God’s Plan for Physical Intimacy

Genesis 2:18 – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 – Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

20 – So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

21 – So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.

22 – Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.

23 – The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

24 – For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

25 – The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

Every pastor faces the same decision 52 times a year—namely, what to preach on each Sunday…what subject to deal with from the perspective of Scripture. I’m like my peers in this, because I constantly wonder, “How can I best use my 52 opportunities to deliver God’s Word to you—the wonderful believers who make up Redland Baptist Church?”

Many pastors answer this question by relying, at least in part, on the liturgical calendar to guide them in their sermon plans. There is even a “pastor’s manual” published each year to help pastors who preach in this way. Dr. Charles Bugg, who served as our interim preacher in 1996 was the editor of this manual one year. I’m sure his sermon helps were great—because I remember him being a very gifted preacher.

Another option many pastors take in deciding what to preach is to grab a teachable—or “preachable” moment. This is why thousands of pastors decided to deal with the subject of “end times” back when the year 2000 dawned. It’s why some preach about marriage on mother’s day and work on Labor day. Many times pastors feel led to plan an expository series of sermons on a particular passage of Scripture…like I just did in our study of the book of Ephesians. And then there are times when pastors preach on a particular topic is simply because they have a lot of information in their library on a particular issue. They feel God has prepared them to deal with a certain topic by providing enough content to fill a message…or series of messages.

In any case, I could go on and on because there are several different REASONS that pastors preach on certain texts or topics…which brings us to the focus of this morning’s sermon: physical intimacy. Why preach on sex? What would motivate me to deal with this topic from the pulpit?

Well, you certainly won’t find this topic listed on the liturgical calendar. No—I would say this is more of a “teachable moment” sermon series. I think God has led me to deal with this sensitive issue simply because…you and I hear so much about sex these days. From television to magazines and the entertainment industry—we are constantly bombarded with sexual messages and innuendoes. I’m sure it comes as no surprise for me to tell you that “SEX” is the most frequently used word on search engines on the Internet. It is also the most popular “hook” used to attract viewers to mainline talk shows and films. Sex is used to sell everything from perfume to high performance vehicles.

Ours IS indeed a SEX-saturated culture and…unfortunately, society’s slant on sex tends to be totally contrary to that of Scripture.

In fact, I defy you to listen to a conversation at the office without an off-color joke eventually emerging or to read the newspaper without finding a sexually explicit advertisement or to make it through a night of prime-time television without finding somebody who’s climbing into bed with somebody he or she is not married to. By the way, do you realize that 90% of all sexual encounters on television and the movies these days are between unmarried people? Thanks to this sad statistic, before the average American turns eighteen, he or she has witnessed more than seventy thousand images of sex or suggested sexual intercourse between people who aren’t wed to each other. I mean, sex outside of marriage has become the norm in our culture.

And let me just stop at this point and say something weighs heavy on my heart.

Preaching week in and week out is not an easy task! Anyone who says it is has either not done it for any length of time or is just lying. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I LOVE my job!

It is an incredible privilege to prepare and deliver messages from this pulpit every Sunday but at times it IS a very difficult thing to do because when you preach and teach the principles and precepts of this Book of books—when you RIGHTLY divide God’s Word of truth to fallen people living in a fallen world you are going to step on toes…you are going to hurt feelings…it’s inevitable! And many times those toes and feelings belong to dear friends…loved ones…even family members…and that’s not an easy thing to do. I know in my heart that it’s the RIGHT thing to do. I know at times it’s a NECESSARY thing…but it’s NEVER an easy thing. So, if I step on your toes this week or next, please know that I take no delight in it.  I love you guys.

I don’t know for sure, but the potential pain that is caused by sermons like these might be one reason that over the years the church has been so SILENT on the topic of sex. A few years back the chaplains at the University of Nebraska took a survey of incoming freshmen and asked them this question:

“How much influence did your church play on your views of sexuality?”

