We can turn to the Word of God to guide us in the way to live a happy and rewarding life. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul addresses the matter of married life. Specifically, he addresses the issue of sexual immorality as a real threat to our well being and our relationship with God. In today’s “progressive” society we’re told, “it’s okay do do whatever you like.” Maybe you’ve asked yourself these questions: What’s the big deal about sex? Why does God refer to sexual sin as “abominable” while other sins are “merely” exceedingly bad? Isn’t all sin the same?

 

Actually God’s Word names a number of “abominations:” idolatry, adultery (which he also calls idolatry), witchcraft, sodomy, cheating, prostitution, lying, lewdness…the list goes on. God warns us against abominable behaviors to protect us from consequences of sin that we can’t control: loss of health and life, loss of wealth, loss of freedom, and loss of blessings, to name a few.

 

So what is it exactly about sexual sin that makes it so particularly offensive to God? If sexual enjoyment is a gift from God who is the author of love, why shouldn’t we be able to set our own rules about it?

 

First, if we accept that God is in fact Almighty God, then we don’t get to define sin. Courts can and do define the legality of things like pornography, same sex marriage and the such. But God alone has the privilege of defining sin. Of course, when we set ourselves up as mini gods, we can “imagine” all sorts of things, invent our own religion of self, and make up our own rules. But it doesn’t put us in a role to change God’s design. God – the one true God – defines sex in one context only: that of a married man and woman. His Word explicitly states that sex outside of this context is sin. Jesus compares even the act of lust to the act of adultery.

 

Second, Jesus said, “What God has joined let no one separate.” Marriage, and sex has the power to connect us in mind, body, and spirit to another. Glue two pieces of paper together and let them sit for awhile. Now try to pull them apart. What happens? They rip and tear. Bits of one are inextricably stuck to the other. They don’t come apart without damage. God designed us to enjoy physical intimacy in a way that connects us together, one man and one woman. The two become one flesh and cannot be separated and rejoined to others without damage.

 

Additionally, sexual sin is a big deal because it defiles the covenant relationship that God has made with us. He uses the metaphor of marriage to represent the relationship of Jesus to the church, which is described as “his bride.” Our rebelliousness against God’s call on our lives is akin to adultery. In this sense, sexual sin is not just a physical act. It becomes spiritual defiance. It puts us not only in an adulterous relationship with someone else but also in an idolatrous relationship against God.

 

People will believe what they want to believe. They will do what they decide to do. We’ll each be held accountable one day for our own decisions. But God’s Word for his people prescribes a healthy way to live; a way that is wholesome and pure, safe, and edifying. It draws us closer to him and closer spiritually to others.

 

In a world that tells us to tolerate all things, let’s look within our own hearts and be intolerable of anything that rips us apart from God and from those he loves. Purity matters, in our thoughts, in our words, and in our actions. It matters in the light of day and the secrecy of darkness.

 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8