just as deep as if they were going through a divorce. Not only that, but there are legal ramifications as well—many who have lived together end up in court to settle disputes over money, property, and child custody.

God intended sex to be a glue that binds a man and a woman together for life. Jesus says, they will become one flesh (Matthew 19:5). That being the case, we break God’s rules when we share the gift of sex with more than one person. Sex is a wonderful, precious thing—it gives us joy, it strengthens our commitment to another person, and God uses it to bestow the miracle of new life. We cheapen this wonderful gift when we tell crude sexual jokes, gaze at pornography, or use sex just to make ourselves feel good. We weaken its power to unite people in love when we have casual sex, cheat on a spouse, or get remarried after a divorce. It’s no wonder that God permits sexually transmitted diseases to exist—they discourage us from treating God’s gift of sex casually.

Sex is one of the best things that God gives to husbands and wives. Treat it with respect, for the sake of the God who gave it.