Sex seems to be so taboo in
church circles. Yet it pervades our society. "Sex sells" as they say.
Sadly, the church has retreated into itself and avoids discussing sex at all
costs. But sex is a gift from God. It was God's idea to intimately connect us
to a spouse: "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Sex, done God's way,
can create a supernatural bond between spouses. One of the Hebrew words for
sex, translated literally, means "a mingling of souls." That captures
it perfectly—sex is a beautiful gift from God.
Sex is beautiful until it
loses its spiritual context. Some of the richest and most beautiful gifts from
God are often the same gifts that are twisted into hideous and destructive
idols. It becomes lust and selfish pleasure. There is a terrible but telling
story found in the Old Testament. Read 2 Samuel 13:1-21.
Look again at verse 2.
Literally the text says that Amnon became "obsessed" with his half
sister Tamar. Obsession is an idolatry word. Amnon was constantly thinking
about and focusing on one image in his mind—one possibility. He allowed this
fantasy to fill his heart until he made himself sick with lust. And so he raped
Tamer, bringing about incredible destruction upon himself (verse 15 says he
hated her after he did this act), upon his sister (he stole her virginity and
her honor), his family (Tamar's brother Absalom engaged in revenge killing),
and his nation (they were torn apart right along with the royal family).
When we worship sex as a
god, we find that it leads to the exact opposite of its divine design as a
gift:
As a gift it brings
connection; as a god it causes loneliness.
As a gift it brings
pleasure; as a god it leads to emptiness.
As a gift it brings
satisfaction; as a god it demands slavery.
As a gift it brings
intimacy; as a god, separation.
As a gift it brings unity;
as a god it often causes divorce.
So consider: How well do you
control your thought life? Do you get caught daydreaming lustfully?
What might be lacking in
your intimacy with God?
