If you are going to do something, be passionate about it, and enjoy the passion of it, you ought to know why. What is the purpose of sex? As mankind, why did God give us sex? From our very first father and mother in the Garden, the Bible says that they were naked and not ashamed. They enjoyed each other and everything about each other.

Sex is a gift of God and should be enjoyed exclusively between a husband and wife inside the bonds of the covenant of marriage. Denny Burk helpfully suggested a broad purpose and several subsequent purposes of marriage from which I have answered the question, What is the purpose of sex?

The Ultimate Purpose of Sex

The ultimate purpose of sex is the glory of God. This alone will shock some of you. Yes, that is the answer. God has given sex as a gift to marriage (Heb 13:4). As such, participating and enjoying sex brings Him glory. The glory of God is the ultimate purpose of everything a Christian does – which includes sex. Notice the following two passages:

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The context of both these passages are different, although from the same book. The ultimate significance of each for living related to sex is similar though. First in general, 1 Corinthians 10:31 applies to everything a person does. This passage relates to living without offense with another. In this text, Paul reminds the reader that no matter what you do, or the reason you choose to do it, you must live doing whatever it is you are doing for the glory of God and subsequently with thought of not bringing offense to other people. Eating, drinking, whatever you do – which includes sex – must be for the glory of God.

More specifically, the earlier text in the same book (1 Cor 6:18-20) is nestled right in the middle of a discussion of sex. Paul says for followers of Christ to flee sexual sin, provides the context for fleeing such sin, and then gives great guidelines for sex in marriage (which we will handle in a subsequent blog – 1 Cor 7:1-5). The context does not change from 6:18 through 7:5. When Paul teaches to “glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God’s,” he is referring specifically to glorify God in sex.

Therefore, the ultimate purpose of sex is for the glory of God. As such, it is no different than absolutely everything a follower of Christ does. As believers strive to follow Christ, the purpose of man is to become like Christ by bringing God glory. Sex falls within that category of living – to bring God glory.

Subordinate Purposes of Sex

Bringing God glory is not the only purpose of sex. There are other purposes of sex. However, each of the other purposes must fit within or under the larger category of bringing God glory. In other words, although these other purposes are good, appropriate, and helpful in terms of purposes of sex, each one is not alone. When participating in sex, we must bring God glory while we enjoy and fulfill these other purposes.

  1. Celebration of One Flesh (Genesis 2:24). As soon as Adam met Eve, he exclaimed, “Not this, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” (Gen 2:23). God’s immediate editorial comment for us through Moses: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). This of course includes much more than just sex, but it certainly does not preclude it. As a man and woman come together physically, the act of intercourse highlights and celebrates the couple as one together in covenant with each other. Every time sex takes place between a husband and a wife, this physical act celebrates the gift of oneness physically, mentally, and spiritually together.
  2. Procreation (Genesis 1:26-28; cf. Gen 8:17; 9:1, 7). Adam and Eve were instructed in the Creation Mandate to be fruitful and multiply. The necessary way in which a man and a woman are fruitful and multiply is through sex. In fact, the Bible says that God “blessed them” and then commanded them. Here the Bible teaches that God gave man and woman what was needed to be obedient to His command to multiply. Specifically, obeying God’s command necessitates using what God has given man and woman together to create a new living human being in the image of God.
  3. Expression of Love (Ephesians 5:31-32). The Apostle Paul, as he summarizes the incredible love a man is supposed to have for his wife, also picks up the theme from Genesis. He writes, “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph 5:31-32). The immediate context is roles within the home. In this section, Paul describes in detail how a husband is to love his wife. He describes this love as representative to the way Christ loves the church. It is a selfless and providing love (Eph 5:25-32). As the husband and wife enjoy marital sex together, sex becomes a physical expression of the love they have together.
  4. Pleasure (Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 5:18-19; Song of Solomon 4:16). Sex is pure pleasure and is to be enjoyed as such. There are many passages in the Bible that teach this. Solomon writes all three of the passages highlighted here. “Live joyfully with your wife…” (Eccl 9:9). “…and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love” (Prov 4:18-19). And in a very poetic section referring specifically to sex, Solomon writes, “Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits” (Song 4:16). This is just a small sampling of other passages that encourage and highlight the pleasure to be enjoyed in sex. Certainly God made our physical bodies to enjoy sex together. Physical stimulation through sexual intimacy (which often culminates in orgasm) highlights the pleasure God provided for the husband and wife together in sex. Our bodies fill with pleasant chemicals which produce a great sense of pleasure for both the husband and wife and often produce a much more pleasant sleep.

Enjoy Sex in Its Rightful Purposes – as an Act of Worship

Enjoy sex. However, do not cheapen sex to be just a selfish pleasure that you enjoy. Instead, enjoy sex as God intended it to be enjoyed. Understand His purposes and then enjoy sex in light of them.

In many ways, sex is another way to worship God together for the husband and wife. In sex, the husband and wife bring glory to God through celebration of His plan, obedience to His command, in recognition of the love they share together, and through enjoying the pleasure God intended for each of them. The goal for the follower of Christ is to never make it cheaper than this. More on that a different day.

So, in preparation for tomorrow’s blog, ask yourself this question, “What is the motivation for good sex?” Talk with you then.

Part 1: What Do You Need to Know about Sex and Why?

I am grateful for Denny Burk’s What is the Meaning of Sex for these general categories and purposes of sex. You can get it here on Amazon.

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