The objective of this lesson: to stress that ungodly exploitation of sexual attitudes/behaviors/desires prevents the Christian from reflecting the Holy God.
The challenge confronting the concern of this lesson borders on being too great to verbalize. This is not a lesson restricted to the discussion of a single form of sexual ungodly attitudes or behavior. It is not just about fornication, or adultery, or affairs, or "one night stands," or "intercourse for pleasure without commitment," or prostitution (male or female), or pornography involving adult images, or pornography involving children's images, or "adult" entertainment, or rape of women, or rape of men, or pedophiles, or homosexuality [whether considered generically or in specific expressions], or bestiality, or ceremonial and ritualistic sexual acts performed as religious expressions, or sexual fantasies, or any other from of sexual act [or desire or expression] that directs people away from God. There are too many ways to use sexual energies and sexual desires to oppose God's purpose and values.
The emphasis of this lesson is not on a specific form of sexual ungodliness but on the basic concept of sexual ungodliness--regardless of the form or expression it takes.
It is easy to get bogged down in ethical discussions that focus on "can this form of sexual ungodliness be justified [therefore purified] in this set of circumstances." It is easy to oppose any sexual desire or expression as "dirty," evil, or against God's purposes. It is easy to adopt any form of evil expressed in a specific sexual activity as the "ultimate cause in a war on moral decay." Such ease too often obscures the foundation problem: thoughts or behaviors that oppose God rather than reflect God. It is much too easy to become enmeshed in "can this be justified" concerns instead of "does this reflect God" concerns.
This is not an attempt to enter an ethical discussion of a specific form of sexual diversion or exploitation, but a focus on the concept within all forms of sexual ungodliness which oppose reflecting God's holiness.
Let us begin with a definite statement. Sexual desire and sexual ability is a gift from God to us, not a consequence of evil. Scripture, from the outset, regards human sexual nature and sexual energies as God's gift. Genesis 1 is a brief but generic account of creation. Genesis 2 is a brief but specific account of the creation of human companionship.
Any person who equates any form of sexual desire or sexual behavior with evil has a basic problem with revelation from scripture. Prior to sin there was no shame in sexuality. Sexuality is part of God's creation. There is no guilt in being male or female. Our sexual bodies were not recreated after sin was permitted to be part of our reality. Sex is not sinful. Perversion of sex from its created objectives in committed, responsible companionship expressed in an enduring male/female relationship is sinful.
Note in the generic account of Genesis 1 we have (1) the divine desire and intent to produce humans (1:26); (2) the divine intent for humans to reflect the divine (1:26); (3) the creation of both male and female (1:27); (4) the divine desire for human reproduction (1:28); and the divine instruction to the human to rule over creation (1:28). When God viewed the complete creation, He was deeply pleased (1:31)--what He made reflected Him appropriately.
Genesis 1 makes it clear that humans were sexual beings prior to humans welcoming evil into their physical reality. All God's creation originally reflected God's goodness--including sexuality.
Please note something obvious. Humans were made male and female before evil existed in the human condition. The intent for humans to reproduce--therefore have sexual intercourse--existed before evil existed in the human condition. People were sexual beings and people had sexual intercourse before evil was part of the human condition. To classify all sexual desire and sexual acts as evil is to reject scripture's evidences. Eve's consequences for yielding to temptation were not conception, but pain in childbearing and a yearning for her husband (3:15).
Just as the rest of creation was perverted from its intended purpose, so was sexuality perverted from its intended purpose.
Genesis 2 places the focus specifically on the creation of companionship. Genesis 2:4-23 is a presentation of related events, not a collection of unrelated events. The creation of man (2:7); the gift of a garden home that provided physical needs and contained responsibilities (2:8-17); the declaration that human loneliness is undesirable (2:18); man's naming of the creatures (2:19,20); the creation of woman (2:21,22); and man's recognition of woman's significance (2:23-25) are intricately related.
The blessing of sexuality is found and understood in the blessing of companionship.
The scenario is NOT God recognizing, "I really messed up and made a big time mistake." Adam needed to realize and understand what the Creator understood. God did not want man treating woman as if she was just another animal. God did not want man to reduce sexual interaction with woman as nothing more than animalistic mating. God gave man something unique-- human companionship. For man to appreciate this unique gift, man had to understand the gift's uniqueness. He must understand that loneliness is not good and companionship with woman is something far above and beyond animal interaction and behavior.
