ODJ: sexual freedom

May 21, 2014 

READ: Leviticus 18:1-30 

So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life (v.3).

Nearly half of the children born in my country are born to unwed mothers. One million more are aborted each year. Teenagers can purchase over-the-counter ‘morning after’ pills. The Supreme Court in America has ruled that men may marry men and women may marry women and anyone who says otherwise is injuring them. Few people think they should wait for marriage to have sex and many who do marry still end up divorcing their spouse.

This is a depressing situation, but it isn’t new. God told the Israelites not to imitate what they had seen in Egypt or would find in Canaan. And what did they find? Men having sex with mothers, sisters, granddaughters, daughters in law, other men and even animals (Leviticus 18:6-23). God said that the people had defiled themselves and He gave the land to the Israelites (vv.24-25).

We can’t stop our culture from becoming sexually promiscuous, for the world is going to do what the world is going to do. But God calls us to be different. Here’s how:

1. Believe that sex is the gift of God. Sex was His idea, so He must want us to enjoy it. God is on our side. We can trust that His rules for sex are for our good (Genesis 2:20-25; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5).

2. Enjoy sex within the covenant of marriage. True love is a reflection of our triune God. As the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, so we imitate their love in a true loving relationship with another person (John 17:21-23). Sex is one way we express deep love for our spouse.

We gain a greater understanding of such divine love when we give ourselves to another and we won’t dare to do that unless we are bound by vows before God. True sexual freedom requires commitment. —Mike Wittmer

365-day plan› Ecclesiastes 12:1-14