sex

1 Corinthians 6:12 You say, "I am allowed to do anything"—but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, "Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food." (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

15 Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

I know what you're thinking - but I haven't had sex with a prostitute!

One of the most disturbing developments I've run into lately is how many Christ followers I know are having sex with their girl friends or boy friends.

Now we can justify it all kinds of ways - "we're in love" - we're gonna get married anyway" - "we couldn't help it" - "why not?"

I think this section in 1 Corinthians pretty much eliminates sex outside of marriage for anyone - including Christ followers - especially Christ followers.

How many people have I walked with through the aftermath of a breakup with someone they thought they were gonna be with forever?

And how many of those Christ followers had the added burden of having to not only deal with the emotions of breaking up, but also breaking of the connection, the bond, & the "oneness" that comes through have sexual intercourse with someone?

too many to count.

The world says go ahead.

Your bodies say go ahead.

(With a sex drive the size of the space shuttle engine in a Volkswager body, why wouldn't it?!)

But God says "don't!"

Why? Is He just some celestial kill joy?

He created sex for a man & a woman in the safety of the marriage commitment because something is created when they make love - an emotional, physical, & psychological bond that is designed by Him to be incredibly strong.

What happens if we create this bond with people & then break it.

Our hearts harden, become insensitive, and our psyche is damaged.

How do I know?

I've been watching people for 60 years. Some things ya just pick up on along the way.

So if you're thinking about starting to have sexual relations with your sweetheart, DON'T!!! - or if you already are - STOP!!!