What has God got to do with my sex life? Shouldn’t God just mind his own business? As shocking as it may seem to some sex, even your sex, is in fact God’s business. The Bible tells us that God created all things and that includes sex, and as the creator of sex he has the prerogative to dictate what is appropriate, right, good, and beautiful sex and what is not. This is a foundational issue in developing a theology of sex. If we are going to come to any right understanding of how we ought to think about sex and sexuality then we need to hear what God has to say on the subject and allow him to set the definition and boundaries of our sex life. God, as creator, gives us the starting place for our theology of sex.
In Genesis we read that God is the creator of all things. Regardless of how you read the text of Genesis the conclusion one must draw from it is that we live in a theocentric universe. God rules and God governs over all things, this includes sex. In Genesis 1 we read:
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
The very establishment of sexual relations comes from God. He is its creator and originator. This is a crucial piece of information for it tells us a number of important things, things that all Christians must take into consideration.
First, it tells us that sex is good. God creates sex, pre-fall, and after its creation he says that everything he made was “very good.” Sex, therefore, is not some necessary evil. It is not some gross embarrassment that the Christian community must acknowledge as existing, but must not discuss or, heaven for bid, enjoy. I recall a pastor once saying that the Christian community treats sex in a rather ridiculous fashion. We say things like, “sex is gross, sinful, and you might get an STD from it…so save it for the one you love.” But just as ridiculous are the Christians who treat sex in a very prudish way, as if its existence is an embarrassment to our culture. Al Mohler was right to say that Christians have no business being prudish about sex, for the Bible isn’t prudish about it. We’ll talk later about the appropriate ways and contexts in which to speak about sex, but needless to say God created it and we an enjoy it and appreciate it.
Second, as Creator God has authority over sex. He gets to determine what is right and wrong, he gets to determine how and when and with whom sex should be done. If you’re a Christian, if you love God, then you are bound to accept his authority on the matter. We are not free to determine whatever we want about sex, to make up our own rules, and to decide what right sex is and isn’t. We may have some interpretation issues on some things, but nonetheless we are bound to God’s standard on the matter. In the coming weeks we will look specifically at how God has defined and articulated his standard for sexual relations, but we must begin with this foundational point, God rules over sex (even our sex).
Lastly, as the Creator of sex God also should get the glory for our sex lives. Does that seem strange to say? I am sure it does to many of us and I want in the coming weeks to unpack what this means in more detail. At this moment, however, let it suffice to say that if our sex is not honoring to God then we have failed to obey the God who created sex. 1 Corinthians 10:31 makes clear that if even the mundane things (like eating and drinking) are done for God’s glory then so should all things (like having sex) be done for His glory. This means that a completely selfish focus and motivation in sex can pollute the act. Sex, like all things (Colossians 1:16), exists for God’s glory and that is a foundational issue in building our theology.
If we don’t start at this foundational building block our whole construction will be faulty. We must recognize God’s role in understanding our sex and sexuality or we will immediately fall prey to all sorts of delusions and misunderstandings about ourselves and sex. God is creator and that should shape our thinking on this matter.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 