What is the purpose of "sexual morality"?

[Hestha]

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. [1 Corinthians 6:18-20]

• What is the purpose of sexual immorality?
• Why are Christians expected to be "chaste"?
• Why is God so concerned about human sexuality?
• Has God set up an unrealistic expectation - chastity?
• How come chastity is considered a virtue when there are non-Christian people who voluntarily remain celibate for other reasons other than God? Or are celibate non-Christians spiritually unchaste but carnally chaste?
• Sir Isaac Newton died a virgin. St. Thomas Aquinas is described or hinted by the Catholic encyclopedia as having died a virgin. He presumably experienced sexual temptation, but he did not succumb to it. What's the big deal with virginity? What is wrong with having sexual thoughts? From a secular perspective, having sexual thoughts is not harmful. If you are merely thinking about sex, who would you harm? Is it a victimless crime or something?
• Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?

 

[talitha]

• Has God set up an unrealistic expectation - chastity?
  It's not unrealistic.
• How come chastity is considered a virtue when there are non-Christian people who voluntarily remain celibate for other reasons other than God? Or are celibate non-Christians spiritually unchaste but carnally chaste?
  I would say so.
• Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?
  Yes.

 

[Cuddles333]

1Cor. 6:15-20

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

They to understanding 1Cor. 6:15-20 is the word 'harlot' .

The word is (inappropriate contente) and meant an idolater, a prostitute.

A form of this word is found in (Hebrews 13:4) where the writer says that 'marriage is honorable in all, and the marriage bed undefiled, but adulterers and 'whoremongers' (inappropriate contentos) God will judge. This word 'whoremonger' (inappropriate contentos) meant a male prostitute.


Therefore, we can see the error in translating 'inappropriate contentia' 'inappropriate contente' and 'inappropriate contentos' as meaning any kind of sexuality that deviates from the social norm of the day of any community.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. [1 Corinthians 6:18-20]

• What is the purpose of sexual immorality?
• Why are Christians expected to be "chaste"?
• Why is God so concerned about human sexuality?
• Has God set up an unrealistic expectation - chastity?
• How come chastity is considered a virtue when there are non-Christian people who voluntarily remain celibate for other reasons other than God? Or are celibate non-Christians spiritually unchaste but carnally chaste?
• Sir Isaac Newton died a virgin. St. Thomas Aquinas is described or hinted by the Catholic encyclopedia as having died a virgin. He presumably experienced sexual temptation, but he did not succumb to it. What's the big deal with virginity? What is wrong with having sexual thoughts? From a secular perspective, having sexual thoughts is not harmful. If you are merely thinking about sex, who would you harm? Is it a victimless crime or something?
• Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?

1. You said sexual 'IMmorality' .... did you mean sexual MORALITY ? Assuming you mean IMmorality, then the purpose of this popular culture pastime is to seek fulfillment thru means of illicit sex with another willing Participant who desires the same. It is based on hedonism and narcissism foundationally and wrought with all kinds of consequences readily seen in society.

2. Its not JUST CHristians who are expected to be celibate till marriage, but mankind since The BIble is written for EVERYONE coming from the same Creator...and not just for those who desire to obey the Creators instructions. He gave us moral mandates to live by so we wouldnt hurt ourselves, others, or cause a nation great turmoil -- Gods commands are very loving in nature and not a hammer to our heads to 'spoil our fun' .

3. Because of the dangers it always brings and because it goes against his infinite nature of purity , holiness, and morality. The reason why ANYTHING is wrong behavior, is because it does not coincide with the person, character, and nature of our Creator who IS the objective standard to measure behavior by .

4. We can all examine what happens when we blatantly disregard Gods loving moral mandates . A national STD epidemic crisis for instance where great numbers of people die prematurely or live with an incurable STD for life .

5. We cant stop thoughts from coming into our Minds but we can greatly diminish sexually impure thoughts from entering by making our Minds submissive to God which includes taking action to escape sexual stimuli, music that glorifies sexual immorality , and hanging with the wrong crowd. The Bible says we can actually train our Mind differently by thinking of good, noble, pure things as in Philipians chapter 4 . WE have to protect what we invite into our lives and it feels so great when we are victorious in this area . God blesses us for our diligence and obedience to him.

