Marriage and Sex Part One: What Does the Bible Say?

Some people think that the Bible is against sex. They are wrong, in fact it’s clear from from the first page of the Bible that God is for love and sex between a man and a woman. It is His invention!

Let’s have a look at some Bible verses about God’s plan for love and sex.

The Creation account

A good place to start is in the account of creation in Genesis. ‘So God created man in His own image … male and female He created them’ (1:27). We read that God created man and woman for a close, intimate friendship. They should share everything with each other, including their bodies: ‘they shall become one flesh’ (2:24).

Man and woman enjoyed each other’s closeness, and they were not ashamed of being naked. God saw that what He had created was good. Later on, sin and all its negative consequences became a part of life. It’s important, however, to recognise that the fall of man wasn’t about any sexual sin, or about Adam and Eve sleeping together.

Sex is something good that is created by God.

The fact that sexuality is something good that God has created, is perhaps seen most clearly in the book of the Bible called Song of Songs. This is a collection of love poems that were probably used in wedding celebrations in ancient Israel. This book explodes with joy over beauty, both as seen in nature and in the human body. If you read it, you will see that the Bible speaks openly about love between a man and a woman.

So God has allowed a whole book of the Bible, eight chapters long, to concentrate on the love a man and a woman have for each other:

‘Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth – for your love is more delightful than wine … drink your fill of love … I am faint with love … His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely … How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights!’ (Song of Songs 1:2; 5:1,8,16; 7:6).

What did Jesus say?

The Bible speaks positively about sexual relationships being in God’s will when a man and a woman have promised to be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives, and when they are willing to take responsibility for each other and any resulting children. Furthermore, sex is fellowship between two people who have bound themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. So sexual relations between a man and a woman belong to marriage. This is what the Bible says, both directly and indirectly, from the first to the last page.

Fruitfulness, sex, security and lifelong fellowship all belong together.

Sexuality is natural, it is good and it is created and blessed by God. God wants our best, so He has given us guidelines and commandments for this important part of life. Because sexuality is so valuable, and because it sets strong forces in swing, we need God’s guidelines so we don’t hurt ourselves or others.

(This is part 1. Click here to read part 2 – ‘What does “sexual immorality” mean?’)