AFTER SAYING "I DO", WHAT CAN YOU DO? - Part 3 - YOUR BODY IS THE LORD’S TEMPLE

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

AFTER SAYING "I DO", WHAT CAN YOU DO? - Part 3

YOUR BODY IS THE LORD’S TEMPLE

When it pertains to marital sex, I look to two scriptures. One is the passage in Ephesians which I have already expounded on. The other is in I Corinthians 6:

I Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV)
12 "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13" Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."
17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Although this passage gives the example of sleeping with a prostitute to illustrate a form of sexual immorality, the main point of the passage is that as a born again believer, we now have God's Holy Spirit INSIDE of us. Our bodies are HIS temple and a temple is made for worship. So everything done with our bodies should be done "as unto the Lord' in a form of worship. This INCLUDES SEX.

This passage is typically preached to single Christians. But what people fail to realize is that your body is STILL the temple of the Holy Spirit even after you are married. Sex with your spouse is a form of worship for both the wife "as unto the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22) and for the husband "love his wife as his own body" (Ephesians 5:28). Both of their bodies are a living and holy sacrifices that are to be presented unto God as a spiritual service of …. WORSHIP. So guess what saints, when you are behind closed doors in your marriage bed, the Holy Spirit is right there with you! (Man, that thought probably caused a lot of couples to go from hot to cold quickly – LOL)

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Marriage and sex are biblically "protected" because they are symbolic of Christ's relationship with the Church; "a profound mystery" indeed:

Ephesians 5:31-33
31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Get mama ‘nem out of your bed! Tell your home girl and your home boy that what goes on with your wife or husband sexually is none of their business. Don’t allow ANYONE to dictate, condemn or even correct what happens in your bedroom between you and your spouse. When you treat your sex lives as a form of “worship”… well, in the temple, only ONE was allowed behind the veil with the Lord…the two of you are ONE and no one else should be behind that “veil” but the ONE (couple) and the Lord. (Oh my, I’m preachin to myself LOL) Everyone will feel they have a right to have something to say about your marriage. My question is.. are you married to them or to your spouse. (Speak Lord!!!)

Come back for part 4 titled:

I CAN’T THINK ABOUT JESUS
AND HAVE PASSIONATE SEX WITH MY SPOUSE.
IT WILL RUIN THE MOOD!

T.A.G. Ministries, International
~Minister Tracy Curtis~

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Byron,

I just posted a video and dedicate it to you and your wife. The video is titled IF NOT FOR YOUR GRACE by Israel Houghton

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

You know what.. my motto for 2009 was ONLY relationships that are divine!! And the Lord has been true to that committment. I've met so many like minded men and women this year. People of God who are tired of using Christianese -- church lingo that is doctrinally unsound but sure does make you seem super spiritual.

I've met men and women who are sick and tired of persons with self assigned titles but are so puffed up with pride that you would swear they are floating into the church. What is this a Spike Lee movie and you float in?? C'mon nah.

I've met men and women who are more interested in seeking to share the gospel and administer healing to the wounded soul and the brokenhearted than to sit around and debate this that or the other -- flexing their biblical knowledge muscles... sickening.

I so look forward to being married again. It excites me to know that 1 can put a thousand to flight but 2... HEY NAH!!!

I applaud you for not giving up on your marriage Byron. I pary that God restores your marriage and that the latter will be greater than the past. I pray that you both receive a double portion desire for one another. I pray for renewed vows before the Lord.. a renewed covenant commitment to one another. I pray that Christ's blood flow on both you and releases a miracle reunion. I pray that you both empty yourselves not just before the Lord but also before one another.

One of the blessings of marriage is that we are allowed to be COMPLETELY NAKED with one another. Not just physically but emotionally as well. Father I pray that trust is restored. Build new bridges between them. Connect them with you as the 3 cord in the three cord strand so that they will NEVER be broken again.

Father I pray for the heart of Byron's wife. Holy Spirit convict her of unforgiveness Lord. Teach her to love without bringing up the past. Teach her that she can trust her husband with her heart again because he has placed himself into your hands Lord God.

I bind the spirit of rejection on this couple in the name of Jesus!
I bind the spirit of retribution and revenge in the name of Jesus!
I bind the spirit of error in the name of Jesus!
I bind the spirit of distrust and unforgiveness in the name of Jesus!

I release healing in all areas of their emotions - by the 39 stripes on Jesus' back THEY BOTH ARE HEALED!
I release wisdom from the above and understanding - Wisdom can only come from you Father and you said if we loose it in heaven it will be loosed upon the earth. Release it, let it flow freely upon this couple. Wisdom so that they can see you working in their lives. Make them a lighthouse for the marriages around them Father so that others can see that restoration and reconciliation is possible. What is impossible with us Lord God, where we see no way Father we must rest in knowing that NOTHING is impossible with you!!!

