God’s Design for Sexuality

God designed sexuality to be …

I. Liberating, Beautiful, and Achievable, Not for Self-Gratification (vv. 12-14)

A. Liberating — By His Freedom

Verse 12 was almost certainly a Corinthian slogan

This would have been a bumper sticker on chariots in first century Corinth.

The word lawful here means “freedom to act” or “permitted.” It would be the modern equivalent of “you do you.”

In other words, whatever feels good to me, whatever sounds good to me, whatever I want, I’m free to do it.

Paul says sure, I’m free to do anything in the sense that I ultimately make my own decisions.

But just because you make your own decisions doesn’t make those choices profitable to you.

Profitable is advantageous or beneficial.

The Christian is called to view their actions not based on whether they have the ability to do something, but whether their actions are beneficial for themselves, for others, and ultimately for Christ’s name.

I’m free to do anything, but I refuse to be mastered by anything.

Mastered means “enslaved or overpowered.”

In other words, you are slave to the one you obey.

Either you are a slave to your sin, and your sin will control you.

OR

You are a slave to Christ, and He controls you.

Christian freedom is not without boundaries.

You’ll recognize Romans 8:1, but listen to how verse 2 continues:

Romans 8:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Christian freedom is bound up “in Christ Jesus,” meaning that you are free to act within the boundaries, good boundaries, that God has established.

And when it comes to sexuality, those boundaries are especially necessary. Notice how Paul continues in verse 13:

B. Self-Gratification

Verse 13 holds another Corinthian slogan

Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food.

What are the Corinthians saying here?

In other words, my stomach let’s me know when I am hungry and I feed it food, and I can feed it any food I choose.

Therefore, when my sexual appetite arises, I can fulfill it and feed it however I want to.

Why?

Because this is my body and my choice.

Notice the assumption the Corinthians were making.

It’s the same assumption we often make today.

This is my body.

These are my finances.

These are my talents and abilities.

The only reason you have anything is because it was given to you in the first place.

In other words, your body belongs to Jesus.

Jesus is the one who gave you your body, and this is especially true for those of us who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord.

The Corinthians viewed the body as just another resource to be used.

They viewed spirituality as their emotions or feelings, whatever sounded good to them in the moment.

And if they body doesn’t matter, they can do whatever they want.

They can treat it however they want.

They can feed it whatever they want.

They can fulfill their sexual desires however they want.

This is why Paul reminds the Corinthians in verse 14 that just as Jesus’ physical body was resurrected, our bodies will be physically resurrected as well.

Your body is for the Lord, and God designed human sexuality not for self-gratification, but as something beautiful, liberating, and achievable.

C. Beautiful — By His Design

If you turn with me back to Genesis 1-2, here’s what sex looks like from God’s perspective:

In Genesis 1:27 we see God created both man and woman in His image

In Genesis 2:18 we the one thing not good is for man to be alone.

Just think about that for a minute

At this point, Adam exists in perfection. At this point, Adam exists in the presence of God. And yet, Adam is still alone.

So God gives Adam a task of naming the animals, firstly as a way of exercising the dominion He has given him, but also as an opportunity to see he doesn’t have a suitable partner.

In Genesis 2:22, God fashions woman from the man and presents her to Adam. As you can imagine, he’s quite excited.

In Genesis 2:24 we see the first marriage, where one man and one woman are joined together and become one flesh.

In Genesis 2:25, we see that Adam and Eve were together naked and not ashamed.

And if you flip back to Genesis 1:31, you will see that God looks on everything that He had made and declared it very good.

In other words, God is not embarrassed about sex.

We might be embarrassed about sex, but God is not.

Proverbs 5:18–19 NASB95

18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.

Does that sound like a God who is embarrassed about sex?

God created sex and He thinks it’s awesome, but He also designed sex in a container called marriage.

Any attempt to satisfy sexual desires outside of marriage is called sin.

If you’re living together before you are married — sin.

If attempting to please yourself with someone other than your spouse — sin.

If you attempt to redefine marriage as something other than between one man and one woman — sin.

And none of us on our own can ever live out God’s design for sexuality.

So I want to bring you back to the end of verse 14.

D. Achievable — Through His Power

Paul has just finished telling the Corinthians their bodies matter, their bodies are the Lord’s, and their bodies will one day be raised up by the power of God.

We’ve seen lots of examples of Paul speaking both about a future promise and a present reality.

You will be saved in the future — you are also saved presently.

You will be justified in the future — you are also justified presently.

You will be washed in the future — you are also washed presently.

And I think this is another example. Your physical body, by the power of God, will be raised in the future, but by the power of God your physical body, your physical appetites, can also be raised to meet the standards God has set for sexuality.

No one can do this on their own.

Paul isn’t discounting hormones or sexual desires as if they don’t exist.

