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Keywords: Does Sex Offend God? Jesus Christ Christian sex sexuality Bible masturbation adultery

Does Sex Offend God?

By Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - Internet Church Of Christ - LoveAllPeople.org
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"Does sex offend God?" This is the main question we Christians must answer in order to deal with our human sexuality. Does it offend God or not?

If it offends God, we should suppress it and oppose it. If it pleases God, we should exalt it and support it.

There is a doctrine-of-man tradition among some Christians that all sexual desire is a lust of the flesh and should therefore be suppressed as all other lusts of the flesh, such as envy, hatred, and wrath. There is some Scriptural support for this tradition, mainly in the writings of Paul, who was himself an ascetic, before and after he became a Christian.

But it is a mistake to misread Paul and think that he taught that sex is inherently evil. Paul taught that sex is dangerous because it can easily lead to PORNEIA, which is sexual immorality. (Fire is dangerous, too, because it can easily lead to injury and destruction. But fire is not inherently evil, just as sex is not inherently evil.) And not all sex is lustful, just as not all eating is gluttonous. Most human sexual desire is just a built-in, basic part of our God-given nature, just like our desires for food, shelter, and clothing. If it were evil, God would not have given it to us.

Here is Paul's basic statement about sex. In it, he recognizes the danger of sexual immorality (PORNEIA), and he presents monogamous heterosexual marriage as the best way to deal with human sexuality. He does not condemn sexuality in any way, but he acknowledges it as a fact of life for most people. And by recognizing "conjugal rights" in marriage, he affirms the legitimate need for sexual release in orgasm for both men and women. If there were no need for sexual release, there would be no need for conjugal rights. Please note that he says nothing at all about sex being only for reproduction. 

         1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-7 (RSV)
       
         _____________________________________________________________
       
        1
               Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is
               well for a man not to touch a woman.
        2
               But because of the temptation to immorality, each man
               should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
        3
               The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights,
               and likewise the wife to her husband.
        4
               For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the
               husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his
               own body, but the wife does.
        5
               Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for
               a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but
               then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through
               lack of self-control.
        6
               I say this by way of concession, not of command.
        7
               I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own
               special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
         _____________________________________________________________
In the passage above, Paul presents marriage as the preferred method for dealing with human sexuality. He recognizes that sexual desire is a normal fact of life for most people. And by asserting "conjugal rights" in marriage, he affirms the legitimate need for sexual release in orgasm for both men and women.

But is marriage the only acceptable method for dealing with sexuality? What are people supposed to do about sex before they are married? And what are married people supposed to do about sex when they are separated from each other? And what are unmarried people supposed to do about sex if God has not provided them with a suitable mate?

The answer is masturbation: solo masturbation, alone and in private. This is not the preferred method, but it is acceptable to God when a marital partner is not available. There is not one word of Scripture in opposition to solo masturbation. All of the sexual offenses mentioned in the Bible involve sex with other people or with animals: adultery, fornication, homosexuality, rape, incest, bestiality, all of them. There is no mention at all of sex by yourself, alone.

Not only is masturbation not prohibited, it can actually be a form of worship, as we give thanks to God for our bodies and for the wonderful feelings He allows us to have. 

       
      "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be
       rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;" (1 Timothy 4:4 RSV)
So the answer to the question, "Does sex offend God?" is, "No. Sex does not offend God any more than eating or drinking or sleeping offends Him."

With this message, I urge all Christians to accept and embrace sex as a normal, God-given part of life, not a sin or something to be suppressed. And I urge all Christians to stop opposing masturbation as "a secret sin" and to accept it openly for what it truly is: a gift from God.

Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord,

Rev. Bill McGinnis <><

# # #

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May the Lord bless this presentation of His holy Word. 

     Rev. Bill McGinnis  <><
     bmcgin@patriot.net

See more pages like this, at our Index of Pearls Of Faith, a treasury of Biblical truths.

Please also see our related pages . . .

CHRISTIAN
ETHICS & HUMAN RELATIONS
POLITICS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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May the Lord bless this presentation of His holy Word. 


     Rev. Bill McGinnis  <><
     billmcginnis@loveallpeople.org

See more pages like this, at our Index of Pearls Of Faith, a treasury of Biblical truths.

Please also see our related pages . . .

CHRISTIAN
ETHICS & HUMAN RELATIONS
POLITICS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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Blessings to you. May God help us all. 

       Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org

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