Is Sex a Sin?

If there is any one topic which is so controversial in the world from time immemorial, I think it is sex. A lot has been said and done about it. Many wars were fought, friends became enemies, families were scattered just because of this one thing - sex. But it is astonishing to see such things happen as result of one important act that God created.

Origin of Sex

Sex originated from God. When God created humans, He blessed them and said they should multiply. We know that the only way this can happen is through sex. So, sex began in the will of God. The writers of the Bible were not ashamed to mention the subject. Wherever it was done, they said it as it was. Here are a few examples. All quoted from the Good news Bible.

Gen 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain.

Gen 16:4 Abram had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she found out that she was pregnant, she became proud and despised Sarai.

2Sa 12:24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He had intercourse with her, and she bore a son, whom David named Solomon. The LORD loved the boy

1Ch 7:23 Then he had intercourse with his wife again, and she became pregnant and had a son. They named him Beriah, because of the trouble that had come to their family.

So the Bible is not silent about sex.

Sex is Holy

For a very long time most people are brought up to believe that sex is a sin in itself. Some doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the one that forbids priests from marrying suggest that those who have sex are not as holy as those who don't have it. I cannot see the origin of this belief because most of the people we hear of in the Bible except Paul and Jesus were married and therefore had sex. Jesus had brothers and sisters so this implied that even Mary had sex. If God accepts the product of sex, then sex must not be a sin in itself. It is Holy. What makes it a sin is how it is handled. A kitchen knife is good when it is used to cut meat but it is a bad thing if it is used to kill.

Sex is holy if it is done between a man and a woman who are married. Anything apart from this will create a very big controversy as it is always with sex.

Some Rules About Sex

Here are some rules in the Bible about sex.

• Lev 18:17 Do not have intercourse with the daughter or granddaughter of a woman with whom you have had intercourse; they may be related to you, and that would be incest.
• Lev 18:17 Do not have intercourse with the daughter or granddaughter of a woman with
• Whom you have had intercourse; they may be related to you, and that would be incest.
• Lev 18:20 Do not have intercourse with another man's wife; that would make you ritually unclean.
• Lev 20:11 A man who has intercourse with one of his father's wives disgraces his father, and both he and the woman shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.
• Lev 20:11 A man who has intercourse with one of his father's wives disgraces his father, and both he and the woman shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.
• Lev 20:17 If a man marries his sister or half sister, they shall be publicly disgraced and driven out of the community. He has had intercourse with his sister and must suffer the consequences.

If you want to see more, go to the Bible yourself.

Importance of Sex

Sex is very important for two basic reasons.

1. Procreation. It is not possible to have a human being today without having sex of some kind. Even in cases of in-vitro fertilisation some the sperm is release from a man through some form of sexual activity. A great number of people living today are as a result of sex. Sex is the single act that leads to population increase. The survival of the human race depends on this act. That is why God gives this to human beings. It must be handled with care.
2. Pleasure. The sexual act is the most pleasurable on earth. That is why it cannot be stopped by any law. This pleasure is greater for those who do it with a clean conscience. If there is one thing that unites wife and husband, it is sex. It is not just a physical act; it is emotional, psychological and above everything else spiritual. That is why sexual abuse is very difficult to forgive. For this reason God gave rules to be followed when handling it

How Sex Must Be Handled

With care. Holy things when not handled with care bring about untold hardship and pain. Marriages break down easily once sex is abused. Trust is lost among friends when sexual limits are broken down. The best way to enjoy sex is to be married. Sex in itself is not a sin.