6. Thats an interesting way of putting it. And id have to say 'yes'...when we purposely want distance from God and his ways, we essentially worship another 'god'....that being, ourselves, with our out of control feeding frenzies for the immoral.

 

[Hestha]

1. You said sexual 'IMmorality' .... did you mean sexual MORALITY ? Assuming you mean IMmorality, then the purpose of this popular culture pastime is to seek fulfillment thru means of illicit sex with another willing Participant who desires the same. It is based on hedonism and narcissism foundationally and wrought with all kinds of consequences readily seen in society.

No, I meant to say "sexual morality". Then, I specified the morality-immorality dichotomy.

2. Its not JUST CHristians who are expected to be celibate till marriage, but mankind since The BIble is written for EVERYONE coming from the same Creator...and not just for those who desire to obey the Creators instructions. He gave us moral mandates to live by so we wouldnt hurt ourselves, others, or cause a nation great turmoil -- Gods commands are very loving in nature and not a hammer to our heads to 'spoil our fun' .

No, it's Christians who are expected to be chaste. There is no expectation for non-Christians unless they are touched by the Holy Spirit.

4. We can all examine what happens when we blatantly disregard Gods loving moral mandates . A national STD epidemic crisis for instance where great numbers of people die prematurely or live with an incurable STD for life.

Oh, so now you think that AIDS is god-given?

6. Thats an interesting way of putting it. And id have to say 'yes'...when we purposely want distance from God and his ways, we essentially worship another 'god'....that being, ourselves, with our out of control feeding frenzies for the immoral.

"The bride of Christ" is not my idea. Neither is "spiritual fornication". The former is something I read from Wikipedia; the latter is something I read from the Catholic Encyclopedia on the web. Your definition seems to somewhat different from Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica's part on Chastity; I think he was thinking of "spiritual fornication" not in sexual terms, but in general metaphorical terms.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

No, I meant to say "sexual morality". Then, I specified the morality-immorality dichotomy.



No, it's Christians who are expected to be chaste. There is no expectation for non-Christians unless they are touched by the Holy Spirit.



Oh, so now you think that AIDS is god-given?



"The bride of Christ" is not my idea. Neither is "spiritual fornication". The former is something I read from Wikipedia; the latter is something I read from the Catholic Encyclopedia on the web. Your definition seems to somewhat different from Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica's part on Chastity; I think he was thinking of "spiritual fornication" not in sexual terms, but in general metaphorical terms.

1. Sexual MORALITY has been described in my last post and why it is important to follow .

2. When Jesus and the Apostles taught on sexual morality... they were addressing ALL kinds of people for an audience because they were desimminating information inspired by God himself. The message of sexual purity is for mankind and not just if/when you get GOds spirit living in you ; when you DO get Gods spirit living in you, the Spirit helps you to stay on track and gives you greater desire to live for God instead of the world. Willful Non Believers in Christ will be judged based on the knowledge they had on Gods moral mandates (laws) but decided to go against them anyway -- sexual morality included.

3. Dont know how you interpreted that i said 'AIDS is God given' ...lol... HIV leading to AIDS leading to premature death is the result of People not wanting to obey Gods loving moral mandates for our own good (sexual morality) . STD's are the CONSEQUENCE of disobeying God . As you go thru life, you can make a strong unmistakable connection between cause and effect where God is concerned ; IE: WHen you see a certain consequence to Ones deliberate action , ask yourself if THIS particular action lined up with Gods moral mandate or not .

4. 'Spiritual Fornication' is virtually ANY willful action that runs counter to Gods character/nature and what he wants for our life. It can come in the form of a spiritual abandonment for a different religion or philosophy or it can be abandonment of God for the pleasures this world offers ; its the linking up of ourselves to the things (or another entity) which God deems wrong or a betrayal.

Where are you at currently in your relationship with God (Jesus) ? Thanks.

 

[Harry3142]

Hestha-

When those laws originated they were accepted as the means of keeping the traditional family unit strong and cohesive. And the way they accomplished this was via forbidding any sexual activity other than that which took place between husband and wife. Only they had accepted the responsibility for children that might come from their relationship, and only their form of sexual relations ensured that the society as a whole would continue to grow ever stronger through the influx of 'new blood'.

The reason for this was simple: The ancients believed that their society as a whole was only as strong as the individual family units which made up that society. So long as the members of each unit did what was required of them, the family unit would remain strong. And by its remaining strong the society of which the family units were the foundation would also remain strong.

