Covenant RelationshipsCovenant RelationshipsCovenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

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• Covenant relationships form the basis for all Covenant relationships form the basis for all other human relationshipsother human relationships

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• Karat Berit- cutting a covenant (blood)Karat Berit- cutting a covenant (blood)

• May God do this to me if I break this covenantMay God do this to me if I break this covenant

• Unconditional, permanent, whole personUnconditional, permanent, whole person

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• Covenants take precedence over every other Covenants take precedence over every other human relationshiphuman relationship

ReviewReview• Her beauty comes from her inner self and is Her beauty comes from her inner self and is

seen in her: seen in her:

• Love for GodLove for God• Respect for her husbandRespect for her husband• Quiet confidence and peaceable heartQuiet confidence and peaceable heart

ReviewReview• His goal in life is to:His goal in life is to:

• Continually grow in his knowledge of her and Continually grow in his knowledge of her and then serve her according to her needsthen serve her according to her needs

• Be involved in every aspect of family lifeBe involved in every aspect of family life

Genesis and the Creation of ManGenesis and the Creation of Man

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

The man said, The man said, "This is now bone of my bones "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man…"for she was taken out of man…"

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

For this reason a man will leave his father For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame- Genesis 2:24-25they felt no shame- Genesis 2:24-25

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

God created us different on purposeGod created us different on purpose

- Original Creation- Original Creation- Giving and receiving- Giving and receiving- Bearing and caring- Bearing and caring

What’s God’s design for sex?What’s God’s design for sex?

For this reason a man will leave his father and For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one fleshwill become one flesh

A manA manA womanA womanA lifetimeA lifetime

What’s God’s Design for Sex?What’s God’s Design for Sex?

Karat Berit- covenants are sealed in bloodKarat Berit- covenants are sealed in blood

Hymen= bloodHymen= blood

Covenant= a man, a woman, a lifetime Covenant= a man, a woman, a lifetime commitmentcommitment

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Does that mean that you are “married in Does that mean that you are “married in God’s eyes” if you are having sex?God’s eyes” if you are having sex?

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

What is the purpose of sex?What is the purpose of sex?

• UnityUnity

• PleasurePleasure

• ProcreationProcreation

• ProtectionProtection

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Context of CorinthiansContext of Corinthians: :

Temple Prostitution- worship the fleshTemple Prostitution- worship the flesh

Gnosticism- everything related to the Gnosticism- everything related to the flesh is evilflesh is evil

Covenant IntimacyCovenant IntimacyDo you not know that your bodies are Do you not know that your bodies are

members of Christ himself? Shall I then members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!...them with a prostitute? Never!...

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy……Do you not know that he who unites Do you not know that he who unites

himself with a prostitute is one with her himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit- 1 Corinthians 6:15-17spirit- 1 Corinthians 6:15-17

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Do you not know that he who Do you not know that he who unitesunites himself with a prostitute himself with a prostitute is one with heris one with her in body?in body?

One of God’s purposes for sex is uOne of God’s purposes for sex is unitynity

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Implications:Implications:

- Giving my heart away- Giving my heart away- Creates distance or causes closeness- Creates distance or causes closeness- Both can be self-perpetuating- Both can be self-perpetuating

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

FleeFlee from sexual immorality. from sexual immorality. All other sins All other sins a man commits are outside his bodya man commits are outside his body, but , but he who sins sexually sins against his he who sins sexually sins against his own body…own body…

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy……Do you not know that your body is a Do you not know that your body is a

templetemple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? whom you have received from God? You You are not your ownare not your own; you were bought at a ; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your price. Therefore honor God with your body- vs. 18-20body- vs. 18-20

Covenant IntimacyCovenant IntimacyIf I belong to God, my body is a temple If I belong to God, my body is a temple

(dwelling place) for God’s Spirit(dwelling place) for God’s Spirit

Sex is sSex is sacredacredGGodod should be brought into the should be brought into the bedroombedroom

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Gnosticism vs. Gospel- Everything is Gnosticism vs. Gospel- Everything is spiritualspiritual

Covenant IntimacyCovenant IntimacyGod made sex pleasurable for a reasonGod made sex pleasurable for a reason

That with it we would worship That with it we would worship GodGod and and serve serve one anotherone another

God…richly provides us with everything God…richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment- 1 Timothy 6:17for our enjoyment- 1 Timothy 6:17

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

I will either worship God and serve others I will either worship God and serve others or I will worship my desires and use or I will worship my desires and use othersothers

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

The husband should fulfill his marital duty The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband- 1 Corinthians 7:3husband- 1 Corinthians 7:3

