Tackling the Tough Issues pt.3- Sexual Immorality...

In an effort to complete this series, I would like to take some time to deal with the rest of the sexuality issue. I sometimes wonder if many of those Christians who speak out against the gay and lesbian crowed really have a right to lay judgment on them at all? So in this post I would like to deal with sexual immorality as a whole...
I would like to start by examining what standard God has set concerning the sexual relationship, but I would like to approach it from a different angle...

I picture a time way back in my childhood where I really wanted to go by myself to a movie theater. I was in the first grade, and the movie was "Kelly's Heroes" I only knew it was a war movie and that it had Clint Eastwood in it.. When I asked for my loving mother's permission, She simply told me "no". As my rebellious human nature manifested itself, I begged and pleaded and cried and whimpered, taxing my dear mother's patience to the breaking point. Finally gathering my anger and frustration into the formation of a single-word-spoiled-brat whine, I blurted out "WHY?!?!" My mother, never feeling that I should have a reasonable answer, simply held her temper and exclaimed..."Because I said So!" Have you had a similar experience? Is this perhaps how you feel about some of God's more tedious commandments?
There are many verses that openly condemn certain sexual practices, and it seems easy to rattle off those verses in a fashion that sparks the human nature into rebellion. Often God is thought of as a "Cosmic Killjoy" who finds no greater pleasure than to ruin anything gratifying in the life of his lowly creation... That is How many people feel, even among Christians. I know, I was one of 'em'. So, instead of just taking God's commands against sexual immorality and acknowledging His sovereignty, swallowing it like a bitter pill, I would like to play the spoiled brat, and Ask... WHY? Unlike the answer we often get from our parents, God has a reason why He he forbids us, and that reason is not just an issue of his sovereignty. Let's look in God's word for the answer...

1. The Standard God Set
From the very beginning, God had a standard for the proper relationship between a couple...it is found in the first two chapters of Genesis..

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"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth"- (Genesis 1:27-28)
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.---And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof - And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:18, 22-24)

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In the creation account (Genesis 1) God Created man in his own image and likeness, both male and female. This day is fleshed out into more detail in chapter two. God in the 6th day created man, and planted a garden for him to tend, with everything he could ever want or need to sustain his life. Yet as He placed Adam in the garden God realized that it was NOT GOOD for him to be alone. Perhaps As God set him to the task of naming all the animals of His creation, Adam saw the relationship between the male and female of each species. and noticing there was not a helper for him, longed for companionship himself (v. 20) God already aware of his need, anesthetized Adam and removed from him that part from which he formed woman. (V.22) One can only imagine the response of Adam when he saw the beautiful creature God set before him, When he said:

"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: She shall be called woman."

And from this beginning, from the mutual love that Adam and Eve had for each other, the first marriage covenant was formed

2. The Marriage Covenant

Now before we move on I would like to examine the marriage covenant at the start by making a few observations

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" Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (v 24)

Obviously, it was God's intention for this relationship from the very beginning to have one man and one woman. Yet throughout history, everything from multiple wives and concubines to divorces and alternate lifestyles, man in his sinful nature has sought to pervert Gods plan in any way that he sees fit. This has carried on even to the present day. Even in Christ's time the pharisees seeking to question Jesus concerning divorce were answered with the following statement:

"For the hardness of your heart he [Moses] wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."(Mark 10 5-9)

Jesus Christ himself, (who incidentally, was present with/as God in the time of Adam) stated the terms for marriage straight out of the Writings of Moses, Only with a little addition.. GOD joins them together... Marriage is a covenant of one man and one woman joined together by God. A bond that is not meant to be broken by man...

• The TWO shall become ONE flesh

I think that oftentimes we fail to grasp the significance of this. When man leaves his mother and father, and woman as well, God joins them as one flesh. Two distinct beings joined not spiritually, and not mentally, but as one BODY. Mentally and spiritually distinct, but the physical nature of each is joined, and they are no longer two bodies, but ONE.
Now the physical nature of man is important to recognize here, for this reason:

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature" Romans 1:26

I would like to set aside the obvious meaning of the passage to grab a small nugget of truth that's important here... Man has a natural use... God has provided man and woman with a body whose various parts are made for a specific function, and the use of these parts for anything other than their intended purpose is considered "against nature', I think you can see where I am heading here.... and if not let me make it clear.
The Natural union of two individuals can only be accomplished in a relationship between a male and a female. I believe that this natural use in it's greatest scene is what is meant by the two becoming one flesh...

3. Summing It Up

So taking what we have learned, how can we apply this to a reason for why God does not look favorably on certain sexual practices?
For sexual union to be blessed by God it must meet the following criteria...

• It must be an act which does not violate the natural use of the person's body

Referring back to Romans 1:26, anything contrary to the natural use is called a "vile affection"

• this can only be accomplished in a union between a man and a woman

Stretch your brain here, think about it as two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle...

• and this only within the covenant of marriage

Is that all? (as if that weren't enough) no... there is one more thing and it is something that is found back in the beginning of our text

• "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth," (Genesis1:28)

It is generally thought that the only commandment given to Adam and Eve was to not eat of the tree in the center of the garden. However many seem to overlook this verse and in doing so we overlook an important point. The natural union between a man and a woman, always allows for the possibility of procreation...
In summation, let us gather everything into a single doctrinal statement, and with that we will actually have a standard to measure the sexual union, and a reason why God condemns certain sexual practices.

God's Standard: The sexual union must be an expression of love between a male and a female within the covenant of marriage, that does not violate the natural use of the body, and has the end result of the possibility of procreation...

4.Self Application

Now The hard questions: Is what you find sexually gratifying falling within the parameters of what God has set in his standard? If not, do you have a right to judge others who are in the same position, no matter how serious you consider their sin compared to yours? Anything that is a violation of the standard set by God is a sin. Without getting any more graphic I challenge you to examine whether you conform to God's word in this area, especially if you intend to lay judgment on others

Here, to the best of my ability, are the answers concerning the tough issue of sexual immorality and, as always, you can feel free to disagree, but I am convinced that this is what The Bible says concerning the sexual issue. Feel free to dialogue with me if you disagree... Chao till we meet again...