Thoughts and beliefs related to human sexuality and healthy sexuality are significantly different when comparing (secular) man's views to those presented in biblical concepts. As time passes these two mentalities become more and more distant. One school of thought teaches respect, moderation, and encourages a higher level of responsibility and appreciation to be placed on the subject, while the other has become a more relaxed, all-encompassing, and somewhat impulsive and unapologetic approach. Our world has grown up with an emphasis on making everything convenient, which unfortunately means values and rewards that are bound to take time. To know what the correct path is, an individual must be truly in touch with themselves on many levels, emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Even in these cases it can be very difficult to discern which method is the most suitable to use. The purpose of this essay is to inform and advise the appropriate path forward by providing biblical insight into a topic that is rapidly being lost to the temptations of the flesh. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A flower is only as beautiful as the garden in which it blooms. Many times we might see a flower that really catches your attention with its beauty. The surrounding environment can really enhance or detract from the flower's attractiveness. It might even look like the most beautiful thing you've laid your eyes on. But we must ask ourselves: is this the best this flower can look? Is it possible that this flower can go from beautiful to golden? Why do florists have many different arrangements for flowers? The answer is simple, so you will be willing to pay for an absolutely radiant flower. In this sense God is the florist and we as children of God are the flower. Throughout our lives we find ourselves placed in different situations and relationships (flower arrangements) by your Lord and savior. As we grow stronger in faith and belief in the gospel, God cuts off and eliminates those things that take away your happiness. At the same time, God places alternatives on our path that can potentially improve our existence. At that point we have to make a choice. We can lean on our understanding and face the consequences that follow. Or we can choose to be vigilant and sacrifice immediate pleasure and remain faithful to the calling that has been placed on our lives, which will lead us to pay the price to become that radiant flower. We are all beautiful flowers, but we have not reached our full beauty potential because we are trying to do it ourselves in our wrong garden. Romans 3:23-24 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of that honor and glory which God gives and receives. They are justified and made righteous and in right standing before God, freely and freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Zondervan, 1987). Because of the fall of man we are all considered sinners because we are born in sin. Ironically, this is very similar to the events that occurred in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. It seems to be our curse to struggle with temptation when it comes to satisfying our needs and desires instead of being patient and allowing them to grow and progress at their own pace. We have become accustomed to sacrificing our patience for the illusion of reward in the form of instant gratification. 1 John 1:17 states, “But if we [truly] live and walk in the light, as He [Himself] is in the light, we have [true, uninterrupted] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son gives us purifies[removes] from all sin and guilt [keeps us purified from sin in all its forms and manifestations]”. When we accept God as our Lord and Savior, submit to His will, we may be forgiven of sins which will allow us to experience the great love He originally intended us to have. What we need to remember is that God created sexuality to allow us to share Himself and the love He wanted us to be blessed with. The Bible illustrates the meaning God has placed on sexuality and sex as a priceless gift that we can share. with our spouse as part of our commitment and covenant with God. Sex is considered sacred when we fully appreciate the value of our bodies and are blessed in our covenant with God. The bond that is created when we make love in those conditions allows our sexual union to be at a higher spiritual level. The Bible mentions this on numerous occasions, but there is one that stands out in my mind more than the others. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 states, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality; may each of you know how to dominate your body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God." God has given our lives a much higher value than many of us will give take the time to discover or try to understand. Because we try to live primarily for ourselves and secondarily for God, we constantly limit our opportunities to achieve the blessings God has in store for us to receive. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 states, “Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that man commits is outside the body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body." One of the consequences of the fall of man is that we carry unnecessary burdens on our shoulders because we are not congruent with the will of God. Galatians 5:19-21 states: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: fornication, impurity, sensuality, idolatry , witchcraft, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalry, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things of that kind. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” God created Eve from Adam's body with the intention that the union of marriage would reunite man with his rib (used to create woman) to be made whole again, reestablishing the original being that God created in his image. In God's plan, man and woman were created to complement and complement each other. God had no intention of man or woman being alone in the world. God felt that they needed each other to satisfy each other's need for companionship and emotional/physical intimacy. Proverbs 18:22 states, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” Human sexuality in the eyes of God is based on many specific and unshakable principles. God created sexuality to show the value of intimate loving relationships that He intended for men and women to share with each other completing each other and becoming one. Genesis 1:24 states, “A man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This describes the union that Adam and Eve shared, full of compassion, excitement, and totally free of shame or guilt. Our sexuality was to be representative of God's creative power. Our bodies were not to be obstacles to our spirituality, but should be recognized as heavenly as ordained by the Bible. These are pleasures we may not know about ornever truly experience because of the fall of man. Everything changed when Adam and Eve both ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had previously forbidden them to do. The sin committed by Adam and Eve not only broke their bond with God but also with each other. Instead of having a sacred covenant with God and all things He had created, they had to endure alienation from all things God's creatures as well as each other. God's goal was a lifelong promise of faithfulness and true love to be shared between husband and wife. The purpose is for man and woman to have the ability to express and enjoy God's two primary purposes for sex; intimacy and life creation. Sex has the ability to create a sense of "oneness", which can be described as a relationship significantly different from all others as it is a much deeper bond that involves the fulfillment of physical, emotional and spiritual desires. The union of one flesh sex is an example of how two kindred spirits are brought together to create and begin a shared life. Rosenau and Wilson's text describes this when discussing the concept of continuous relationship bridging. This is a guide through intimate relationships covering connection, mating, and alliance relationships. Connecting relationships are considered to be the moment when the foundation of the relationship is created. Mating relationships are an extension of the connection phase where consideration, validation, and commitment are explored in the relationship, which also coincides with a higher level of sexuality that begins to grow with the couple. Covenant relationships are the ideal plan that God had in mind when he created woman for man. This is the time when real sex and lovemaking bring about unity between soul mates. Sex is not considered a sin unless it goes against the values and principles God has assigned to it. Sexual intercourse between a husband and his wife is preordained to demonstrate God's love for us which is pristine, precious, and cannot be easily broken. The concept of continuous relationship bridging is also scientifically supported, which speaks to its validity. According to psychologist Bernard Murstein, relationships evolve according to a standard progression of stages. The stimulus phase, the value phase and the role phase. The stimulation phase is when initial interest forms and there is attraction to the other person. The value stage is when both individuals have similar likes and interests are explored. The role phase is when titles are assigned to participants in the relationship. When we rely and trust in our own understanding, we are doomed to repeat mistakes like those made by Adam and Eve, who cursed us all. Just as He did with them, God allows us to make the choice to live life on our own terms or to choose to live in His grace. When we live for our own pleasure, it pales in comparison to what God has in store for us. One of life's greatest lessons comes when God allows us to suffer and struggle when we try to exist outside of His plans for us. True learning can come at a very high price. Often what are considered natural consequences determine the amount of expense we will have to pay. If we allow ourselves to see beyond our plans for relationships and their purpose to serve us, we may be able to see what God had and still has in store for us. We must first establish a relationship with God and truly appreciate the covenant. that he deserves, that should be greater than any earthly relationship we have had. Serving God's will should always be the focus of all you do.
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