Characteristics of Love: Love meets sexual needs
1 Corinthians 7:1-5 (NLT) Now about the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should not deprive his wife of sexual intimacy, which is her right as a married woman, nor should the wife deprive her husband. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband also gives authority over his body to his wife. So do not deprive each other of sexual relations. The only exception to this rule would be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time, so they can give themselves more completely to prayer. Afterward they should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt them because of their lack of self-control.
Introduction: While wishing everyone a happy new year, I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for everyone studying with great desires characteristics of God’s kind of Love for the past 31 weeks.
🙏 I pray for fruitfulness of God’s words in our marriages as we reap divine benefits of marriage institution in Jesus name.
The 32nd characteristic of God’s kind of Love this week is: Love meets sexual needs.
My upbringing as it relates to discussions on sexual matters affected me early in ministry and I used to avoid teaching on sexual matters. We were taught to believe that discussion on sexual matters is a sin. Parents hardly give sex education to their children. Christian parents believe God will teach them and that gives Devil opportunity to take over. Children in my generation therefore learnt whatever knowledge acquired through external forces; friends, film, house helps, school teachers, security guards, family members and any other sources that ruined lives of many and some escaped by God’s mercy. Some pastors acted so sanctimonious that you will think they commanded child to come forth without touching their wives as they made us to believe that touching your wife is sinful. They moved miles apart when going together in public. We bless God for His unchanging words that throw more light into every darkness of our lives today.
God’s kind of Love meets sexual needs. God is the originator of sex when union between man and woman was instituted. It was Satan that introduced sexual perversion to humanity after the fall of man.
🛑 Our text today is without ambiguity on sexual relationship as married couples.
When early Christians began to think that being a celibate (someone who does not marry or have sex) guaranteed going to Heaven, they wrote to Apostle Paul.
Hear what he wrote in line with what Jesus told His disciples
1 Corinthians 7:6-7(NLT) This is only my suggestion. It’s not meant to be an absolute rule. I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness.
Hear what the Master Himself said when His Disciples concluded it is better not to marry if divorce can lead to committing adultery that gives way to hell.
Matthew 19:10-11 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
🛑 Therefore, celibacy is Not an escape from hell if God has not given such gift as stated by Paul in our text.
Then, unto the married, marriage is gifted by God to;
1️⃣. Escape sexual immorality as you have your own husband/wife
2️⃣. Deprive NOT your husband/wife sexual intimacy which is the right for both
3️⃣. Know that husband has authority over his wife’s body and likewise wife has authority over her husband body as regards sexual matters. Your wife is not promiscuous by asking for sex from you as we were made to believe, it is her right and she has authority over your body. It is not only man that should initiate sex.
4️⃣. Know that there must be agreement between the couple for any sexual deprivation for a limited time NOT unlimited time.
5️⃣. Know that sexual intimacy must resume to keep Satan away from marital relationship as no one can guarantee self-control when it comes to sex as Satan the Tempter will be waiting at offices, clubs, and social gathering to lure Christians into sin.
❓What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
▶️ If at all possible, try to initiate sex with your husband or wife today. Do this in a way that honors what your spouse has told you (or implied to you) about what they need from you sexually. Ask God to make this enjoyable for both of you as well as a path to greater intimacy.
✍ Finally brethren, enemy of our souls finds it very easy to come into Christian marriages where there is no intimacy, and where man allows asunder due to search for wealth and other unacceptable reasons, thereby living separately for a long time and sexual relationship becomes a mirage.
Hear God’s commandment to Christian couples
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NLT) Now, for those who are married I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
🛑 If you are thinking of separation or divorce as an option, I want to leave you with this post I saw, which ministered to me as per repercussions of decisions as it manifest in the future.
“The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions”
✋ Maranatha.
