{"id":303163,"date":"2014-08-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-19T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god\/"},"modified":"2014-08-19T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T15:00:00","slug":"sex-for-the-glory-of-god","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Sex for the Glory of God"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What did God have in mind when He created male and female? Denny Burk reminds listeners that sex exists for the glory of God, which means that our sexuality puts God&#8217;s glory on display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-08-19.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"22.38M","filesize_raw":"23462706","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2088,2815],"tags":[5397,5396,5398,5399],"podcast_series":[8032],"cwp_profile":[9352],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303163","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-romance-and-sex","category-sexual-wholeness","tag-biblical-purpose","tag-purpose-of-sex","tag-reflection-of-god","tag-theology","podcast_series-what-is-the-meaning-of-sex","cwp_profile-denny-burk","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/303163\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303163\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"BgixCr2VzZ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god\/\">Sex for the Glory of God<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sex-for-the-glory-of-god\/embed\/#?secret=BgixCr2VzZ\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Sex for the Glory of God&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"BgixCr2VzZ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What did God have in mind when He created male and female? Denny Burk reminds listeners that sex exists for the glory of God, which means that our sexuality puts God's glory on display.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-08-19.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. When it comes to sexual sin\u2014when it comes to sex outside of the bonds of marriage\u2014Denny Burk says that pleasure that you might experience will be shallow and fading. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Denny: <\/strong>The fantastic thing about the way God set this up is that sex is rigged. It\u2019s only pleasurable if you are godly. If you\u2019re a bad husband\u2014if you are unloving to your wife \/ if you\u2019re harsh and unkind\u2014it doesn\u2019t work. There is a straight line from your attitude and the way you treat your wife, in general, to what happens in that bedroom. The converse is true for wives. You\u2019ve got to be godly for it to work and for it to be maximally pleasurable. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Tuesday, August 19<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. You understand that God is the designer of human sexuality; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, we are going to explore what the Designer had in mind, today, with Denny Burk. Stay tuned. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. So, back four-plus decades ago, when you and Barbara got married, had you spent a lot of time thinking about God\u2019s purpose for sexuality?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No. No, in fact, in reading Denny Burk\u2019s book here, I thought, how clueless I was and what a shallow opinion I had of, not only sexual identity, but also the act of sexual intercourse. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>It\u2019s not that you hadn\u2019t thought about it\u2014it\u2019s just that you hadn\u2019t thought\u2014[Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No, I\u2019d thought about it. The world had done a good job of feeding my mind with it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDenny Burk joins us again on the broadcast. Had you thought about it much before you got married, Denny?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Of course not!\u00a0 I was thinking about baseball. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, we know that not to be true because he and Susan have four children. He is the Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, and he has written a book called <em>What Is the Meaning of Sex?<\/em>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, you know, I think of what a good job the world does do, as we grow up. It really is difficult, Denny, to get a clear biblical bead on what God had in mind\u2014not only when He gave us our sexual identity, as male and female\u2014but also what He had wrapped in the whole concept of sex in the first place. What is the purpose of sex?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Denny: <\/strong>Sex exists for the glory of God. What I\u2019m trying to argue in this book is that all sexual morality has to be measured by its ability to achieve that purpose. Now, I know that, for me, this is just kind of a strange idea to think that sex exists for the glory of God; but it\u2019s in the Bible. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, it\u2019s the most intimate part of our beings. It would be a surprise if God hadn\u2019t said something about it. It\u2019d be a surprise if God hadn\u2019t somehow related it to His overall purposes for the world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, what I\u2019m trying to argue is\u2014is that God does have an ultimate goal for your sexuality\u2014and it\u2019s His glory. Because of that, it also has a certain design that He\u2019s given it. You don\u2019t glorify God by just meditating on the divine attributes, and then, all of a sudden, your sex glorifies God. No. He defines certain behaviors\u2014a certain way of being\u2014that glorifies Him. That\u2019s what this book is all about. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Explain and unpack what it means to glorify God because I\u2019m sure some listeners heard that and they went, \u201cThat just sounds like church language,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014okay?\u00a0 Unpack what it means when you say, \u201cSex glorifies God.\u201d\u00a0 First of all, what does the word, \u201cglorify,\u201d mean?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, to glorify God means to set God on display; okay?