The answer for God's purpose for sex, beyond procreation and physical pleasure, is the same reason Sex before marriage is so dangerous. God designed sex to keep marriages together by bonding two into one. Modern science has discovered sex has a dramatic effect on our brain. Obviously, love makes us do crazy things. Those who think they can divorce physical love (sex) from emotional bonding run the risk of deciving themselves. The bible warns of this three times in the Song of Solomon...
""Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right." SoS 8:4, 2:7 & 3:5
When is the time right? How about when the price has been paid?
Jesus paid the price for HIS bride the church. Jacob paid for his bride laboriously for 14 years. The man in EX.22 had to pay in that he would not be permitted to divorce this wife all the days of his life. And while we are not bound under the "Law" we can still see God's wisdom and mercy for the man, as they say, to make an honest woman of her. These Old Testament writtings must not be overlooked.
"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." 1 Cor 10:11. We learn from the whole bible.
A good examle here is Jesus. Jesus paid the price for the bride. But we have not gone to be with HIM yet. We are right now in the betrothal time. Betrothal was a time the bride and groom develop a emotional bond before being physically joined together. The wedding feast festival & parade mirrors the 2nd coming of the Lord, when Jesus comes to take HIS bride back to the house HE has prepaired for her. :bouncy:
Mr Row posted: Thunder said: All of this having been said, is it possible that fornication is something more or other than consensual heterosexual relations between a man and woman?
No. It can be used as a metaphor to describe something but it still means sex between unmarried people.
So where are you arguing from Thunder?
Well, Mr Row, I am coming from the idea that there is more to fornication. Fornication also includes perversions of the natural intent for sex in a variety of ways. It also includes an unlawful contract between a man and a woman, meaning prostitution.
I believe that while loose living, licentiousness and lewd behavior are all part of fornication, a relationship between a man and woman based on covenant and trust is consummated with sexual relations and is therefore not fornication even if there is no wedding ceremony or marriage license because the covenant and consummation make it so. I don't believe there is anything in the Scriptures or the New Testament that say otherwise nor is there evidence of God showing us that He would disagree with this.
Hummm...Ok...I gots lots of Ideas...:laugh:...SO Ima going to for the sake of curiouity not arguement...put an example here for review..Hope ya dont mind MrRow...:winksmile:...Ok...so lets begin...
MrRow and I meet...we like each other...very much...and we both believe we are compatible and also physicly & sexually attracted to each other...and have now concidered Marriage to each other...because we are both burning with desire...& dont want to spend eternity with out each other...
So...we decide that since we both have this Love an Comittment towards each other that all we have to do is have Sex and Consimate the Covenant betwix He and I and then we are Married common law with out a paper document and that this is not concidered Fornication...Have I got that right ?...:bouncy:
Common Law marriage is not without a paper and it is also not legal in every state. Here in Colorado there is no common law marriage. However, a couple may decide they want to be married, go to the courthouse and get the paperwork, have a gathering of friends and family and without an officiant they may wed themselves. They have the papers signed by the witnesses and turn the papers in to the court.
I don't think that what we are talking about here is what constitutes a wedding but rather a marriage. A marriage is a covenant made between two or more people but in this case it would only be two people. So the long and short of it is that the question to your answer is yes. If two people decide they want to be lifetime partners and vow to be faithful to each other and they make the commitment then they are free to consummate the marriage without fear of retribution.
Seriously, I have studied this for a long time and I cannot find anywhere in the Bible that this is not the case. The idea of a certificate of marriage is for the most part for the purposes of the law, taxes and religion. It is not a Biblical concept at all.
Proponents of marriage will argue that the first example is marriage of Adam and Eve. There was no church, no pastor and certainly no court house to get a license from. So does that make them fornicators? What about Noah and his wife or Abraham and Sarah - what made them husband and wife?
What about Noah and his wife or Abraham and Sarah - what made them husband and wife?
That is a no no! Can't argue from silence. Who knows they may have had a huge wedding.
If a certificate of divorce is reqired then why would there not be certificate of marriage. I hate that our goverment has taken over the marrage and divorce liences but that is another gripe. I just can't agree with this Thunder. I agree with alot of other things you have said but to just start having sexual relations on a promise is a stretch to think that way.
1st Question asked ~ How can someone who claims to be a Christian live in fornication and justify their life style?
*** There are many professed Christians that go about their daily lives & business Living in a manner that best suits Their Understanding, Desires & Needs�The question is�.Is it in Accordance with what GOD has spoken & inspired in His WORD Jesus* ?�.I believe not and this is why�.
2nd Reworded Question Asked ~ How can someone who claims to be a Christian live in sexual relations outside of marriage and justify their life style?
John 4:1-14 in a Nut Shell�
When Jesus* was at the Well in Samaria and struck up a conversation with the women asking for a dipper of water�He made mention that anyone who drinks of the Water he Offers will surely Never Thirst again�She was intrigued�
John 4:15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
Then Jesus* asked her to Go Fetch Her Husband and bring him�
John 4:16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
She admitted she had no husband�convicted in her own SIN before Christ Jesus*�
John 4:17 I have no husband," she replied.
John 4:18 Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man ((( you now have is not your husband. ))) What you have just said is quite true."
*** There was no justification�only Truth�conviction in SIN and a way out of it�
Now obviously this scripture it is not talking about a piece of paper or ceremony�But it is speaking about Marriage and Not Marriage�.and SIN is the underling Topic of which Christ Jesus* pointed out to her�The Truth isn�t Always what we want to hear but it is Always what we need to hear�even when we claim to be Christians and Truth Seekers�Some people just want their Cake & Eat it to�To each their own I always say�It is Not my place to Judge anyone of their Manner of Living or SIN�It IS my Place to make it Known that a Person just might not be in Accordance with GOD�If a Couple can Live and Accept a Common Law Marriage that is their Choice�and I wish them well�As for Me and My House�WE shall Serve the LORD�xo
Jude you are right on so many levels I don't even know where to start!!! I like the woman at the well example of living in fornication, never considered those verses but wow does it hit the mark.
I want all you people who ALWAYS say, "dooon't juuudge" to look at this statement very closely!
It is Not my place to Judge anyone of their Manner of Living or SIN�It IS my Place to make it Known that a Person just might not be in Accordance with GOD...
