...our bodies were not made for sexual immorality.They
were made for the Lord,
and the Lord cares about our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:13b NLT
Many fundamental evangelical churches behave as though sex is a four-letter word. Seldom spoken of except in terms of David's grievous sin with Bathsheba, most congregations are content to leave all talk of sex outside the inner sanctum of their worship services. Everyone seems to know where the lines are drawn regarding appropriate sexual behavior, but for whatever reason, it is deemed to be an inappropriate topic for church. Forget that God created sex. Forget that God has a plan for sex. Don't ask. Don't tell. And for Pete's sake, don't talk about it in mixed company!
Some brave pastors and church leaders will broach the subject on rare occasions, usually amid vehement objections from at least a few highly verbal members. If the topic actually does make it to the Sunday morning sermon, some listeners will be focused intently on the pastor's every word. Others will shift uncomfortably in their seats glancing nervously at their watches waiting impatiently for the approach of twelve o'clock. And still others, usually the younger set, will giggle and snicker while passing scribbled notes back and forth among their peers.
The problem is, whether they are focused intently or shifting uncomfortably or giggling childishly, far too many people have issues with sex. Pornography addiction is at an all-time high - even among Christians. Homosexuality becomes increasingly more commonplace and acceptable within the mainstream, even as the numbers of HIV and AIDS cases skyrocket. Marital infidelity is a common cause of divorce - with as many as half of all marriages (even Christian marriages) ending in divorce. Sexual dissatisfaction between married couples grows as husbands complain that they seldom have their physical needs met while their wives continue to feel unloved and unappreciated. Singles have their own issues with sex. Young adults and teens are inundated with sexual messages from every angle on any given day. Raging hormones fuel visual and auditory stimulation in a culture that appears to be (by all evidences) sex-crazed. Sexually transmitted diseases have reached epidemic proportions and teen pregnancy and abortion continue to be entirely too frequent. Even pre-pubescent elementary aged children are beginning to experiment with sexual activities on a more frequent basis.
While issues pertaining to sex remain prevalent in most age brackets, the church remains, for the most part, silent. As with abortion, if we the church are not part of the solution we cannot escape bearing responsibility for the problems and their results. Frankly, too many generations of Christians have shrugged off that responsibility, pointing an accusatory finger toward the easy targets of Hollywood and the liberal media instead of taking up the mantles of sexual purity programs, abstinence education, and straight talk about sex from the point of view of its Creator. It is time for us to shelve our misplaced shame and take back the topic of sex from those who have perverted it. Sex as God intended it to be within the healthy boundaries of a monogamous marital relationship can be a wonderful, beautiful, exciting and fulfilling part of life - without shame and without painful consequences. More than merely for procreation, sex is one of the most incredible gifts given the human race in the physical realm. But as with many of the beautiful things God created, Satan has deceived us and our sin has distorted it. It's time to take it back and allow God to restore it to us as He meant it to be.