Deeper Reflection
THE ONLY GOD-GIVEN CONTEXT FOR SEXUAL INTERCOURSE to be experienced is heterosexual and monogamous marriage as God originally instituted at creation (Gen 2:20-25). It means then that God forbids sex in every other context: heterosexual partner before marriage (fornication) or outside marriage (adultery), or in a homosexual relationship.There is a subtly deceptive form of adultery: emotional adultery. A married Christian may have fallen in love with another person, be emotionally close to each other and physically spend time alone together. And both may relate with each other sexually, but short of sexual intercourse. One may think that it is not wrong, rationalising, “I did not cross the line.” In God’s eyes, even without sexual contact, it is breaking the one flesh marriage covenant with one’s spouse. To God, it is adultery already.The late John Stott speaks as an unmarried person to the singles concerning abstaining from sexual immorality: “We too must accept this apostolic teaching, however hard it may seem, as God’s good purpose both for us and for society. We shall not become a bundle of frustrations and inhibitions if we embrace God’s standard, but only if we rebel against it. Christ’s yoke is easy [Matt 11:29-30], provided that we submit to it. It is possible for human sexual energy to be redirected…both into affectionate relationships with friends of both sexes and into the loving service of others. Multitudes of Christian singles, both men and women, can testify to this. Alongside a natural loneliness, accompanied sometimes by acute pain, we can find joyful self-fulfilment in the selfgiving service of God and other people.”¹⁰

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¹⁰ John R. W. Stott, 84-85