We live in a sex-saturated society. On the one hand, society says sex is "no biggie." On the other, it says that sex is that which will fulfill our every hope and dream. Tim Chester has written an excellent article on this latter view.
Sex is less significant that you think
In a previous post I argued that sex is more significant than our culture thinks it is. Our culture see it simply as an act of physical pleasure. But in fact sex binds us to another in a profound – in a way mirrors the union between Christ and his church
But in other ways sex has become too significant in our culture. It has become a way of salvation.
- Young girls want acceptance and look for it in teenage sex.
- Young men want respect or power and look for it in sexual conquests.
- Single people want fulfilment and look for it in a life partner.
- The middle-aged want life as death approaches and look for it in a younger lover.
- Men want to be adored or to be in control and look for it the fantasy world of porn where every women gives herself to you.
We look for our personal version of salvation in sex or in romance. To be someone, to be whole, to be worthwhile we’re told we need to have sex or we need to have romance. It’s salvation by sex. Sex gives me meaning, respect, belonging, identity. We need someone to cry, ‘Yes, yes, yes, I want you, I desire you, I need you.’
And then the Bible comes along and says: ‘The person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.’ (1 Corinthians 7:38 NLT) It says it’s good not to get married because then you can focus on serving Christ (7:29-34). You can have a complete life, a whole life, a fulfilled life without sex.
I know that sounds unbelievable in our culture. But it was just as revolutionary in Paul’s day. In Paul’s day having a family was everything. Your focus wasn’t personal success, but family honour. So to be unmarried was to be a no-one. You weren’t a man until you get married. A woman without children was considered cursed.
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