Gnosticism and Danny PartridgeGnosticism and Danny Partridge

• fulfill- fulfill- apodidomi- willingly give up, apodidomi- willingly give up, give over, give backgive over, give back

• duty- duty- opheile- a debt owed, an opheile- a debt owed, an obligationobligation

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

By virtue of covenant position, each By virtue of covenant position, each partner partner ooweswes sexual intimacy to the sexual intimacy to the otherother

Covenant IntimacyCovenant IntimacyIf I’m not in a covenant relationship, I owe If I’m not in a covenant relationship, I owe

God sexual purityGod sexual purity

You are not your own, you were bought at You are not your own, you were bought at a price (crucifixion of Christ). Therefore, a price (crucifixion of Christ). Therefore, honor God with your body…honor God with your body…

If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on itIf you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Sex is never to be used as a bargaining Sex is never to be used as a bargaining chip- chip- everever

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

A spouse should never be made to feel A spouse should never be made to feel like the partner is “doing me a favor”like the partner is “doing me a favor”

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

The wife's body does not belong to her The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife belong to him alone but also to his wife - vs. 4- vs. 4

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

belong to- belong to- exousiazo- have authority overexousiazo- have authority over

Covenant marriage= “I trust you with my Covenant marriage= “I trust you with my body and I promise to take care of your body and I promise to take care of your body”body”

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

ComparisonComparison::

““If this…how much more that”If this…how much more that”

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Do not depriveDo not deprive each other except by each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then Then come together again come together again so that Satan so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control- vs. 5of self-control- vs. 5

• Deprive= Deprive= apostereo- to defraud, to apostereo- to defraud, to steal from through deceptionsteal from through deception

• Deprive= Deprive= apostereo- to defraud, to apostereo- to defraud, to deceive and thereby steal fromdeceive and thereby steal from

• How is depriving a spouse of sex How is depriving a spouse of sex stealing from him or her?stealing from him or her?

Abstinence in MarriageAbstinence in Marriage

• Both partners agreeBoth partners agree

• Temporary/Predefined time periodTemporary/Predefined time period

• Predefined purpose of seeking God through Predefined purpose of seeking God through fasting coupled with prayerfasting coupled with prayer

Abstinence He… She…Strength and Awareness of Desire

Increases Decreases

Ease of Arousal More easily Less easily

Stimulation Needed to Climax

Less than normal More than normal

Ease of Climaxing Very easy Increasingly difficult

Intensity of Climax Stronger Shorter and less pleasurable

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

““How often a woman engages in sexual How often a woman engages in sexual behavior with a man strongly affects her behavior with a man strongly affects her endocrine system…”endocrine system…”

““The benefits of the hormonal changes in The benefits of the hormonal changes in those having intercourse at least twice a those having intercourse at least twice a week include: better fertility, stronger week include: better fertility, stronger bones, better cardiovascular health, less bones, better cardiovascular health, less depression, lower incidence of depression, lower incidence of fibrocystic breast disease and uterine fibrocystic breast disease and uterine cancer, and a decrease in menopausal cancer, and a decrease in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and symptoms such as hot flashes and depression…” - TheMarriageBed.com depression…” - TheMarriageBed.com

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Then come together again so that Satan Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control- vs. 5of self-control- vs. 5

Purpose of sexPurpose of sex: : protectionprotection of my spouse of my spouse

Purposes of SexPurposes of SexUnityUnityPleasurePleasureProcreationProcreationProtectionProtection

Of these, most people ignore the first and Of these, most people ignore the first and last while exalting the second and thirdlast while exalting the second and third

Generally Speaking…Generally Speaking…

He needs sex in order to feel connected He needs sex in order to feel connected emotionally to his wifeemotionally to his wife

She needs to feel emotionally connected She needs to feel emotionally connected in order to desire sexin order to desire sex

Generally Speaking…Generally Speaking…

Submit to one another out of reverence Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ- Ephesians 5:21for Christ- Ephesians 5:21

Covenant IntimacyCovenant Intimacy

Sexually, we are required to give our Sexually, we are required to give our spouse what is right in God’s eyesspouse what is right in God’s eyes

Limiters: Love, JesusLimiters: Love, Jesus

Questions?

• (From last week)(From last week) Is it possible for Is it possible for a man to force himself on his wife a man to force himself on his wife in a way that is sinful?in a way that is sinful?

Questions?

• Can/should I demand sex from my Can/should I demand sex from my spouse?spouse?

Questions?

• What limits how far I go to satisfy What limits how far I go to satisfy him or her?him or her?