Of the freshmen surveyed, only 2 percent said that they church had ANYTHING to do with their views of sexuality…ONLY 2 PERCENT! Some of the comments that these freshmen included with their surveys are worth noting. For example, one said, “People in my church don’t believe in sex.” Another wrote, “Our church is boring. They don’t talk about sex or dating or marriage. It’s probably just as well; they’d make that boring too.” I think that one reason these young adults replied in this way is because down through the years most PASTORS have said very little about this subject from their pulpits. And often, in the rare instances when Christian leaders HAVE dealt with this topic, they’ve misinterpreted the Scripture’s teachings.

Even St. Augustine, whose book, Confessions, has inspired millions of believers down through the centuries, concluded that, since sex has caused mankind such struggle and heartbreak, he wished God had dreamed up a better idea. I for one will say that I am glad God didn’t! Sex as our Heavenly Father designed it is a WONDERFUL idea!

But—due to the fact that the world says SO MUCH about sex and the church SO LITTLE, many people—some of them Christians—have come to believe that, while God may be omniscient and omnipotent…and while He’s certainly holy and merciful…the truth of the matter is that when it comes to sex, people really know better than He does. More and more people have come to think that the Bible is outdated and outmoded when it comes to this issue—and nothing could be farther from the truth because God’s Word contains everything that is true and lovely and right about sexuality. And, unlike today’s media and the SILENT church, God’s written Word tells it like it REALLY is—from the rapture of married love, to the agony of adultery—from the struggle for sexual purity to the ever-present temptations of desire.

So, I’ve have chosen to deal with this difficult—and even potentially divisive—topic because I think we as Christians have a very important decision to make: Will we listen to culture or will we listen to the Creator when it comes to this issue?

In fact, I will say that I believe one reason our CULTURE is so messed up in this area is because CHRISTIANS have ignored God’s teachings. We have not been faithful to show with our lives how WONDERFUL sex and marriage can be…when done the way our Creator intended. The Janus Report—which was released in back in 1995—says that 30% of those who were religious said that had had extra-marital affairs…and 70% of those who said they were religious said that had had premarital sex. I know that was several years ago—but I doubt very much if things have gotten any better since then.

Please hear me on this! I’m saying that I believe one of the main reasons our culture’s sexual standards have gotten so ROTTEN is because Christians have not been salt and light in this area.. To help us do a better job I have decided to devote two sermons to focus on this subject. Today, I want us to look at what the Bible says on the issue of physical intimacy as a whole. Then, next week I want us to look at what Scripture has to say about homosexuality and marriage…so that we can better see how to combine our Scripturally-based convictions on this issue with Christlike compassion.

Okay…let’s begin. What does the Bible have to say about physical intimacy?

(1) First off, it clearly says that sex was GOD’S idea from the BEGINNING.

Sex wasn’t some evil practice that started after the fall of man. It wasn’t part of the curse. No, physical intimacy was God’s plan all along. In Matthew 19:4 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Have you not read that the One Who made them at the beginning, ‘MADE them male and female?’” Our Lord was reminding them—and us—that God came up with sexuality. He DESIGNED us as sexual beings. When Adam saw Eve for the first time and responded by saying, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” he wasn’t complimenting her personality! You see, nothing in all of creation up until that point could satisfy Adam’s yearning for a partner…and it was God Who gave him that yearning. As verse 25 of today’s text infers, our sexual desires are not a result of our sinful nature—for there was no shame in mankind’s sexuality before sin entered the world. Remember, at the end of the sixth day God looked at His creation…including man and woman and said, “It is VERY good.” — So sex was God’s idea—but why? Why did God create sex?

(A) Well, one reason is obvious. He did so for the purpose of PROCREATION.

In Genesis 1:28, God says to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” So physical intimacy is the God-given means by which we conceive children.  Sex is a creative, life-giving act. Ed Young writes, “God could have chosen any number of ways for the human race to multiply, but in His wisdom, He gave us sexual bodies that fit together perfectly and a natural desire for the opposite sex and the ability to CREATE NEW LIFE through that physical union.”

(B) So there was a practical reason that God created sex—but He also made it for the purpose of PLEASURE.

