1 Corinthians 7:6-9
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
We were created as sexual beings. Our desires for intimacy and sex are not abnormalities but are part of the way God created us. The problem is that those desires often get twisted by sin. But God is not against a healthy sex life. In fact, in verse 9 we are given a solution to the problem of unfulfilled sexual desires: get married! This does not mean that there is anything wrong with being single, as in verse 7 Paul states that singleness can be a gift. But at the same time, marriage is also good, and is an appropriate outlet for our sexual desires. The sexual temptations of the single life should not be an excuse to sin sexually, but rather a motivation to marry and commit oneself to another.
Lord, thank you for the gift of marriage, and may my passion be only for my spouse.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
We were created as sexual beings. Our desires for intimacy and sex are not abnormalities but are part of the way God created us. The problem is that those desires often get twisted by sin. But God is not against a healthy sex life. In fact, in verse 9 we are given a solution to the problem of unfulfilled sexual desires: get married! This does not mean that there is anything wrong with being single, as in verse 7 Paul states that singleness can be a gift. But at the same time, marriage is also good, and is an appropriate outlet for our sexual desires. The sexual temptations of the single life should not be an excuse to sin sexually, but rather a motivation to marry and commit oneself to another.
Lord, thank you for the gift of marriage, and may my passion be only for my spouse.