音频：

视频：

哥林多前书7:1-5: 1论到你们信上所提的事，我说男不近女倒好。2但要免淫乱的事，男子当各有自己的妻子，女子也当各有自己的丈夫。3丈夫当用合宜之分待妻子，妻子待丈夫也要如此。4妻子没有权柄主张自己的身子，乃在丈夫；丈夫也没有权柄主张自己的身子，乃在妻子。5夫妻不可彼此亏负，除非两相情愿，暂时分房，为要专心祷告方可；以后仍要同房，免得撒但趁着你们情不自禁引诱你们。         

我们身体内部的性欲是上帝创造的，因此性的欲望本身并不是邪恶的。事实上，婚姻之内的性欲是有益的，是一种祝福。问题是，因为我们有罪，我们的罪性总是利用性欲导致我们犯罪。在上一章里，我们明白了所有婚外的性关系都是罪。       

但即使是婚内的性关系，有时也能成为犯罪的机会。当我们的配偶将拒绝性生活当作一种报复的手段，这就是罪。如果一方的欲望是自私的、只为自己服事的，而不是爱的表达或满足另一方的方式，这就是罪。保罗强烈的表达了这一点，所以他说我们的身体不属于我们自己，而是属于我们结婚的配偶。”所罗门在《雅歌》里多次表达了这个优美的含义：“我属我的良人，我的良人也属我。”想想看这是什么意思。如果你相信这些话在你们的婚姻生活中是正确的，那么这些话又是如何影响你的性生活呢？      

保罗还提醒我们，婚姻生活对于性欲而言是多么大的祝福。它剥夺了撒旦又一个诱惑我们的工具，因为我们的罪性很容易让我们失去对性欲的自我控制。但是无论我对我的配偶产生多少性欲，这也不算罪。因为这是上帝所允许的。 

祷告：主耶稣，是你设立了婚姻，你甚至称呼你的教会为你的“新娘。”我祷告你会祝福天下每一对丈夫和妻子都能互相忠心，无私相爱，彼此献上，而且共同信靠你这位救主。阿们。

1 Corinthians 7: Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (EHV)

God created the sexual desires that we have in us and therefore they are not inherently evil. In fact, within marriage, they are good and a blessing. The problem, of course, is that because we are sinful, our sinful nature takes advantage of those desires to lead us into sin. In the previous chapter, we saw how all sex OUTSIDE of marriage is a sin.         

But even sex inside of marriage can be an occasion for sin. When spouses use withholding sex as a weapon to get even, that’s a sin. When a person’s desires are selfish and self serving, rather than an expression of love and a means to fulfill the other, it is a sin. Paul expresses this strongly when he says that our bodies don’t belong to us, but to the person we have married. Solomon in the Song of Songs expresses this beautifully several times with the words, “I am yours, and you are mine.” Think about that for a moment. If you believe those words to be true in your married life, how does that affect the dynamic in your sexual life?         

Paul also reminds us of the blessing that a marriage can be regarding our sexual desires. It robs Satan of one more tool to tempt us because of the lack of self-control we have in our sinful nature. I can desire my spouse as much as I want, and it is not a sin. That’s where God wants me to put my desires.  

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, you instituted marriage, and you even have called the Church your Bride. I pray that you will bless every husband and wife with faithfulness to each other, with an unselfish love and devotion, and with a mutual faith in you, their Savior. Amen.