As for perpetual virginity, there is nothing in Scripture that orders that. St. Paul stated as a personal remark in one of his epistles the wish that all would remain free of familial entanglements, but that was done while he was presupposing that Christ would return within their lifetime. Also his having been reared in Tarsus, a predominantly Gentile city, made him aware of their willingness to torture and kill family members in order to elicit information from someone. And from his personal experiences, he had no doubt that things were about to get much worse for Christians very quickly.

But perpetual virginity was not seen as holy during the time of Christ, but was actually seen as a violation of Mosaic Law. Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:1 both were seen, and accepted, as commands to marry and have families. When we read Scripture in which a woman remained barren, such as Sarah and Elizabeth, it was identified as God's rebuke by those around her. It is also the reason why as protestants many of us, including myself, believe that Jesus' mother, Mary, had sexual relations with Joseph after he was born, and by so doing produced more children, his stepbrothers and stepsisters. Both Mary and Joseph were observant Jews, and so would have seen it as their responsibility to have a family.

There are also some Christians, again including myself, who are firmly convinced that Jesus himself married and had a family in the years between the time when he was twelve and the start of his public ministry circa 30 AD. The gap there was not 18 years, but at least 24, and in all probability as many as 30. Matthew records that Herod the Great was still alive when Jesus was two years old. Since we now know that his son Herod Archelaus ascended the throne in 4 BC, that means that Herod the Great died prior to that year. And with Caesar Augustus as the actual ruler of Judea, once the ceremony of Herod the Great's funeral and procession to his tomb were completed, Archelaus would have been wise to journey to Rome in order to get Augustus' blessing before ascending a throne that really belonged to Augustus.

So the entire procedure, from Herod the Great's death through getting Augustus' blessing in Rome and then returning to Judea, would have taken approximately two years. This puts his death as occurring no later than 6 BC, which puts Jesus' birth as having taken place no later than 8 BC. And if Halley's comet was the 'star' that the magi followed to Judea, that puts Jesus' birth no later than 12 BC. Do the math.

So where do we get that Jesus was about 30 years old when his ministry began? The only place where we find that is in Luke's gospel, and Luke never met Jesus face-to-face. In fact, he is identified as a greek physician who journeyed to Judea following his own conversion to Christianity. There were no birth certificates to go by, and once a boy attained twelve years of age they all-too-often stopped keeping records of his birthdate. So in all probability Luke went by what Jesus was capable of doing in order to estimate his age. Since Luke came from 'the big city' he would have associated someone with Jesus' strength and stamina as no older than thirty, when the truth was that due to his simple diet and his lifestyle's including physical labor, he was actually anywhere from 38 to 42 years of age in 30 AD.

 

[Johnnz]

My replies ar0 ein bold

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. [1 Corinthians 6:18-20]

• What is the purpose of sexual immorality?

God is the Creator. He designed this world to function properly and well. Moral standards aren't rules. They are just descriptions of how life works best.

Why are Christians expected to be "chaste"?

God wants sex to be part of a loving, secure relationship. It is not meant to ever be just a physical activity, an 'extra', but something that is part of an intense oneness (one flesh). There is a covenental aspect to - promise and blood - that implies something far more than just a biological function.

• Why is God so concerned about human sexuality?

Several reasons: we can create another human being - an eternal person; in expresses an intense intimacy,; it is essential for the continuation of the human race; God created sex with ample pleasure included as an expression of the abundant life we were meant to have.

• Has God set up an unrealistic expectation - chastity?

Not unrealistic, but with marriage being later these days not that comfortable to maintain for many people.

How come chastity is considered a virtue when there are non-Christian people who voluntarily remain celibate for other reasons other than God? Or are celibate non-Christians spiritually unchaste but carnally chaste?

​

Non Christians can still exhibit behaviour that conforms to God's designs.

• Sir Isaac Newton died a virgin. St. Thomas Aquinas is described or hinted by the Catholic encyclopedia as having died a virgin. He presumably experienced sexual temptation, but he did not succumb to it. What's the big deal with virginity? What is wrong with having sexual thoughts? From a secular perspective, having sexual thoughts is not harmful. If you are merely thinking about sex, who would you harm? Is it a victimless crime or something?