The Living Bible’s paraphrase of Proverbs 5:18-19 (which is the TAMEST version I could find) says, “…REJOICE in the wife of your youth. Let her charms and TENDER EMBRACE satisfy you. Let her love alone fill you with DELIGHT!” The context of this proverb plainly teaches that sex is an experience intended not just for the propagation of the race…but for the MUTUAL ENJOYMENT of both husband and wife.

Do you realize that there are parts of our bodies that have no function other than to give us sexual pleasure?! Do you realize that this is one thing that distinguishes us from the animals? This tells us that the enjoyment of physical intimacy was an intentional part of God’s divine design, not a serendipitous by-product. God MEANT for sex to be a powerfully pleasurable experience. He could have made sex merely functional—but He did not. NO, He made it to be a thrilling, passionate act—full of potential for physical delight. Sexual pleasure, within the bonds of marriage, was a big part of God’s first good gift to mankind! And…this is one sexual truth that the Church has avoided speaking of throughout history. St. Augustine wrongly concluded that sex should be for procreation and nothing more. Martin Luther was also in error when he wrote, “Intercourse is never without sin; but God excuses it by His grace because the estate of marriage is His work…”  These great men were right on many things but they were wrong here because God’s Word speaks openly of the PLEASURES of sex. If you doubt this read the Song of Solomon from start to finish in a modern translation! Even the Apostle Paul—not known for his personal enthusiasm for marriage—urged Christian wives and husbands not to withhold physical intimacy from each other. (1^st Cor. 7:3-6) So sex WAS and IS God’s idea. Our desire for physical intimacy and companionship are a reflection of our design. There is nothing inherently evil about our sexual longings.

Charles Swindoll tells of receiving a letter from a woman who said that she did not marry until she was 31 and up until that point she prayed regularly for a husband. She said that every night before she went to sleep she hung a pair of man’s pants on the bed post and knelt down to pray this prayer:

“Father in Heaven, hear my prayer, and grant it if You can;
I’ve hung a pair of trousers here, please fill them with a man.”

Swindoll shared the letter with his congregation and a few weeks later he got the following note from one of the mothers in his church:

Dear Pastor Swindoll, I am wondering if I should be worried about something. It has to do with our son. For the last two weeks I have noticed that before he turns the light out and goes to sleep at night, he hangs a woman’s bikini over the foot of his bed. Should I be concerned about this?

Well, she needn’t be concerned. There is nothing wrong with yearning for a husband or a wife. This longing is just a reflection of the way God designed us.

(2) And then, a second thing the Bible teaches about human sexuality is that it is UNIQUE.

I say this because many people in our society today would argue that sex is the same for us as it is for animals. They say that it’s a basic and straightforward appetite, similar to the hunger for food or the instinct for self-preservation—but to describe it in these terms is to greatly minimize its significance and purpose. You see, the Bible makes it clear that there is much more involved in human sexuality than the satisfaction of an instinctual physical urge. We are NOT merely animals. No, we are created in the image of God and because of this our sexuality is more complex and multifaceted than the seasonal urge that animals have to mate. Sex involves every aspect of our human being—the physical, the psychological, the emotional, and the spiritual. Let me put it this way: sexual intercourse is a soul-uniting act—so when you engage in sex you’re not just touching somebody’s body. You’re touching the essence of their being. Perhaps this is why God designed humans to be the only species that mates face to face.

By the way, as Christians we must especially take note of this fact, because our personhood—our souls—are different than those of non-believers. When we give our hearts and lives to Jesus, Scripture teaches that His spirit comes and resides within us. So, when we sin sexually, we drag His spirit into it. 1^st Corinthians 6:15-18 warns us of this when it says: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never. Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘the two will become one flesh.’ But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality.”

I’m saying that sex for human beings IS unique. It’s much more than just a physical act. In his paraphrase of the New Testament, Eugene Peterson renders 1^st Corinthians 6:16 in this way, “There’s more to sex than mere skin to skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact.

As written in Scripture, ‘The two become one.’ Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never ‘become one.’”

Listen! This is WHY there is so much hurt and guilt tied up with sex outside of God’s guidelines.

