Hi Ladies,
Now let’s tackle a Big Question. Have you ever wondered why God in The Scriptures is so against premarital sex? As a Believer, you already know the answer to any question of participation, but it remains a dilemma for many singles. I Thessalonians 4: 3 is one of numerous verses: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.” We may know this is instruction from The LORD, but our culture and the temptations around us can override our head knowledge.
God Himself has given us sensuality and physical desires, but has denied the opportunity to fulfill them except within the bonds of matrimony. But Our Father’s instructions are always for our best interest, and the restrictions on intimacy are for our own good. There will come a proper time for sex, but getting to physical intimacy is designed to be the culmination of a process, not its beginning.
The issue of sex outside of marriage is not a dilemma of freedom of choice, and its roots run much deeper than a mere physical act. So let’s examine the underlying factors involved in ignoring God’s prohibition against premarital intimacy. Why this isn’t just about a physical activity, and how, as a single Believer, it can affect the fulfillment of your Vision for marriage…
Snares of the Enemy
As students of the Bible, we know that Our Father has created order in His universe, and since we are His own very special creation, He has created a very special order for us as well. When we follow God’s order, our lives have the potential to be excellent, spiritually, emotionally and materially. But when we refuse to follow His order, our lives will fail to achieve their full potential.
In The LORD’s proper order, with everything in its correct position, we function as tripartite (three-part) beings, and we are a small scale reflection of the Triune (three-part) Godhead. In His designated alignment, we humans consist of three entities – Spirit, Soul and Body.
The primary aspect of our being is the Spirit, which corresponds to God, the Father Creator. Next is our Soul, the invisible, interior psychological aspect of human life, which equates with The Holy Spirit. Finally there is the Body, or physical aspect of life, which is represented by Jesus Christ, the physical member of the Trinity.
These are the basic forces of our life, and in proper balance, the least of the three is the physical. But for many of us, God’s order has become reversed. We think of ourselves as Body, Soul and Spirit, and in this upside down positioning, our senses, our sensual nature, is the strongest factor. It becomes the driver over the other two forces, just as it was before we experienced salvation.
Since these three aspects determine our motivation, when the physical nature regains headship, so does our sensuality. This is not merely the sensuality of sexual activity. We can surrender to our senses in any area of our lives. Expressions of an uncontrolled sensual nature can involve our dealings with money, choices of food and drink, entertainment, reading material, friendships, and so on. Our physical person with her likes and dislikes and cravings becomes dominant.
If we settle in and become comfortable with the dominion of the physical in our life, instead of fighting it and allowing our spiritual self to retain control, we will become satisfied with that status quo. We may be vaguely aware that our sin nature is regaining control, but our resistance weakens. We become double-minded and confused, and as James 1: 8 warns “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In such a state, with our sensual nature dominant and our senses out of control, we become vulnerable to snares of the enemy.
Before we consider the consequences of physically engaging in premarital sexual activity, there are other quieter traps of a sensual nature that we may become prey to. As Believers, we must be wary of our vulnerability to these seducing attitudes and situations.
Until next week… Joy and Shalom!
jo lynne pool - Love in The Book.org 