The focus of Genesis 2 should be placed on man's education. God educated Adam to enable Adam to grasp the enormous blessing God presented him in the gift of Eve. The objective was to declare the basic nature and uniqueness of marriage to early Israel.
Thus Adam experienced loneliness to realize loneliness is not desirable. Adam named the animals to (1) gain increased awareness that he was alone and (2) realize the kind of loneliness he experienced could not be resolved by imitating animal interaction.
Adam was educated through personal experience and through discovery/observation.
He learned! He understood! When God presented him with Eve, he realized she was something unique--"bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh, another me! I can relate to her, have companionship with her as with nothing else!" What he realized became the foundation of a unique physical relationship, became the foundation understanding in marriage. Note that this human companionship was [is] more than the satisfaction of sexual desires. This human companionship incorporated sexual interaction in a male/female relationship. It was by nature a high form of commitment, and this commitment continued as a part of companionship's nature even after sin entered the human condition.
Adam was able to appreciate God's incredible gift of companionship when God presented Eve to him. He understood the meaning and significance of having a companion suitable for him. Sexuality and sexual intercourse were part of that companionship, but the companionship was much more than the sexual aspects of their relationship.
In considering Colossians 3:1-11, take note of these things. (1) A Christian has entered a different/new existence defined by and focused on Christ. (2) He/she thinks differently. He/she, by choice, dies to sin and places self with Christ in God. (3) There are some aspects of human thought/behavior that oppose being in Christ hidden in God: sexual fornication with its impurity, passion, and evil desire; greed; all evil and abusiveness that arises through nurtured anger; and deceit.
Paul in Colossians 3:1-11 distinguishes between the person who has become a new self in Christ and the person who exists in a Christless existence. The Christless existence is characterized by sexual immorality with the impurity, passion, and desires of that immorality [as well as greed and destructive emotions/behaviors rising from anger]. The person produced by becoming the new self in Christ cannot and will not embrace the behaviors of the godless existence. He/she does not want to embrace those things! He/she had died to sin!
These things are classified as honoring a nonexistent god [idolatry] and living in an existence that defies God. The person with the courage to be a new self in Christ reflects the image of his/her Creator, not the image of godless existence.
To continue such behavior is to honor the god who controlled his/her godless existence, NOT the Holy God Who, in Christ, made the new self and its existence possible.
1 Corinthians 6:14-20 was written because Christians were deceived by a godless attempt to justify godless sexual intercourse. The argument: (1) sexual desire is from God [true]; (2) sexual desire is a natural appetite [true]; (3) satisfying a God given, natural appetite is not wrong regardless of how it is satisfied [false]. That which belongs exclusively to Christ's body [the Christian's physical body] cannot be made a part of that which is opposite God [the prostitute]. Paul made several arguments: (1) sexual intercourse outside the commitment of male/female marriage rejects God's creative intent; (2) it rejects Christ's intent in the new creation when Christ made possible the new self's emergence; (3) it is a uniquely significant form of evil; (4) it is a basic rejection of God's ownership of the Christian; (5) it opposes God's Spirit which God placed in a Christian at his/her baptism.
The argument justifying Christian involvement with prostitutes in 1 Corinthians 6 failed when it failed to understand the purpose of being in Christ is to reflect God. For a Christian, sexual sins are presented as a unique form of evil that attacks the person of the man or woman who is a new self in Christ. Such involvement is counter to everything a man or woman seeks to be in Christ.
It is impossible for the Christian to reflect God's holiness [as intended in the new self] if he/she allows himself/herself to be part of sexual immorality [as defined by God]. Such sexual involvement is a rejection of God and Christ's creative purposes in the new self.
The person in Christ cannot reflect God and His holiness if he/she gives his/her body and desires to forces that oppose God and His holy nature. One cannot reflect God by living an ungodly lifestyle.
Thought Question
Discuss how the concept of sexual immorality [as defined by God] involves refusing to reflect God's holiness.
Such discussion should include these things: (1) sexuality, sexual desires, and sexual intercourse are not the products of evil but gifts from God. (2) It is the abuse or perversion of sexual desire and behavior that is evil. (3) The new self cannot be shown by participating in ungodly acts or promoting ungodly attitudes. (4) When Christians involve themselves in sexual immorality, they misrepresent the God Who sent Christ to free them from such slavery. (5) God cannot be reflected through sexually immoral thoughts and behavior.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 9