Nothing wrong with having sexual thoughts. It's pretty much impossible not to, because we are wired that way by our Architect. It's only when they develop into something much more than sin enters into the picture..

• Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?

No. We are married (a metaphor) to Christ collectively - the church is the bride. It is a picture for intimacy, faithfulness, intimacy, love, what marriage including sex is meant to be.


John
NZ

 

[hedrick]

What is the purpose of sexual morality?

There needn't be any different purpose from any other morality. Generally morals are to carry out our duty to love. They're guidelines for treating people right, and setting up and maintaining good relationships

Why are Christians expected to be "chaste"?

Chaste simply means not having sex in inappropriate ways. So it's good sort of by definition.

Why is God so concerned about human sexuality?

It's a powerful force. But I don't think Scripture particularly focuses on it. Some Christians do though.

Has God set up an unrealistic expectation - chastity?

Read Jesus' teachings, such as the sermon on the mount. His expectations are pretty high across the board. But those expectations are combined with loving us and being willing to forgive. I will admit that many Christians treat sexuality specially. I think a lot of that is unjustified.

How come chastity is considered a virtue when there are non-Christian people who voluntarily remain celibate for other reasons other than God? Or are celibate non-Christians spiritually unchaste but carnally chaste?

Non-Christians are certainly capable of doing good things. There are lots of Christian virtues that are also present among non-Christians. That doesn't mean you can earn your way to salvation, but still, for a non-Christian to be committed to doing good is surely better than the other option.

Sir Isaac Newton died a virgin. St. Thomas Aquinas is described or hinted by the Catholic encyclopedia as having died a virgin. He presumably experienced sexual temptation, but he did not succumb to it. What's the big deal with virginity? What is wrong with having sexual thoughts? From a secular perspective, having sexual thoughts is not harmful. If you are merely thinking about sex, who would you harm? Is it a victimless crime or something?

There's a difference between virginity and sexual thoughts. Virginity can mean different things, ranging from someone who doesn't have sexual desires (they do exist), so someone who has never been in a relationship where sex is appropriate and has managed to maintain chastity.

To my knowledge, the main passage on sexual thoughts is Mat 5:28. My understanding is that neither it nor anything else says that sexual thoughts are wrong. "lust" is more than admiring someone. My understanding (based on the Greek word and the context) is that it involves a desire or intent to do something wrong, or to take advantage of someone sexually. Jesus generally emphasized motivation and intent, so this is no different than other areas of human life. In the same section he said that hatred is a kind of murder.

Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?

To my knowledge that's not a Biblical category. But certainly the prophets saw worshiping false gods as spiritual prostitution or adultery. Sexual images abound in the prophets for idol worship.

 

[Hestha]

It's a powerful force. But I don't think Scripture particularly focuses on it. Some Christians do though.

I have noticed that too. I have looked at Christian testimonies online, and many of them focus on the sexual sins before they become Christians. I have also listened to an itinerant Christian Fundamentalist preacher who seems to preach against any kind of "bad" sexual contact. One student mocked him about whether or not he had some sort of sexual dysfunction. So, that leads me to conclude that some Christians are obsessed with sex. Honestly, I do not think excessive focus on sexual sins is going to work, if one is trying to preach the gospel. First of all, for the people who choose to have sex, they probably don't want to be told not to. Second of all, for the people who choose not to have sex, they may do for other reasons other than God. They may consider that sexual abstinence is one way of giving self-respect and all the benefits to not have sex early. For the irreligious person, having sex or not is determined by what's practical for the person. What's practical for one is not practical for another. For me, I find sexual abstinence practical.

Read Jesus' teachings, such as the sermon on the mount. His expectations are pretty high across the board. But those expectations are combined with loving us and being willing to forgive. I will admit that many Christians treat sexuality specially. I think a lot of that is unjustified.

Why do you think many Christians treat sexuality specially and think it is unjustified? Like what I said about the obsession with sexual sins?

Non-Christians are certainly capable of doing good things. There are lots of Christian virtues that are also present among non-Christians. That doesn't mean you can earn your way to salvation, but still, for a non-Christian to be committed to doing good is surely better than the other option. My understanding (based on the Greek word and the context) is that it involves a desire or intent to do something wrong, or to take advantage of someone sexually.

You mean not raping your neighbor and deprive him or her of dignity?

