The Sexually Healthy ChurchSample

1. Right Sexual Theology

To be a sexually healthy church, we must begin with a right theology of sex—seeing it through the eyes of God. A biblical understanding of sexuality is the foundation for freedom and holiness. So, let’s start with a simple question: Who made sex? God did. He conceived it in Heaven and created it on Earth when He made the animals, man, and woman.

Many believers mistakenly think sex came after the fall, but Scripture tells a different story. In Genesis 1:22 and 1:28, God commands creation to “be fruitful and multiply.” The very first command given to both animals and humanity was to be sexual. Before Eve was created, Adam was the only living being not experiencing sexual connection. God first placed him in the Garden to serve faithfully and steward creation. Yet, in His wisdom and love, God desired for Adam to experience the beauty of intimacy and partnership. So, He created Eve—his helper, or ezer—to walk beside him, completing the divine design for relationship and connection. The Garden of Eden was not a place of shame but of innocence. Sex existed before sin, created pure and good. Sex was never the devil’s idea; it was God’s. Sex became distorted after the fall, but in Christ, we can rediscover it as God intended it to be—beautiful, holy, and unashamed.

Sex is not just for procreation; it’s for connection. God designed sex to bond two people spiritually, emotionally, and neurologically. Scripture says a man and woman become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:6, Ephesians 5:31). Within marriage, it brings the highest earthly pleasure, strengthens attachment, and fulfills God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply.”

Because sex is powerful, it must also be protected. Protecting sexuality is not just an individual matter – it is our calling, as the family of God, to help one another protect sexual integrity within the church. God designed sex to be enjoyed within marriage, where trust, safety, and commitment provide a covering. Boundaries, like avoiding pornography, maintaining accountability, and guarding communication with the opposite sex, keep our hearts clean and pure. God’s commands are not to restrict joy but to protect it. Sexual sin brings shame, guilt, fear, confusion, and creates negative soul ties and attachments, but God’s design brings peace, intimacy, healthy attachments, and lifelong satisfaction.

God is not anti-sex; in fact, He is pro-sex, as long as it is enjoyed within the covenant of marriage. He wants His people to experience great, godly, passionate intimacy that reflects His heart and creativity. When we align our sexuality with His Word, we experience true freedom and holiness.

Reflection Questions:

1. How does understanding that God created sex before the fall reshape your view of it?
2. What steps can you take to practically apply healthy sexual theology in your own life or marriage?
3. How might a right sexual theology transform the way the church talks about intimacy?