Scripture

But, because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

Observation

It is good to abstain from sexual relations, but because of the immorality of the world in which we live, it is better to be married.

In marriage, husband and wife each give other authority over their own body, and so should be ready to meet the needs of their partner.

Spouses should not deprive their partners of sexual relations, unless it is by mutual agreement for the sake of prayer.

Paul wishes everyone was single as he is, but he recognises that people have different gifts. It is better to remain unmarried if you have the self-control necessary. It is better to marry than burn with lust.

Those who are already married should remain so. If they are separated, they should seek to be reconciled.

Application

Paul says here that the ideal for every Christian would be to remain single. However, not everyone has the spiritual gifting to do this, so for these people it is best to marry.

We live in a world where every kind of sexual perversion is tolerated and encouraged. For the world, sex is always good, and no limitation should be placed on it.

For christians, though, our bodies are holy to the Lord. Our sexual desires, like every physical drive, need to be contained and expressed in a way that is holy and pleasing to the Lord

Marriage of the biblical kind – one man and one woman joined together for life – is the holy expression of sexuality. Marriage is given for the protection and growth of the partners, and for the provision of a loving environment for children.

Sex in the strictly biological sense is about the production of babies. It is a perverse feature of human nature that we have made it an end in itself. In this way, we deny our own humanity.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the gifts of sex and marriage. You have designed us for both of these. Please help me to think rightly about them. Amen