Sweet, sweet lovin’!

“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,”
-Proverbs 5:18

There’s a long debate in the Church on if people should preach on sex. I know why this debate is around. It’s not because the Bible is vague on the subject. It’s not. It’s not that fundamentalists don’t think we should teach the Bible. They do. It’s because the subject is so darn awkward, both for the teacher and those listening. Sometimes it’s just easier to pretend like the subject isn’t there.

Well, the whole idea behind this blog is to walk through Proverbs verse-by-verse. And guess what? Chapter 5 is mostly about the adulterous woman, and now we come to a verse that basically says, “Go home and enjoy your wife.”

And it’s doesn’t add “only when necessary” or “about once a month.” Actually, it talks about your fountain being blessed, and if you look back at the previous verses, that fountain is your sex life.

It sort of seems as though Solomon is saying, “Go home and enjoy your wife. A lot.” It seems that way because that’s what he’s doing.

Here’s the truth of it. God invented sex. He designed it not just for procreation, but also for pleasure, comfort, and connection. It is supposed to be a matter for, to borrow the word from the verse, “rejoicing.”

In fact, the Bible commands more sex rather than less: “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:5).

That’s right. God is not a prude. He wants us to make love to our spouses. It’s only that He wants us to have sex in its proper place – marriage.

Does that surprise you? Why? Marriage has been given as a gift. It is a reflection, in fact, of the love that Christ has for His Church. It is not wrong to enjoy each other. It is not wrong to burn in passion for one another. It is not wrong to want to come together all the time. It’s not wrong, because we’re supposed to be talking about the same sort of love that took Jesus to the Cross for His Church. That sort of love that brought Him to His death for a people who did not deserve it.

Don’t misunderstand. The Church does not have a sexual relationship with Jesus. But marriage is reflecting that sort of love that is so strong that it conquers death itself. We should be passionate about each other!

Do you feel that way about your spouse? Are you unmarried, but have sinned sexually? Have you betrayed a spouse? You can’t fix it. You cannot make things right. But Jesus can. Repent and accept the forgiveness of sins by believing on Him who can save you. See, this love that He has for His Church is not based on what we can do for Him, but based on Him alone. He is faithful to forgive, even when we do not deserve it.

Prayer and repent. And then, if you want to, go sleep with your wife.