Good sex, bad sex

Sometimes it's easy to see Godly values displayed in society at large (take philanthropy, for example). Often it isn't.

I thought that this morning as I read Paul's admonition against sexual immorality in 1 Cor 6:12-20. Key verse: "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

Paul starts this verse talking about food, so it's tempting to decide the passage is about appetites in general. I think Paul is pretty specific in talking about sex here, though, since the next seven verses are specifically directed to that topic. As uncomfortable as it is, we need to think about sex sometimes, and what God's will for it may be.

Paul isn't against sex, he's against immoral sex. We get a little queasy discussing what may be appropriate in the bedroom, but I think Paul just wants to point us back to the basic fact that unless sex is in the context of marriage, it's wrong.

For many of us, that isn't a problem. However, there are two elements of living obediently to God: the internal and the external. It's not enough just to say, "Well, I don't do that." We need also to stand for the right things in the world.

At a minimum, I must never appear to condone what God has forbidden. When the topic comes up in conversations or TV shows or in someone's behavior, I need to at least make my position known so no-one thinks I'm OK with it.

Sometimes my role will be to actively work against sexual sin, maybe in the life of someone I know, or maybe to protect a neighborhood or school zone from exposure to the sex business. I hate having to do things like that, but I must be willing to stand against evil as much as I stand for good.

Those who are called to live without sexual expression can be especially effective, since their faithfulness in this area is proof that we need not be driven by our hormones.

Sex is one of those areas where, to the rest of the world, Christians seem hopelessly out of touch. We just need to remember that we're the only ones who really know about great sex. What the world has is Satan's twisted substitute.