Since you are a Christian, would you consider yourself a chaste person? Does a Catholic priest who has spent his entire life, from childhood to death, in a cathedral count as "chaste"? I recall Thomas Aquinas did something like that, so such a thing might apply in Christianity's early days when religious men were expected to be chaste and away from society.

 

[Johnnz]

My replies are in bold

I have noticed that too. I have looked at Christian testimonies online, and many of them focus on the sexual sins before they become Christians. I have also listened to an itinerant Christian Fundamentalist preacher who seems to preach against any kind of "bad" sexual contact. One student mocked him about whether or not he had some sort of sexual dysfunction. So, that leads me to conclude that some Christians are obsessed with sex. Honestly, I do not think excessive focus on sexual sins is going to work, if one is trying to preach the gospel. First of all, for the people who choose to have sex, they probably don't want to be told not to. Second of all, for the people who choose not to have sex, they may do for other reasons other than God. They may consider that sexual abstinence is one way of giving self-respect and all the benefits to not have sex early. For the irreligious person, having sex or not is determined by what's practical for the person. What's practical for one is not practical for another. For me, I find sexual abstinence practical.

Why do you think many Christians treat sexuality specially and think it is unjustified? Like what I said about the obsession with sexual sins?

Greek medical thinking in NT times believed sexual abstinence was the best option. Sex weakened a man. That was a background for some church fathers with considerable knowledge of Greek culture and philosophy to infiltrate Christian teaching with Greek concepts. Over a period the church exalted celibacy as an ideal and necessary for their clergy. Those elements have never been adequately exorcised from the Christian traditions that influenced western society and seem to exist strongly in some modern church groups.

Christian morality is not based on pragmatism, although it is practical in application. After all, we are meant to live by its principles.

You mean not raping your neighbor and deprive him or her of dignity?

Much more than that. We can see great kindness, generosity, love, courage, creativity and wisdom in non Christians for example.

Since you are a Christian, would you consider yourself a chaste person? Does a Catholic priest who has spent his entire life, from childhood to death, in a cathedral count as "chaste"? I recall Thomas Aquinas did something like that, so such a thing might apply in Christianity's early days when religious men were expected to be chaste and away from society.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Chaste usually means sexually inexperienced, and if single, therefore 'sexually pure'. Living away from society can refer to monasticism or some form of asceticism.

John
NZ

 

[Hestha]

My replies are in bold

I'm not sure what you mean here. Chaste usually means sexually inexperienced, and if single, therefore 'sexually pure'. Living away from society can refer to monasticism or some form of asceticism.

John
NZ

I live in the United States, in which Christians constitute the religious majority. Now, you may think that, due to the large religious majority, that single Americans are more likely to be sexually inexperienced due to religious observance. Well, studies have shown that most Americans have had premarital sex. I assume this would include Christian Americans. However, prolong sexual abstinence may be difficult to obtain for some people, so perhaps, some Christians, even if they find it is hard to become sexually abstinent, they try to ask Jesus for forgiveness, like how the adulterous woman in the Book of John is commanded by Jesus to stop sinning (asking for forgiveness would be better than getting stoned to death, as according to Jewish law). Surveys seem to measure whether or not people have had sex; however, I think that surveys are forgetting the human side. I wonder how the survey results would be like if they ask whether American Christians repent after they have lost their virginities. Perhaps, American Christians can gain their spiritual virginity or something, because Jesus forgives them? They may not be 'sexually inexperienced' anymore, but they may be 'chaste' if they repent. After all, aren't forgiveness and humility also Christian virtues?

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

I live in the United States, in which Christians constitute the religious majority. Now, you may think that, due to the large religious majority, that single Americans are less likely to be sexually inexperienced due to religious observance. Well, studies have shown that most Americans have had premarital sex. I assume this would include Christian Americans. However, prolong sexual abstinence may be difficult to obtain for some people, so perhaps, some Christians, even if they find it is hard to become sexually abstinent, they try to ask Jesus for forgiveness, like how the adulterous woman in the Book of John is commanded by Jesus to stop sinning (asking for forgiveness would be better than getting stoned to death, as according to Jewish law). Surveys seem to measure whether or not people have had sex; however, I think that surveys are forgetting the human side. I wonder how the survey results would be like if they ask whether American Christians repent after they have lost their virginities. Perhaps, American Christians can gain their spiritual virginity or something, because Jesus forgives them? They may tiannot be 'sexually inexperienced' anymore, but they may be 'chaste' if they repent. After all, aren't forgiveness and humility also Christian virtues?