Byron.. marriage IS ministry the two cannot be disconnected. You can't put one before the other because the two are connected... just as the two of you became ONE.. one person and one person became ONE before the Lord.... so your marriage and your ministry become ONE before the Lord. Fused together by the Holy Spirit as you are individually sealed.. so is your marriage/ministry.

The error comes when we see the two as separate. Teach your children to be worshippers... physical children and spiritual children. The worship lifestyle cannot be separated from living.

We are the Bride of Christ.. we ARE marriage ministry. From now on, when you think marriage think ministry... when you think ministry think marriage. Whe you envision your wife see her as your sister in the Lord as well as your wife (I taught this in this 4 part lesson that we are commenting on). Keep a biblical perspective of who she is and who you are in Christ. Keep doing what YOU are called to do as a child of God, as a husband, as a ministry leader amongst your brethren and the unsaved. Keep standing for the restoration of your marriage. But the question from the Lord is.. "How long are you willing to stand?" How long did Moses have to stand with his arms raised? If you get weary, know that the Lord will send you helpers who will hold your arms.. but don't stop standing.

After you have done all you can... STAND!!

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Byron, I have been given the "left foot of fellowship" before. I am not afraid of it LOL

When I see the spirit of error in operation it just sickens me. But get this.. the Lord had to deal with ME on the issue FIRST. I've been married twice now... (third times the charm - LOL) And with the first two I kicked and screamed externally and internally about how I was "wronged" and let me tell you... Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The first marriage almost wrecked me emotionally.. the second one just tipped me over and I was face flat before the Lord for months... just emotionally wounded. emotionally vomitting all over everyone that would hear how I had been hurt. But that time I spent before the Lord... stripped me ... I was emotionally naked before him. (come to him as a child.. a child is born NAKED TOTALLY EXPOSED) Oh He spanked me with His word. Told me to take my thoughts captive and MAKE them obey Christ. I was not suppose to allow thoughts in my head unchecked. He showed me how my thought life in my marriages was where I was in error. NOT ONCE did He address what they did and oh man that made me so angry. But the Lord was consistent with me. You know how a burn victim has to go thru such a painful process on their way to being healed and restored. That scriptural and spiritual scrubbing and skin grafting he gave me hurt like... oh man... I dont know if anyone else has ever been in a situation like that with the Lord but.. IT HURTS!!!!!!

A good surgeon will operate even if there is no anesthesia if he knows that the patient is dying and needs the operation immediately.

So, I don't listen to the lipservice of persons who say to me or behind my back that I am not qualified to give marriage advice because I have been married twice. I am called according to the purpose that God has called me for... and ALL things that I have been through and will go thru will work out for THAT calling!

So the left foot of fellowship when I speak against the spirit of error... BRING IT ON FOLKS!

(smile)

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

I totally agree with you on the fake marriage issue. Waaayyy too many Believers are punishing one another by withholding sex and then running to the pastor when their spouse is getting "fulfilled" elsewhere. All of a sudden their spouse is blasted for adultery but no one is holding a candle to illuminate YOUR sinful behavior and your stinkin' thinkin' that lead that spouse into the arms of another.

Our Father is not only merciful... he is HOLY AND JUST. The wages of sin is death. If your sinful actions are leading to the death of your fellowship with your spouse, death to a healthy sex life, and eventually death to the marriage, and you go before the throne of grace whinning about your spouse, don't you think God's word will be a mirror showing you.. YOU! We forget what WE look like when put our bible's down. All we see is the other person.

Put that Michael Jackson song on and start with the Man or Woman in the mirror and ask THAT person to change their ways -- that big 2 x 4 beam out of YOUR eye before you go pointing out the speck in your spouses eye

Opps! There I go.. off on a soap box tangent. (sitting down)

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

LOL.. I hear ya Elder Williams. We don't want to speak about SEX in the church. My question is where did all these children who are running around jumping up and down on the pews come from?? LOL Obviously SOMEBODY in the church is having sex! LOL

Why not be sure there is clarity and understanding on the topic instead of leaving folk out there to GUESS ABOUT SEX!

And I beleive these things should be taught from teen on up to those "horny" "seasoned" saints LOL

How old were Abraham and Sarah when she conceived (smile) Aight nah.. don't make me go there and talk about our seniors who defile their beds by refusing to do what is available to them to have a healthy sex life.... but that my friend is another blog LOL