The Choice of Consensual Sex

All sex is a choice. The great debate around human sexuality has lead to a great deal of discussion around sex and its relationship to the Christian church. The debate is much too limited and does not get to the heart of Biblical understanding of sexuality. All consensual sex is a choice. We make a choice about where, with whom, and when and how often we have sex.

The Biblical model for sex is a simple one, one man for one woman for life. Men and women have ignored this admonishment throughout the history. Some of those individuals are called ‘men after God’s own heart.’ Sexual sin is not an unpardonable sin. It is however a different kind of sin.

1 Corinthians 6 speaks to this issue. It tells us to “Flee from sexual immorality.” It does so because of the power of sexual temptation. It tells us why, “All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” It prompts us to believe the physical body is more than just a shell and that it is more than just biological. It calls us to believe that it is the place where God himself can dwell. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” It reminds us that the price that was paid for our bodies was the cost of Christ physical body. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

If you don’t believe in sin then ‘it is all good’. However, you can not claim to be a Bible believer and not believe in sexual sin and you can not claim to be a Christian and not believe that God has made sex Holy.

It is the choice to make sex Holy that the Church is called to. What a non believer does with their choice of sexuality is their business, but what the Church does is the Churches business. God wants to dwell in the physical body of the believer. The sexual union between a husband and wife has a direct connection to the relationship between Christ and his Church. One is a reflection of the other. Ephesians 5: 31-32 read, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”