YES, to your last question . But Christians struggle with the same issues as the rest of the populace because they are not perfected, they have a selfish nature they still struggle with, and they have to live in a society which is forever tempting them with sexual immorality in particular. However as a Christian gets steadily sanctified by the power of God living in him/her, the battle becomes better with victory nearly all the time. The basic difference between a devouted seasoned Christian and his heathen counterpart , is that the Christian has Christ and his power living in him / it bothers the Christian when he morally fails / the Christian is very concerned about hurting Gods feelings and Others / his inner person takes on great compassion , empathy, love, and willingness to obey ...and none of these things are burdensome to the Christian.

Real freedom is not having to succumb to the destructive philosophies of the culture and instead, rise above them so they dont have power over the Person ; THAT is real freedom --- to be UNenslaved .

At this point in your life, which side seems more apealing to you ???? Peace.

 

[Johnnz]

Unease with ones' sexuality and even sex in general, sometimes approaching gnosticism, do characterise many Christians groups. That is extremely unhealthy. I see this negativity combined with the strength of the human sex drive as a primary factor contributing to the sexual behaviour of many Christian singles.

I understand what you are saying above. There is forgiveness, and sexual sins are not THE sins, but the standards seemingly accepted by many Christian singles is a worrying aspect of modern times. There is a real need to some earnest thinking to be done. Fear, and exalting abstinence programmes are inadequate responses to a far deeper problem.

John
NZ

 

[Publius]

Does being a "bride of Christ" mean you are wedded to Christ and so being unwedded and idolizing a false god would mean spiritual fornication?

The Church is the Bride of Christ, not individuals. Christians are not "Brides of Christ". Christians are a part of the Church, which is the Bride of Church.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

Unease with ones' sexuality and even sex in general, sometimes approaching gnosticism, do characterise many Christians groups. That is extremely unhealthy. I see this negativity combined with the strength of the human sex drive as a primary factor contributing to the sexual behaviour of many Christian singles.

I understand what you are saying above. There is forgiveness, and sexual sins are not THE sins, but the standards seemingly accepted by many Christian singles is a worrying aspect of modern times. There is a real need to some earnest thinking to be done. Fear, and exalting abstinence programmes are inadequate responses to a far deeper problem.

John
NZ

Hey John. I dont believe Christians have any 'unease' with their sexuality per se....but i see them as having a genuine sincere concern for not wanting to cause God grief and to make their bodies a living sacrifice in honor to God . I think Christians get a bum-wrap with thier sexuality with stereotypes such as 'repressed' , whereas their sexuality is taken as something responsible and rightfully sacred to behold ....just as America USED TO do back some 60 years ago before the illicit sexual revolution hit strong making a gross perversion out of Gods most beautiful gift to us.

There is forgiveness for sins, all sins...of which the sexual sin is included ; but the trouble with sexual sins in particular is that the consequences are far reaching and deep . One only need look at what happens when society doesnt desire Gods protective loving moral mandates in the sexuality arena : 39 stds among some 65,000,000 adult americans (not including teenagers) with 15,000,000 new cases added yearly ; 2 which are fatal and HAVE taken hundreds of thousands of live prematurely and a great number of them which are lifelong without cure -- and all this in a relatively short amount of time since circa 1985 .

The license for 'free' sex wasnt so free afterall . Such is what occurs to a nation that thinks Gods morals are too 'taliban-ish' by nature.

 

[Johnnz]

Hey John. I dont believe Christians have any 'unease' with their sexuality per se....but i see them as having a genuine sincere concern for not wanting to cause God grief and to make their bodies a living sacrifice in honor to God . I think Christians get a bum-wrap with thier sexuality with stereotypes such as 'repressed' , whereas their sexuality is taken as something responsible and rightfully sacred to behold ....just as America USED TO do back some 60 years ago before the illicit sexual revolution hit strong making a gross perversion out of Gods most beautiful gift to us.

I'm not so sure. The many fraught posts here on sexual matters, the virtual equation of of 'lust' with simple arousal, the terrible misunderstanding of Matt 5:28, the incidence of inappropriate contentography amongst Christians and the abandonment of traditional sexual moral values by a younger generation suggest to me a real disconnect out there within sections of the Christian community.

