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Marriage is Body and Soul

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I’ve edited this email. Changed the name, some of the circumstances, etc. I showed my response to Sherri, our producer, and she thought a lot of people might want to read it, because so many deal with this sort of thing.

I don’t claim to have “all the answers”, ever.  I do know that God loves “Vanessa”, and her boyfriend, more than I can put into words.

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Hi Brant,

Four years ago, I met a man who was a Christian, and we started dating. Eventually we became intimate, and I’ve felt horrible about this, and my relationship with God has almost come to a total standstill.

I am feeling extremely convicted and even fearful of what God will do because of our disobedience. When I bring it up he gets angry and says that why do I choose to obey this and why not everything else the Lord says?

He gets my mind going and makes me think that maybe I’m wrong to think that shouldn’t be a part of our relationship especially since we have already had that be a part of our relationship. He says we’re going to get married anyway, so there’s nothing wrong with it.  I’m confused what the Bible says about this, based on what he’s telling me.

Please help me. I’m tormented because I feel like I’m putting my boyfriend before God and I don’t want to go to Hell for this.  But if I don’t give in I feel like maybe I’m being foolish to try and change things now.

Thank you for reading this!

Vanessa

 

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Hey Vanessa,

THANK YOU for your honesty.  I’m not sure if I’ll provide the best guidance, but I will be as honest as I can be, while I’m typing hurriedly!

There are no sins worse than others.  They’re all tragic, and represent rebellion against the only true, lasting love we’ll ever have.

I’ve been married nearly 23 years, and have a dynamite marriage, and it’s still true: He’s it.  Marriage is a wonderful analogy, or shadow, of the love He has for us, but it’s not the full picture of the love God has for us.

Rebelling against that love is painful for awhile, and then ultimately numbing, because we become less human, less the way we were supposed to be.  We stop feeling, and things lose their joyfulness, and their color.

Will you go to Hell for your sexual sin?  Jesus told the “righteous” people, whose hearts were proud, that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the Kingdom of Heaven before them!  The real question isn’t, “Will this sin send me to Hell?” It’s “Do I want the Kingdom of Heaven?  Do I even WANT God in charge?” – because, guess what, that’s who’s in charge when everything is restored. If you do want Him in charge, and you have made Him king NOW, demonstrate it.  As I type that to you, I type it to myself. There will be plenty of proud, upstanding, moral people in Hell. Too proud to want God as King, really.  We all sin, and Jesus has already paid the price for that. It’s a question of the heart, now.

This said, some sins are WAY more impacting than others.  Marriage is saying, “I commit body and spirit to you.”  And sex is a commitment of body, but outside of marriage, it’s not backing it up with the lifetime commitment of the soul.

It’s been proven, particularly for women, that sexual contact forges an intimate bond that goes WAY beyond mere physical exercise.  You are sharing your soul with someone who is not returning that exchange.

I suspect we all know this deep down. His body is writing a check that his soul is not willing to honor, not now.

This is very, very UNLOVING.  Very selfish of him, and, frankly, if he doesn’t understand how a woman works, how a woman’s heart works, or the link between sex and your very identity… Why would he be a good husband?

Marriage is ALL about putting AWAY your selfishness.  And he’s demonstrating he wants to have his fun regardless of cost to you, so far as I can tell.  I don’t get it.

All sin is equal rebellion against God, but sex is ridiculously powerful, and the consequences are identity-changing.  You become less YOU.

If he’s not willing to serve you in this area, to honor your desire to please God, to guard your own heart – and you should, you’re NOT married – I’d dump him.  Perhaps after explaining it, lovingly, he’ll “get it”, and respect this, and you can make a new start, with pre-marital counseling involved.

I’m always amazed, too, at the “Well, we’re GOING to get married,” defense. Sometimes people do wind up getting married, sure, but if it were a sure thing, why aren’t you already married?  Finances are used as an excuse, often, but it’s usually CHEAPER for two people to live together than apart.  So…?

Maybe there’s a lingering sense that a commitment like marriage isn’t the best thing right now…?  Fair enough. No sex until your soul will cash that check your body’s writing.

That’s my take.  And yes, the Bible is quite clear that sex outside of marriage is sin, just as lust is, according to Jesus.  (The commandment against adultery is often given a crafty “Well, this doesn’t apply to us” spin, but there it remains. In our modern culture, we just can’t STAND the idea that God wants us to live with sexual limits, because we worship sexual autonomy above all other things, no matter the cost. But yes, God cares about our sexuality. It’d be odd if He didn’t, as powerful as it is!)

We’re all sinners, but we can’t use that as a justification to just keep doing what we want to do.  If he’s a “believer”, great.  “Even the demons believe,” it says in James.  Does he have a heart for God, a desire to grow in love? He’s demonstrating he values his own urges more than you, and that’s not a good prescription for a long-lasting marriage, that’s for sure.

Even if he doesn’t agree, Biblically, a good future husband would protect the heart of a woman he loves, control himself, and quit taking advantage of her weakness. He’d help her get where she wants to be.

And that’s what marriage is, as it turns out.  Clearly, much as he wants the sex part of marriage, he doesn’t want the part where he has to be a man and take responsibility for the wonderful gift he could have in you. You can bring that man out of him, perhaps, by saying, “This is the way it’s going to be, or we’re done.  Now, what do you want?”

God bless you, and I’m praying he grows up.

Either way, you’re playing with a strong hand.  Your longest-lasting, best, most passionate lover, body and soul, is with you, and will never leave you.

Best,

Brant

 

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