Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - 7 Lies About Sex | Torah | Exodus 20:14

Episode Date: June 27, 2022

What do you believe about sex? Is sex outside of marriage ever okay? How far is too far? Can God forgive sexual sin? In today's episode, Keith shares 7 commonly believed lies about sex and the seventh commandment. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Exodus 20:14 Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now.

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. My name is Keith Simon, and right now we're going through the Book of Exodus. Even if you can't name all the Ten Commandments, I bet you can name the Seventh Commandment. It's found in Exodus chapter 20, verse 14, and it says, you shall not commit adultery. Adultery is marital infidelity. It's any kind of sexual intimacy that breaks the bonds of a marriage covenant. But as we've seen in all these Ten Commandments, each commandment teaches about more than simply what it prohibits.

So in our time together, let's talk about seven lies that we believe about sex. The first lie is this. Sex is dirty. Sex isn't dirty, it's divine. God created sex. That's why it's so powerful. Back in Genesis 1, it says God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. So God created men and women differently. That was on purpose. He created their human body parts and nerve endings and all the things that are a part of sex, and then he looked and called it very good. This is the way that he designed it. God's intention was that in the context of a marriage, a husband and wife would engage in a mutually satisfying sexual relationship. But the church has not always taught this well. Between the third and 10th centuries, the church issued edicts that forbid husbands and wives from having sex on Thursdays, because the church has not always taught this well. Because the third and tenth centuries, the church issued edicts that forbid husbands and wives from having sex on Thursdays, because that was the day of Christ's arrest, and on Fridays, because that was the day of his death,

and on Sundays out of remembrance of the saints. And then eventually, the church said, because there was this kind of suspicion about sexuality, the church said that no sexual relations between husband and wives could occur during the days of Lent or Advent or Pentecost. They added so many fast days and holidays to this list that Philippiancy noted that it reached the point where if you follow the church rules, there were only 44 days a year that were a event. They were a for a husband and wife to have sex together. But understand that was not God's intent. He did not put Adam and Eve on the 44-day plan.

God designed sex to be a very important part of marriage. Sex isn't dirty. It's divine. It's part of God's good design. And in the right context, it's something to be celebrated, not to be ashamed of or avoided or treated as a necessary evil. The second lie is this. Sex is only a physical act.

Human beings are complex creatures. Every person is a body, and soul. What happens to our body affects our soul? The truth is that sex is both a physical and spiritual experience. And I believe that something inside us knows that. There's a great line in the movie Vanilla Sky. One of the characters says, don't you know that when you sleep with someone, your body makes a promise whether you do or not? It sounds a lot like Genesis too. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh. In a very real sense, when you engage in sexual intimacy, you're not just touching someone's

body, but you're coming as close as possible to touch another person's soul. It's that intimate. That's why having sex outside of marriage or having sex and then breaking up is so painful, because your body has made soul-level promises. It's one of the main reasons why sexual intimacy is to be reserved for a husband and wife in the bonds of marriage in the context of exclusive permanent commitment to one another. The physical promises need to come in the context of other promises. That's why the Bible says, if you're not married to someone, keep your hands off their soul. Because when you become sexually intimate with another person, a spiritual transaction takes

place. Third lie. Marriage is just a piece of paper. Most of you have heard this one. What's the big deal about reserving sex for marriage? I mean, marriage is just a piece of paper. We can love each other without a piece of paper. I was thinking how this argument might go down in some other contexts.

Maybe you're a boss at a company. At the end of the month, try not paying your employees. And then when they come in to complain, tell them, well, what's the big deal about your paycheck? It's just a piece of paper. We can work together without a piece of paper. Or maybe you're in education. Wait till commencement and then don't give anyone a degree. And when they whine about it, tell them, well, what's the big deal about a diploma?

It's just a piece of paper. We can learn together without a piece of paper. or the next time a police officer writes you a speeding ticket, rip it up and throw it back at him. I mean, what's a big deal about a ticket? It's just a piece of paper. See, marriage is not just a piece of paper. It's a promise.

It's a promise of the most solemn act of self-giving that a human being is capable of. It is a vow, I believe, of commitment and fidelity, that I will seek to honor body and soul as long as we both shall live. It's done publicly so that I go on record before God in the community of which I'm apart. and I will be accountable for the sacred pledge that I make. It is written on a piece of paper to be a tangible, permanent witness. I took a vow. I made an oath.