\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014so, to make Him known and to give Him honor because of who He is. That\u2019s what to glorify God means. God is glorious within Himself. We have a responsibility to make much of that glory. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJesus addressed this in the Sermon on the Mount; right?\u00a0 He says, \u201cLet your light so shine before men that men may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.\u201d\u00a0 A part of those good works, that we have to do, includes our sexual lives. So, God created sex with a purpose. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe purposes that I outline in the book are purposes that I got from another author, named Dennis Hollinger; but they are this: \u201cGod created sex for the purpose of the consummation of marriage, for procreation, for the expression of love within marriage, and then, also, for pleasure.\u201d\u00a0 Those are the four purposes that God gives. So, if you are going to glorify God, you\u2019re going to have to enjoy the gift of sexuality within the framework of those purposes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, that assumes a certain definition of marriage because what the Bible teaches is that the gift of sexuality is to be enjoyed, exclusively, within the covenant bond of one woman and one man in marriage. <em>Anything<\/em> outside of that is a dishonor to God and does not glorify Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Alright, before we unpack that, let me go back\u2014just for the person, who is thinking: \u201cAlright, so, my sexuality is supposed to put God\u2019s glory on display. It\u2019s supposed to be a testimony to God\u2019s glory, but my sexuality is a private act. When my wife and I are being intimate, we\u2019re not putting anything on display for anybody other than one another; right?\u00a0 So\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, now, wait a second. There is Somebody, who shows up in the bedroom, besides a man and a woman in marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, God\u2019s there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He is there. Somehow, I think that\u2019s what you\u2019re talking about\u2014that, as two people, in marriage, express love for each other in the act of intercourse, they are to delight God in the pleasure and in the love that they share with each other. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIsn\u2019t that what you are saying here?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Yes. I would also say that you have to remember that our private sexual lives have public consequences. There is a straight line between who we are, as sexual beings, and who we are, as social beings. It\u2019s not just what happens in the bedroom that is significant because what happens in the bedroom impacts children, impacts the shape and the manner of your family. It impacts all manner of things. It impacts whether or not marriages are permanent. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, the gift of sexuality is given for the covenant of marriage, which is supposed to be permanent. Whether or not couples stay together and love one another is something that is on full display before the world. These are all bound up within our lives, as sexual beings; okay?\u00a0 They can\u2019t be just cut off as private issues. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, the implicit way that I am handling this good gift of sexuality\u2014it\u2019s implied to everybody around me. It doesn\u2019t mean my sexuality is on display. It just means that my neighbors know that I represent myself as a faithful husband\u2014that I represent myself as a one-woman man. When I do that, I am glorifying God with my sexuality; right?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, let me comment on that, Bob, because a man who is a one-woman man won\u2019t flirt with other women. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That is demonstrating his sexuality, saying: \u201cNo, I\u2019m not going to give myself to any of you. I am a one-woman man.\u201d\u00a0 Likewise, a woman who dresses modestly is displaying her sexuality publicly and saying to men: \u201cNo, there is only one man that can truly know me and can see me as I really am. I\u2019m not going to tease other men with my body because of that.\u201d\u00a0 I think that\u2019s wrapped up in our sexuality as well\u2014don\u2019t you think so, Denny?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, yes. You can\u2019t reduce sexuality to just the behaviors in the bedroom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYour sexuality is who you are. It\u2019s the way you present yourself. It\u2019s the way you relate to your spouse. It\u2019s the way you relate to children. It\u2019s the way you relate to people who aren\u2019t your spouse. All of that is bound up with the way you define sex and God\u2019s purposes for this great gift. To miss that is to miss the way that the Bible speaks about these things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Okay, let\u2019s talk about those purposes that you mentioned. The first one\u2014and it\u2019s interesting\u2014you say it\u2019s the purpose of sex is about the consummation of a marriage. It\u2019s interesting how the culture and the world distorted that one through encouraging folks to hook-up, shack-up, cohabit, and experience sex outside of the covenant of marriage. But you\u2019re saying, \u201cWe\u2019re to celebrate the purpose of sex, that God made, by consummating our marriage and becoming one flesh\u201d\u2014Genesis, Chapter 2: 24; right?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>That\u2019s exactly right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe Bible presents marriage as a covenant. A covenant involves a public promise and, then, this private act or consummation, which is sexual union. Now, the consummation of marriage is something that has a beginning but that, too, doesn\u2019t have an end. This is the symbol and token of your physical union. This is an absolutely necessary part of a marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, let\u2019s talk for a minute to some of our listeners, who are going, \u201cYou know, there\u2019s just not a whole lot happening, sexually, in our marriage.