If we put the different areas of intimacy – physical, relational, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual – in levels of difficulty, physical intimacy would be at the bottom of the list or deemed one of the easiest to achieve, if not the easiest. Our society puts a high priority on the sexual relationship between two people. You cannot watch many television programs or go to many movies without seeing some form of sexual activity between two of the characters on the screen. The bombardment of sex begins in many people’s lives early in their teens, at school as well as through media outlets. Many people act on that bombardment for several years before they get married. I’ve heard people talk about their one-night stands with people they just met. I do not believe that God wants this for us. God wants our sexual lives to be pleasing to Him as well as to us.
The Bible states in Hebrews 13:4 that the marriage bed is to be undefiled. in I Corinthians 7, Paul describes the sexual relationship between a husband and wife. He gives each person the responsibility of meeting the sexual needs of their spouse. The Song of Solomon describes a love relationship between two people with sections of the book explicit concerning the details of their sexual activity. When God created Adam and Eve, the Bible says that they were “Naked and unashamed.” The point of all these scripture references, of which there are many more, is to indicate the importance that God puts on the sexual relationship within marriage. He created sex for several purposes.
- Procreation: Genesis 1:28 says “Be fruitful and multiply.” Obviously, God created sex for families to grow.
- Enjoyment: God created the male and the female to enjoy sexual activity. The female has more areas of her body that responds to touch than a man does. There are more nerve endings within her genitalia than a man’s. Prov. 5:18 says that the wife is to be a fountain of blessing to her husband. This verse is referring to satisfaction of their relationship. Song of Solomon 1:2 says, “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.”
- Comfort: When Bathsheba’s child died, the Bible says that David comforted her and slept with her. (2 Samuel 12:24) Even in the darkest times in our lives, the sexual union of a husband and wife has a gentle, caring, and comforting element that helps in the healing process.
- Protection: God gave us the gift of sex within marriage so that we would not have to go outside of the relationship to be sexually fulfilled. There is a great protection for both the man and the woman here. The woman’s greatest need is to feel protected. She needs to know that she is the only one and that she is not compared to anyone else. There is no fear of diseases or outside pregnancies. I Corinthians 7 tells us not to refrain from sex for a long period of time so Satan cannot tempt us.
- Intimacy: Genesis 2:24 claims that “two become one flesh.” The sexual union of the husband and wife connects them completely. This union carries with it so much more than just sexual enjoyment. It should include an emotional and spiritual connection. Solomon describes that intimacy in several places. Here is just one of those: Song of Solomon 1:13: “My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh which lies all night between my breasts.” 2:6: “Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace me.” These two verses show the closeness of such a physical relationship.
God created sex with marriage in mind. He knew He created man and woman with a sexual desire. He then created marriage to meet that desire. God desires for us as married couples to enjoy the gift that He has given.
Can you think of other reasons God created sex for married couples? I would love to hear your thoughts.
After spending more than 25 years on church staffs, God has allowed me to take the experiences and knowledge that I gained to develop a Biblical Counseling ministry. The basis of this ministry is to allow God’s Word to shine on the main issues in peoples’ lives in order to bring His resolutions to problems.