This document discusses marriage and sexuality from a biblical perspective. It explores perceptions and realities of marriage, as well as the promise, mission, and challenges of marriage. It examines what sex is and is not, establishing that sex is a uniting, committing, and pleasuring act meant for marriage between a husband and wife. The document provides biblical boundaries for sexuality and addresses questions about physical intimacy in dating and frequency in marriage.

2. Where We’ve Been So Far…
- The PERCEPTIONS on Marriage
- The REALITIES of Marriage
- The PROMISE of Marriage
- The MISSION of Marriage
- The CHALLENGE of Marriage
- The DESIRE for Marriage
(TODAY) - The CELEBRATION of Marriage

3. Ephesians 5:1-3
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly
loved children & walk in the way of love,
just as Christ loved us & gave Himself up
for us as a fragrant offering & sacrifice
to God. But among you there must not be
even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any
kind of impurity, or of greed, because these
are improper for God’s holy people.

4. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
…Each man should have sexual relations
with his own wife, & each woman with her
own husband. The husband should fulfill
his marital duty to his wife, & likewise the
wife to her husband. The wife does not have
authority over her own body but yields it
to her husband.

5. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
In the same way, the husband does not
have authority over his own body but yields
it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except
perhaps by mutual consent & 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.

6. 1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves & the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just
& will forgive us our sins & purify us
from all unrighteousness.

7. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE

8. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE
* Some see it as an unavoidable DRIVE
* Some see it as a necessary EVIL
* God made it as a GIFT for a husband/wife
& a means of celebrating their COVENANT

9. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE
- Sex is NOT a DIRTY thing

10. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE
- Sex is NOT a DIRTY thing
* The Bible CELEBRATES & even COMMANDS
sex between a husband & wife
* The WOMAN in Song of Solomon is the one
who seeks, pursues, initiates, discusses, etc.
* This is ASTOUNDING, especially considering
the book’s ancient origins
* NOTE: Allowance must be made for past abuse

11. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE
- Sex is NOT a DIRTY thing
- Sex is NOT just a PRIVATE matter

12. What Sex Is NOT…
- Sex is NOT just an APPETITE
- Sex is NOT a DIRTY thing
- Sex is NOT just a PRIVATE matter
* It’s meant to help you know GOD & live in
COMMUNITY with Him & your SPOUSE
* Don’t unite PHYSICALLY unless you’re willing
to unite PERSONALLY, SOCIALLY,
ECONOMICALLY & LEGALLY
* It says “I belong completely, permanently &
exclusively to YOU…”

13. What Sex IS…
- Sex is a UNITING act

14. What Sex IS…
- Sex is a UNITING act
* …a person is UNITED in intimacy…
1 Corinthians 6:17
* United = GLUED together in binding covenant

15. What Sex IS…
- Sex is a UNITING act
- Sex is a COMMITMENT act
“Unless you deliberately disable it, or through
practice you numb the impulse, sex makes you
feel personally interwoven & joined to another
human being, as you are literally physically
joined…Therefore…sex outside marriage (makes
you) steel yourself against sex’s power to soften
your heart toward another person & make you
more trusting…”

16. What Sex IS…
- Sex is a UNITING act
- Sex is a COMMITMENT act
“Ironically…sex outside of marriage eventually
works backwards, making you LESS able to
COMMIT to & TRUST another person.”

17. What Sex IS…
- Sex is a UNITING act
- Sex is a COMMITMENT act
- Sex is a PLEASURING act
* Partners in marriage should be more concerned
with GIVING pleasure than GETTING it
* This allows sex to be GIVEN a a GIFT, even
when your sense of drive/desire is low
* This means paying attention to CONTEXT
& what your SPOUSE enjoys/feels peace about

18. SEXUAL BOUNDARIES FROM GOD

19. SEXUAL BOUNDARIES FROM GOD
- Outside marriage
- Pornography
- Bestiality
- Lust
- Rape/incest
- Against spouse’s
conscience
What Is NOT
Acceptable According
To Our DESIGNER

20. Martin Luther
You can’t stop birds from flying
over your head, but you can
stop them from making
nests in your hair!

21. SEXUAL BOUNDARIES FROM GOD
- Outside marriage
- Pornography
- Bestiality
- Lust
- Rape/incest
- Against spouse’s
conscience
What Is NOT
Acceptable According
To Our DESIGNER

22. SEXUAL BOUNDARIES FROM GOD
- Outside marriage - Husband & wife
- Pornography - Anything else
- Bestiality the two of them
- Lust enjoy, want to
- Rape/incest try/experiment
- Against spouse’s with that’s not
conscience over there!
What Is NOT What IS
Acceptable According Acceptable According
To Our DESIGNER To Our DESIGNER

23. Tim Keller
Sex is for fully committed relationships
because it is a foretaste of the joy that comes
from being in complete union with God
through (a relationship with) Christ…

24. Questions We Received…
- How far is “too far” in a dating relationship?

25. Questions We Received…
- How far is “too far” in a dating relationship?
- What frequency is “normal” in marriage?

26. 1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves & the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just
& will forgive us our sins & purify us
from all unrighteousness.