Sex, lies and desperate love lives Pt 3: The Power of Love

Beyond all doubt, we live in a highly sexual society. Sex is everywhere, in our advertisements, in our movies and in our literature. This casual approach to sex and sexuality has led our culture to undervalue its importance and sacredness. Let us remember that it is God who created sex and He knows how it is to be best enjoyed.

As the Apostle Paul states: "There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than eve r ... ." 1 Corinthians 6:16-17 MSG. Like all things in our lives, God desires that we know what is best for our lives and most enjoyable. So, how do I discover God's best for my love life?

First, you must explore God's ideas honestly. God's ideas about sex are not new and He doesn't try to conceal His desires or wishes. "4 Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.'" 5 And he said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.'" Matthew 19:4-5 NLT

God's plan for love and sex is found in the idea that He created men and women; for them to marry and then inside of marriage to enjoy maximum sexual fulfilment and experience great freedom, delight and pleasure. God created sex as a spiritual activity to be enjoyed. Proverbs 5:18-20 MSG says, "... enjoy your wife you married as a young man, lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose. Don't ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her for granted. Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore, or valiance with a promiscuous stranger?"

This leads to our second point. Sex is an expression of exclusive love. However real love is found by first understanding God's perfect love. Agape love. "18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT.

Identifying counterfeits by knowing the genuine article is a United States Secret Service principle in detecting counterfeit money and also holds true when it comes to love. You see, when you know what real love is, you can then identify the counterfeit.

Now, you can't love until you have been loved; you can't give love to others until you experience love yourself, and then only according to how much you have been loved. So, if you want to love at the maximum level, you have to first experience God's love. When you experience God's love - that unconditional, no expectation of love being returned, 1 Corinthians 13 type of love - then you can really begin to learn to love and give that love away to others.

God wants you to understand and experience the fullness of life, including your love life, whether you are married or single. "Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us ... ." Ephesians 5:1-2 MSG

Have you experienced God's love? God knows you and wants you to know Him. God created you and He loves you. You don't have to earn it; you just have to experience it. Once you have experienced that type of love, then you can share that love with others.

- Dwight Fletcher is pastor of Transformed Life Church. Send feedback to familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com