I gave my word. So don't start with a piece of paper thing. Stop with a married-in-your-heart thing. It's about a lifelong public commitment, a lifelong promise made before God and others. Here's the fourth lie. As long as it isn't intercourse, it's okay. What is it really talking about when the Bible says that we shouldn't

commit sexual immorality. Where's the line? Well, that it goes from being okay to not okay. Well, there is no line. I mean, to even ask that question is kind of losing the battle. If you're not married and if you have to have a line, then maybe your line should be this. What would you do if your parents were in the room? Kind of hardcore, but listen to Paul in Ephesians 5. But among you, there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or of greed because these are improper for the Lord's people. Or this from Jesus in Matthew 5. You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery, but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Here's the fifth lie. Singleness sucks and marriage

is bliss. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 7, I wish that all of you were as a I am, but each of you has your own gift from God. One has this gift, another has that. Paul is saying, I wish all of you were single as I am, but each of you has a gift from God. For some of you, that gift is marriage, and for other the gift is singleness. How should we view singleness? Well, Paul called it a gift. Now, I know a lot of married people who might agree with that. I mean, I could line up people who would say that their marriage hasn't been so hot. Why? Well, maybe because they married the wrong kind of person. Maybe. This isn't true of everyone with a difficult marriage, but maybe they entered into the marriage because they were lonely

and bored, and they were looking for something to complete their life. They were looking for someone to be their soulmate. They were looking for something to make them happy, and so they turned to marriage. But marriage never promised to make you happy. Some people get married because they don't want to be single. That's a really bad reason. Singleness is a gift. Jesus was single. So if you're single, you're not on Team B, right? I mean, God became flesh. He lived in a human body. He lived a full and perfect life. He had a lot of friends, but he was never married. He never had sex. He had a full emotional life with lots of connection, lots of ministry. No one ever looked at Jesus and said, he's on the B team because he never got to have sex. Jesus was single. Paul was single. God wasn't

holding out on them. Paul encourages you to see your singleness or your marriage as a gift. Sixth lie. It's my body and I can do with it whatever I want. Who told you that? I mean, you didn't learn that in the Bible. Here's the truth. It's found in 1st Corinthians 6. You are not your own. You are bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. Who made your body? Who came in a body to live and die for you? Who was resurrected in my own? Who was resurrected in body who will one day raise you and your body to live with him forever. Jesus, that's who. God owns your body. He made it, he bought it, he is redeeming it. If you're married, not only does Jesus own your body, but so does your spouse. 1 Corinthians 7. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,

and likewise, the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority. over his body but yields it to his wife. Now unfortunately, verses like this have been misused, often by husbands to manipulate their wives. But this verse says something that was very countercultural at the time. The husband's body belonged to the wife and the wife's body belonged to the husband. What it's looking for here is a mutually satisfying sexual relationship.

That takes a lot of time, learning, sensitivity. It's a pretty complex area of life. It's not a way to demand what you want when you want it. Instead, it's a way to serve the other person. It requires, like I said, talking and listening and learning. 1 Corinthians 7.5, do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

A mutually satisfying, sensitive, loving, caring, sexual relationships, is one of the ways that we fight against Satan's influence in our marriage. Seventh lie. Sexual sin has disqualified me from enjoying God's best. Maybe you're out there saying, yeah, I get it, but it's too late. I've already gone down the road of pornography. I've already been a selfish jerk within my marriage. I've already been unfaithful to my spouse.

I've already had sex outside of marriage. I want you to see that Jesus is Lord of your heart. whole life, even your sex life. So I want you to turn from your sin and run toward Jesus. I want you to bring your sin to Jesus and repent. Say God, I blew it here. Would you forgive me? Would you restore me? Christianity is good news for sinners. Jesus forgives sinners. He cleanses them and restores them and uses them. I would encourage you to bring others in on your struggle. People that you know well, people that you can trust, people that have good spiritual wisdom, people who will pray for you and encourage you. If you're out there thinking that you're damaged goods,

know this. Jesus loves you. He forgives. He will remake and restore you, but you've got to come to him. Ask him for his forgiveness. Ask him for grace to turn from your sin. In his death and resurrection, He forgives you and gives you new life. Thank God that he is gracious. Amen. Hey, thanks for listening. If you want to go deeper, sign up for the 10-minute Bible Talk newsletter.

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