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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

sex as worship

Last night, John Mangrum did an incredible job speaking of the beauty of sex. If you were not there to hear it, I strongly suggest you download it here and take the time to listen to it. In this message, John also talked about sex as an expression of marital oneness which is an expression of worship.

I have a friend who got married a few years ago. When he came back from his honeymoon, he was telling me during those beautiful times of intimacy (uh, I mean, during sex), he was actually thinking to himself - this is glorifying to God...

My friend is actually a little bizarre, I have to admit. I don't think I've ever thought those thoughts while in the throws of passion. However, the thought is very true. The apostle Paul says that whatever we do - eating, drinking, working, studying and even sex - should be done for the glory of God.

If you heard John Mangrum's message on Sunday night, he affirmed this incredible truth. Many early church fathers missed this, viewing sex as something base and ignoble. However, the biblical picture is quite different. Sex is somethign beautiful, something noble, something that is glorifying to God. In that sense, sex is an act of worship.

When a man and a woman engage each other in loving sex, the Bible says that they become one flesh. The two become one, and in so doing reflect something of the Godhead. In the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are united in perfect oneness. There is diversity, but unity - Unity in diversity. So, in marriage and specifically in sex, there is diversity (two individuals), and yet also unity (they become one). Our understanding of God would be greatly diminished, I believe, had God not given us this beautiful picture of his internal relationship with himself.

Sex is an awesome gift, and as with every gift God has given us, we are called to trace the gift back to the giver and give him thanks and honor.

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