tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1307066280823010362.post147611621180653487..comments2024-03-28T02:50:13.913-07:00Comments on The Chewning's Journey towards a Church Plant in Greater Boston.: SEX: 25 Years of Intimacy & Thoughts from a Single MomMatt Chewninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863259628790170776noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1307066280823010362.post-60765619783475796292013-05-03T12:03:14.729-07:002013-05-03T12:03:14.729-07:00I have never been married, but I have been in two ...I have never been married, but I have been in two committed relationships where sex was involved. I had grown up with the same idea that sex was the sin of all sins, and have since let go of that guilt. God does not intend for us to feel ashamed and guilty of our bodies. Throughout high school and college, I based my morality off of sex. If you had sex, you were a bad person. If you had sex, you were impure, and essentially not whole anymore. You could never return to your state of holiness God intended for you. Sex is still something I hide from my parents. I know they would be extremely upset if they learned I was not a virgin. I need to pay separately for my birth control so that it is not on my parents' insurance. It is a huge cause of stress for me, that I believe is caused by the Christian community. I completely respect this single mother. She is so strong and an exemplary model of obedience before God. However, does the fact that I choose to have sex automatically designate me to have an unhappy marriage, and perhaps to Hell? This is what I have grown up to believe.<br /><br />Thanks. twentysomethingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1307066280823010362.post-47561670223180027472013-05-02T12:45:52.178-07:002013-05-02T12:45:52.178-07:00The last line says it all. We do these things as a...The last line says it all. We do these things as an act of worship. I truly believe that God's commandments are meant to be seen as an act of worship, much like we hope our children will obey us simply because they knew we love them and so they trust our reasons and do it out of love for us. At least that's the hope. The truth continues in the analogy. Like us to our children, God most often knows that greater blessings come from obeying his commandments. Not as a reward but because he knows the blessings that manifest naturally. Monogamy isn't about restriction, it's about maximizing the joy of being devoted to a single person and knowing that person is devoted to you. <br /><br />I have read I Corinthians 6:9-11 before, but man that was a refreshing reminder. Been too long since I read that. There is therefore NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Praise God for that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com