Lesson 26: Warring Against Our Flesh - God’s Provision in Marriage
Questions 3 and 4
The Gift of Singleness
There are some people to whom God has given the gift of singleness (1 Corinthians 7:6-7). These individuals are content united to the Lord Jesus Christ and in service to the body of Christ. They are not “burning”, that is, they do not experience strong desires for sexual intimacy. But they are few.
The Provision of Marriage
The majority of people desire sexual intimacy, and many of us have sinfully resorted to sexual immorality to quench our sexual desires. But God has made it clear with Adam and Eve, Christ and His bride, and these clear instructions in 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 that His solution for strong desires is a marriage between a man and a woman.
The Cost of Turning from God's Provision
For years I was one who perverted God's design. I turned to sexual immorality (self-gratification, adultery), rather than turning to my God-given spouse. I learned the hard way, that when we turn from God’s solution (sex within marriage) to sexual immorality, we not only invite the discipline of our Father, but we also experience increasing dissatisfaction with the sin we have turned to. Sin always gives birth to more sin which leads to death (James 1:15).
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Ephesians 4:19 (ESV).
The Call For Marital Intimacy
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 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 own body but yields it to his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:3-4 (NIV)
Here we see that husbands and wives are to surrender their bodies to their spouse, engaging in marital intimacy together, and this is a preventative and protection against sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2). Not that our spouses are our saviors, but that they are God’s means of grace in our lives.
Do not deprive each other except perhaps 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.
1 Corinthians 7:5 (NIV)
Question 3. According to 1 Corinthians 7:5 NIV, why are spouses not to deprive each other sexually?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Sexual intimacy between a man and his wife is designed to be a preventative to Satan’s temptations. Marriage is God’s provision for strong sexual desire.
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9 (NIV)
Question 4. According to 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, what are people who are unmarried to do if they have strong sexual desire and find they cannot control themselves?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
