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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thought Question
Discuss how the concept of sexual immorality [as defined by God] involves refusing to reflect God's holiness.
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 9