No matter which entertainment medium you pursue—movies, music or books—you are likely to run into the same frequent topic: sex. The mention of sex seemingly everywhere in broader culture can easily train our thoughts on the topic to be like those of the world rather than of God’s word. There may even be a temptation to think that the world’s vision for sex is liberating and gratifying, while the biblical view is cumbersome and outdated. In an environment that treats sex cheaply and without proper guardrails, it is important for Christians to think biblically about how God calls his people to pursue sexual holiness for his glory and their benefit.
Glorifying God With Our Bodies
For Christians to pursue holiness in this area of their life with joy, it is important to have a proper framework of God’s purpose for our bodies. Sexual immorality is among the issues that Paul addresses to the troubled church in Corinth. In doing so, Paul teaches us valuable principles for how to honor God with our bodies. Chiefly, Paul reminds these Christians that their bodies do not belong to themselves for their own sexual pleasure, but ultimately to the Lord (1 Cor. 6:13). Moreover, through the Lord’s redemptive work, our bodies are destined for a greater joy and hope than any sexual satisfaction on earth. Our bodies are destined to be resurrected and glorified, like Christ’s body (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 6:14; Phil. 3:21). Additionally, through faith, we have union with Christ (1 Cor. 6:17) and are told that our bodies are temples because of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (1 Cor. 6:19). In light of these glorious realities, it becomes unthinkable for Paul that Christians would use their bodies for sinful sexual pleasures outside of God’s intended design and become one flesh with someone who is not their husband or wife (1 Cor. 6:15–16, 1 Cor. 7:2).
Instead, Paul directs them back to the ultimate purpose of their whole lives—to glorify God and enjoy him. Specifically applied in this area, he exhorts them: “So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20, WSC 1). If we first contemplate that our bodies are the Lord’s and that we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20), it will be easier to joyfully bring this area in subjection and obedience to God. Furthermore, in the wisdom of God, he encourages us to flee sexual immorality, not to deprive us of happiness, but to steer us away from that which is harmful and ultimately unfulfilling. Important in the instruction that Paul gives here is that, when we pursue sexual holiness by fleeing sexual immorality, it is not only for our benefit, but it is a way we glorify God. This is a reordering of the common message of the world which often puts our own pleasure and satisfaction at the forefront of every decision. Living by these biblical principles is not enslaving, but rather leads to our own thriving and to the glory and honor of the one who gave himself for us.
Pursuing Sexual Holiness
In light of God’s work and grace in our lives, Christians are called to live in a way that honors God. While the specifics of how to do this requires wisdom for varying situations, Scripture does give us guidance on what it looks like to honor God in our sexual conduct (Eph. 5:3, Col. 3:5). One such way we are encouraged towards holiness is to abstain from sexual immorality—cheating on a spouse, sleeping with someone before marriage, or lustful thoughts (Ex. 20:14; Heb. 13:4; Matt. 5:28). The church in Thessalonica is even told that this is part of God’s will for them in their sanctification—“that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thess. 4:3–5). In contrast to engaging in sexual activities unauthorized by God’s word, Christians are called to demonstrate self-control.
Christians can live this way because, in Christ, they are no longer under the enslaving power of sin; they are under God’s grace (Rom. 6:14). In light of this grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, Christians can exercise self-control rather than following the whim of every fleshly desire. In pursuing holiness in our sexual conduct, we love our neighbor and honor the calling God has given to believers (1 Thess. 4:6–8).
A Joyful Pursuit
Undergirding everything that Paul commends is the classic Christian sexual ethic: sex should only be in the confines of a marriage between a husband and a wife (Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. 7:1–2). While this is a clear teaching, it can raise difficult questions of application for those who are not married. For those who are single, dating or engaged who have a natural desire in this area but do not have the godly means to pursue it, how are they to live? In the broader world, the solution has been sought through various pursuits to find fulfillment through sexual endeavors without biblical parameters. At face value this view is celebrated, but below the surface this practice is unfulfilling. Hookup culture, pornography, and licentious behavior do not lead to healthy, flourishing sexual expression.
In order to truly find that longing of our hearts for sexual freedom and joy, we need to take seriously the guardrails that God’s word has set in place. Our God is not a killjoy who wants to shackle his people, but a God who loves his children and wants them to flourish through living in obedience to his law in all areas of their lives. Essential to our true fulfillment and joy, regardless of our relational status, is finding our contentment in Christ. Those who are not married and have a godly desire for sex but not the appropriate biblical occasion for it will find peace and satisfaction through their Savior, and forgiveness in him when they fail in this area (Ps. 16:11, 37:4; 1 John 1:7). For those married, they will be able to release the expectations of sex that it was never meant to carry, and rest in a better comfort during seasons when sexual intimacy is difficult or disappointing. Both married couples and singles may rely on the unchangeable goodness of their Savior to fill their hearts with a greater satisfaction than sex could ever give.