Having said that, there is some really good things too.

John
NZ

 

[Voluntary Joe]

Sex is a gift that you give to someone worthy. It is a total offering of your body to someone else. According to the Bible sex is reserved for those who are married. This may seem at first glance to be an arbitrary restriction by God, but it's not. There are actually very clear reasons for it. First multiple partners increases the risk for disease. This wouldn't necessarily make the act immoral though however if you had sex with someone and were then later married to someone else you would have in fact stolen the gift which belongs to your wife by giving it to someone else. You see the act of sex is owned not by you, but by the one who makes the commitment to you. The commitment to love, honor and cherish you as long as you both shall live. That is why adultery is immoral because it is theft. What about having sex with someone you wind up married to? Since sex is something that must be earned through that commitment, then giving it to someone before they have earned it is unjustly preventing them from earning it. You are also taking something from them you have not earned since you also have not made that commitment. Having sex before making that commitment is horrendously disrespectful to the other person because it is essentially placing the act of sex as more important and more valuable than the person whom you are having sex with. This is the crux of the issue. Any form of sex outside of marriage whether through inappropriate contentography, fantasies or physical acts devalues the human being involved and idolizes the act. Even an engaged couple would be guilty of placing that act above each other if they were unwilling to wait until actually making the commitment.

 

[Hestha]

Sex is a gift that you give to someone worthy. It is a total offering of your body to someone else. According to the Bible sex is reserved for those who are married. This may seem at first glance to be an arbitrary restriction by God, but it's not. There are actually very clear reasons for it. First multiple partners increases the risk for disease. This wouldn't necessarily make the act immoral though however if you had sex with someone and were then later married to someone else you would have in fact stolen the gift which belongs to your wife by giving it to someone else. You see the act of sex is owned not by you, but by the one who makes the commitment to you. The commitment to love, honor and cherish you as long as you both shall live. That is why adultery is immoral because it is theft. What about having sex with someone you wind up married to? Since sex is something that must be earned through that commitment, then giving it to someone before they have earned it is unjustly preventing them from earning it. You are also taking something from them you have not earned since you also have not made that commitment. Having sex before making that commitment is horrendously disrespectful to the other person because it is essentially placing the act of sex as more important and more valuable than the person whom you are having sex with. This is the crux of the issue. Any form of sex outside of marriage whether through inappropriate contentography, fantasies or physical acts devalues the human being involved and idolizes the act. Even an engaged couple would be guilty of placing that act above each other if they were unwilling to wait until actually making the commitment.

Ah, now I know why they are called "sexual immorality"!

From the sexual immoral behavior you listed:

1. inappropriate contentography
2. fantasies
3. physical sex acts
4. adultery

If a man and a woman is in a loving, committed relationship, but for some reason cannot or do not marry, and they have sex with each other to reproduce children, then would that still count as sexually immoral? What if the man and the woman are very faithful to each other but not married to each other? I am not sure if that is possible or has ever happened before, but if such an event happened, would the faithful man and woman have committed sexual immorality? What legitimizes a marriage? A marriage license or a religious wedding ceremony in a church?

 

[Johnnz]

If a man and a woman is in a loving, committed relationship, but for some reason cannot or do not marry, and they have sex with each other to reproduce children, then would that still count as sexually immoral? What if the man and the woman are very faithful to each other but not married to each other? I am not sure if that is possible or has ever happened before, but if such an event happened, would the faithful man and woman have committed sexual immorality? What legitimizes a marriage? A marriage license or a religious wedding ceremony in a church?

That is a good example of trying to define morality by some rules or descriptions. That is a doomed approach, although commonplace.

Christians accept that people are made in God's image. Whenever we act inconsistently with this design we detract from who we are meant to be. Thus, rather than trying to define some 'moral law', we seek to understand what God's paradigm for marriage is and follow that as best we can. Any 'commandments' must be seen not as primarily an external standard but more as what being made in God's image looks like in practice.

Christians see marriage as a covenant relationship between two people with a loving commitment that mirrors the relationship we can have with God. How a society recognises that may vary considerably. It's what that relationship actually is that God recognises as an expression of His designs for humanity.

John
NZ