Men and women are intended to complement one another and to take pleasure in one another. God has provided for the full and glad expression of this in marriage.
Sexuality comes from God
It was created by God
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God intended men and women to complement one another
1 Corinthians 11:11 See also Genesis 2:18–22
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
Sexual differences
In strength
In role
1 Corinthians 11:3–5, 1 Corinthians 14:34–35; Ephesians 5:22–25; Colossians 3:18–19; 1 Timothy 2:12–14; 1 Peter 3:1
In dress
Deuteronomy 22:5 See also 1 Corinthians 11:14–15
A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God.
Sexual activity
It was ordained by God
Genesis 1:28 This command was made before the fall, and no guilt attaches to it.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
Marriage in its proper context
Genesis 2:23–24 “one flesh” implies both bodily union and an inseparable intimate relationship. See also Matthew 19:4–6 parallel Mark 10:6–9; 1 Corinthians 7:2–4; Ephesians 5:31–33
And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Sexual desire
Song of Solomon 4:3–15 “Song of Songs” celebrates the beauty of sex in a loving context. It contains much delicate and intimate imagery that applies directly to human lovers and can also be applied to Jesus Christ and the church. See also Genesis 3:16; Song of Solomon 1:2–4, Song of Solomon 4:16, Song of Solomon 7:11–13, Song of Solomon 8:10
Abstinence is possible
Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Corinthians 7:5
Perversions of sexuality
Adultery
Exodus 20:14 parallel Deuteronomy 5:18 See also Hebrews 13:4
You shall not commit adultery.
Lust
Matthew 5:28 Lust may also lead to other sexual sins. See also Ephesians 4:19, Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Promiscuity
Deuteronomy 22:13–21; Romans 1:24
Prostitution
Homosexuality
Romans 1:26–27 See also Genesis 19:4–7; Leviticus 18:22
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Bestiality
Sexual perversion will be punished
1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15
Sexual perversion can be cleansed
Sexuality is transcended in heaven
In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.