Instead, he is recognizing their existence and telling the Corinthians, and the Holy Spirit is telling us as a church today, that God has given us all the tools we need to rise to meet the standards and boundaries of sexuality that He has set in place.

The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that you need to live for God.

And Paul goes on to explain why living for God, especially in our sexuality, is so important in the next few verses:

God’s design for sexuality becomes …

II. Wonderfully Satisfying or Incredibly Painful (vv. 15-17)

A. Sex is Far More Powerful Than You Think

We often think of sex as a physical act, and there is a physical component, but sex is primarily spiritual in nature.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are members of Christ.

By confessing Christ as Lord and choosing to follow Him, they have been united with Him.

And if you have been united with Christ, why would you unite yourself with someone else in a sinful way?

Paul is continuing to elaborate on the reality that the body was not made for sexual sin but for the Lord.

There were men in the church in Corinth who were married, but were going to prostitutes to satisfy their sexual desires.

The same thing still happens today — both physically and not

Participating in sex with someone other than a spouse in a committed marriage relationship has lasting impact.

Paul quotes Genesis 2:24, demonstrating there is an unseen bond, a spiritual bond, that is developed when someone engages in sex.

This is why there is so much pain surrounding sexuality that takes place outside of God’s design.

Sex is the most intimate interaction between two human beings, and when you engage in it, you give a portion of yourself to the other person, and once you do you can’t get it back.

B. Wonderfully Satisfying

Sex is about giving, not receiving.

You are giving part of yourself to your spouse, and they are giving part of themselves to you, and it creates this lasting bond.

This is one of the reasons you see couples who have been married 40, 50, 60 years who, even though all the physical attractiveness is gone, have a deeper love for each other than you can possibly imagine. Because sex is spiritual.

Some people approach sex thinking it’s about receiving to be satisfied, but it’s about giving so that your husband or your wife can be satisfied, and that through your marriage relationship God can be glorified.

I see the phrase “casual sex” thrown around a lot of the internet

Our world views experimenting sexually as a necessary part of growing up.

Instead of telling you to abstain from sex until you’re married, they just tell you to make sure you practice “safe sex.”

Make sure you wear protection

Make sure you take the right medication

Make sure you know who that person has been with

I can tell you from experience the only safe sex you can practice is sex between a husband and wife in a committed marriage relationship. That’s it.

There is no “casual sex,” and that’s why it’s not something to mess around with.

C. Incredibly Painful

I’ve had enough conversations through college and in ministry to know that there are people all across the spectrum in here.

Some of you are single, you’re content in your singleness, and you’re patiently waiting for God to reveal your helper just like He did with Adam. I just want to encourage you not to give up, keep going. It brings God great glory.

Others of you are thinking to yourselves, “If I could rewind the clock, I would change things. I would’ve have slept around.” You can’t change the past, but starting today, Jesus Christ can help you change your future. So I just want to encourage you to allow nothing else to master you except Jesus Christ and His will for your life.

Unfortunately, I also know there are others here and elsewhere who hear a message like this, who hear “one flesh,” who hear about pain that sex outside of marriage can bring, and are thinking to themselves, “It was stolen from me, and I never asked for that.” To you I just want to say my heart breaks with you, that is absolutely wrong, but there is no sin or stain that the blood of Jesus does not have the power to wipe away entirely and make clean.

And no matter which area of the spectrum you find yourself on, Paul addresses the power that Jesus Christ has on your life moving forward:

God designed sexuality to be …

III. Glorifying to Him (vv. 18-20)

A. Flee Immorality

To flee immorality means to run in the opposite direction as fast as possible

Probably the best example in Scripture we have of this is Joseph.

Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s house and Potiphar’s wife took a particular interest in him, to the point where she attempted to seduce him.

When Joseph was in the house alone one day, she grabbed him by his cloak and he ran away so fast he left his cloak with her.

Potiphar’s wife told her husband Joseph attempted to force himself on her, and when she screamed he fled leaving the incriminating evidence.

And what happened?

Joseph was thrown in prison for several years, but God honored him and made him second in command over Egypt.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB95

13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Sexual sin is not just a sin against God, it is a sin against yourself and with someone else.

As a Christian, you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. The God of the universe dwells inside of you.

Your body is not your own. It was given to you, and as a Christian, you have given yourself to the Lord, so follow Him.

Why is that so important?

B. You Were Bought With a Price

You were bought with the most costly price imaginable: the blood of Jesus Christ.

The blood of Jesus has the power to help you rise to meet God’s standards for sexuality.

The blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse you from your own sins, completely and totally, washing you clean so that you can walk in the newness and fullness of life found in Jesus Christ.

The blood of Jesus has the power to wipe away any of the pain or guilt or sorrow that you have experienced as the result of someone else’s actions.

Paul ends with the greatest hope: you have been bought with a price, a price that has the power to overcome anything, so glorify God in your body.