Ask people who are divorced, and they will tell you that there is nothing as painful as pulling apart two souls that were once united. This is why people who engage in physical intimacy with someone to whom they are not married, feel such an emptiness. Their souls have been “robbed.”

There has been a touching of the spirits of two people without the life-long commitment that is supposed to go along with the act.

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis refers to our text for this morning and writes,

The inventor of the human machine was telling us that its two halves, the male and the female, were made to be combined together in pairs, not simply on the sexual level, but totally combined. The monstrosity of sexual intercourse outside of marriage is that those who indulge in it are trying to isolate one kind of union (sexual) from all other kinds of union which were intended to go along with it and make up the total union.

So you see, it is ridiculous for people who ignore God’s guidelines for sex and get involved in an adulterous affair to use that all too common disclaimer, “It didn’t mean anything.”  That is just not true. Ask the adulterer’s spouse what it meant to him or to her! There is no such thing as a “meaningless affair.” For a human being sex is never meaningless. Physical intimacy for us is far different than it is for any other created thing—and this leads us to something I’ve been inferring from the beginning of this message…

(3) …for the Bible also clearly states that there are BOUNDARIES to sexual expression.

God, didn’t design sex so that anything goes. He lovingly created it—programmed it—to function within clearly set limits. You might want to write these next references down:

• In Leviticus 18:6-18 God specifically says, “NO” to incest—or sex between members of our immediate family.

• God also says “NO” to sex between persons of the same gender. Romans 1:24-28 is only one of the passages where He repeatedly, specifically warns against this, the practice of homosexuality. As I said, we’ll talk more about this next week.

• In Exodus 22:19 and Leviticus 20:13-16, He also says “NO” to sex with animals, or bestiality.

• In Matthew 5:27-28, God also says “NO” to indulging in sexual fantasy for anyone other than your husband or wife. That is lust and it is a sin.

• Scripture also teaches that God says “NO” to sex that is painful or forced or violent. This is abuse and it is not part of His design. 1^st Cor. 13:4-7 and Philippians 2:3-4 would apply here.

• And, as I have repeatedly said this morning, God says “NO” to sex with anyone other than your husband or wife, for God designed sexual expression specifically for marriage.  Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

Now….we must understand that God established boundaries around sexual intimacy not to be a kill-joy but just the opposite. He made these boundaries to ensure our maximum joy.

He meant for sex to be a blessing, not a burden…a delight and not a disaster—but only those who honor God’s boundaries for sex will experience the true blessing that God intended sex to be. Everyone else would be using physical intimacy in a way it was not designed to function.

In our world of sex on the second or even FIRST date, live together before you are married, and homosexual activism, any principle of sexual boundaries sounds out of place. But it is true! God “wired” us emotionally so that sex outside of marriage between a man and woman is not nearly as fulfilling or enjoyable as it is within that secure bond. Even John Gray, the author of the popular Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, concludes that sex and commitment are definitely made for each other. He writes: “What makes sex really great is love. The more you get to know someone and continue to grow in intimacy and love, the more the sexual experience has a chance to thrive.”

The Biblical truth is that sex THRIVES only in this atmosphere of committed love. God’s design for pure sex reserves its full expression for the marriage relationship: one man, with one woman, for life.

Several years ago a team of researchers at the University of Chicago released a long-awaited scientific study titled “Sex in America,” and their findings support this principle. You may remember hearing about this study. In case you didn’t I’ll tell you that their research revealed that:

• married couples report having more frequent sex than their supposedly swinging single counterparts.

• The data they collected also indicated that couples who consider themselves religious or claim a church affiliation are just as “sexual” as those who do not make this claim.

• Here’s one more finding from this study: married women reporting the highest degree of sexual satisfaction were conservative Protestants!

In spite of research like this, many people choose to ignore God’s guidelines and say, “Doesn’t it make sense to try out a relationship before you commit to another person for a lifetime? I mean, you wouldn’t invest 30,000 dollars in a new car without test-driving it would you? So, why not take your potential spouse out for a spin? It seems logical that you’re more likely to have a better marriage in the future if you try out each other sexually in the present.”

Today statistics show that THE VAST MAJORITY of adults opt for this reasoning. But stats ALSO show that: