SEX

HA! Gotcha ya! Do I have your attention now? Funny how that this little 3 letter word can cause such a huge uproar with so many people. Its just a word for goodness sake. Right?

Whats so crazy about this word is the amount of discussion there is on it. You can find a wide range of topics that cover sex and health, sex and marriage, and sex and religion. Did you read that last one? Sex and Religion. That's right. I think most people, whether in the church or not, don't think that the two can go hand and hand.

I'm reading a new book called "Intimate Issues. 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex" by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus. Normally, I wouldn't read anything like this, but when my Saint of a sister-in-law, Jennifer, said it was a good read, I grabbed it. Its taken me awhile to get around to reading it but I'm so glad I have finally started it.

You should know starting out, whatever I read Aaron gets a full report. I love listening to his feed back because he always has great comments and gets me thinking. Sometimes more than the book does.

The book starts off giving 6 reasons why GOD gave us the gift of sex. 1. So that we may create life. 2. For intimate oneness. 3. For knowledge. 4. For pleasure. 5. A defense against Temptation. 6. For comfort.

I would like to start of with the first reason, "So that we may create life". The writers give us the scripture Genesis 1:28 (be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth). As Christian women, we've all heard that one. For such a long time, I hated this statement. I thought, "Oh no! Now, that I'm a Christian, all I'm good for is making babies." It goes onto saying in Genesis 2:28-29 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and they will become one flesh. The man and the woman were both naked and they felt no shame." You know they got to know one another because Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. So you see, babies are the outcome of the sex. And the physical act of child birth was women's punishment for eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:16a). Your DESIRE will be for your husband (Genesis 3:16b).

If we keep reading Genesis, you will find in chapter 4, Cain found a wife from NOD. NOD was east of Eden. Did Eve have girls? NO. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Cain and Abel are the only children that Eve bore. Just because we are women does not mean that the only time we can have sex with our husbands is just to get pregnant.

Move to 1 Corinthians 7:4-5 "the wife's body does not belong to her alone but also the husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." Here is the kicker (verse 5) "DO NOT deprive each other except by mutual consent and only for a time, so that you can devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."

I ask you? Why are there women in the world that are not physically able to bare children? Does GOD not love them? Absolutely not! GOD gave us sex so that we may share ourselves with our spouse in the most intimate way possible. Like the example in Ephesians 5:29-32, "After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of his body. 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."

I guess what Im getting to would be sex was created for husband and wife's ENJOYMENT with each other. Just read Song of Soloman. There is NO mention of birth control in the BIBLE. But that doesnt mean we shouldn't use it. The LABOR of child birth is our punishment for eating the forbidden fruit. Not the act of having sex. It is a great privilege being a woman. Lets celebrate that! With our husbands!