Sexual intimacy is for God’s glory and serves as a symbolic reminder of a couple’s one-flesh relationship. Engaging in marital sex has always been part of God’s design for a husband and wife from the beginning. It is a sacred gift of matrimony to human beings and a divine idea in creation that unites two spiritual beings.[1] God created all the living creatures, male and female, and saw that it was good.[2] Genesis 2:25 says, ‘And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed’. The husband and wife should not be ashamed of one another’s body but should take the other’s body as their own. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.[3] This is because once they get married they have both become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 says that once a man leaves his parents to cleave to his wife, both shall be one flesh.
Although Paul would like that a man has no sexual relations with a woman, he advised that to avoid the temptation of sexual immorality, every man should have his own wife and every wife his own husband. Even singles and widows are advised to marry rather than to burn with passion. [4]
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The husband should render to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. Proverbs 5:15-19 says, “Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” Couples should not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that either of them may devote him or herself to fasting and prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt either of them because of their lack of self-control.[5]
If one decides to marry to avoid sexual immorality, then fidelity is required. Don’t break the seal of your marriage by engaging in extramarital sexual relationship. The marriage bed should be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous spouse.[6] The next sections will discuss the importance, reasons why couples engage in marital sex and how it should be performed to achieve maximum satisfaction.
[1] Williams Cosgrave, “A Christian Understanding of Sexuality” The Furrow (1979)30(6) 361-372.
[2] Gen. 1:24, 27, 31; 5:2.
[3] 1Cor 7:4.
[5] 1Cor 7:1-5.