\u201d\u00a0 I mean, I\u2019ve met couples who have told me that it\u2019s been a year or longer since they\u2019ve been intimate with one another. They have essentially said: \u201cWe get along okay. We\u2019ve just\u2014that part of our marriage has kind of withered away.\u201d\u00a0 Is that okay?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s not okay. The way that\u2014I\u2019m a pastor too\u2014I\u2019m a bi-vocational pastor. I\u2019m a professor, and I also pastor at my church. And I\u2014we encounter these kind of things, all the time\u2014couples who are having difficulties. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tUsually, the sexual life is indicating that there is something else wrong there. As a pastor, I\u2019m going to want to know, \u201cWhat\u2019s that something else that\u2019s going on?\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s usually some prior issue that\u2019s happening that\u2019s destroying intimacy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut here is the thing\u2014your marriage can\u2019t be a healthy marriage where there is no sexual union\u20141 Corinthians 7, Paul says, \u201cStop depriving one another, and come together again lest Satan tempt you.\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019re actually commanded to come together in sexual union, as spouses, in marriage. To not do that is to set ourselves up for temptation\u2014to set ourselves up for being attacked by the devil. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s another one of the purposes of sex in marriage\u2014is a preventative to keep us from really being tempted by the world and giving in to our temptations. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnother one of the purposes of sex\u2014that you talk about in your book\u2014is that of procreation. That\u2019s obvious\u2014it\u2019s having children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 26, 27, and 28\u2014right after God makes them male and female, He says\u2014and commands them\u2014\u201cBe fruitful and multiple.\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s a command for procreation here \/ a command to have children. Some people would say, \u201cWe\u2019ve done a good job of this.\u201d\u00a0 Have we?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, and some people would say: \u201cWell, that was good for them. That was good for the first union, but that shouldn\u2019t be definitive of every marital union that comes after.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, we shouldn\u2019t expect that every union will have children. Now, we understand that, in a fallen world, there are some people, sadly, who are going to have struggles with this and will have physical difficulties that keep us from this; but you hear from time to time\u2014more and more, especially lately\u2014of couples who enter into\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>\u2014marriage, and they are intending to be childless. Biblically, that just doesn\u2019t hold. In fact, that goes against the purpose of marriage. It goes against the purpose for sexual union. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt wasn\u2019t just in the beginning that God said this, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply,\u201d to Adam and Eve. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe also said it after the Fall. He said it to Jacob. He said it to Noah. So, this is a continuing obligation\u2014that one of the ways we glorify God is by spreading His image on planet earth through procreating\u2014through giving birth to children. And we are supposed to bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Now, I\u2019m not one of those people that thinks that: \u201cWell, that means you should have as many children as you can possibly have,\u201d or something like that; but this is one of the purposes of marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThose who are thinking that they can enter into this union\u2014and sort of: \u201cChildren are just a lifestyle choice\u2014maybe do it \/ maybe not\u201d\u2014no. That\u2019s not a biblical way of thinking about things. That\u2019s actually more of a post-modern way of thinking about things\u2014that has sort of adopted the contraceptive mindset, which we may discuss a little bit later. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>The Bible declares children to be a blessing. I think it\u2019s an issue of faith and obedience to view children as God says they are\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014and not as someone who gets in the way of you achieving your objectives, or being able to be happy, or have more time for yourself. In fact, one of my favorite quotes about children\u2014that I saw on a bumper sticker one time\u2014was: \u201cMy children saved me from toxic self-absorption.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I mean, I was with a couple, a number of years ago, who had remained childless for a number of years. They finally got pregnant. It was fascinating to watch the dialogue of this couple, who were now in their late 30s, bantering about what this was going to mean: \u201cOh my goodness! What\u2019s this going to mean?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBarbara and I just sat there, going: \u201cYou know, this is going to mean some <em>real growth<\/em>. I mean, you just thought you were selfish when you got married. You want to find out how truly selfish you are, and how much you need Jesus Christ in your life, and the Holy Spirit to empower you? Then, have a herd of children in your house and try to live the Christian life, at that point.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, they say: \u201cThe more, the merrier.\u201d\u00a0 I say: \u201cThe more, the holier.\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 There are more opportunities for sanctification the more that you add to the mix. Now, I absolutely agree. God gives us the gift of children as a blessing, and He gives them to us for a purpose. This is an opportunity to raise up a generation to glorify Him and to give honor where honor is due. I absolutely agree with you that children are a blessing from the Lord. But what we have today is sort of a worldview that\u2019s coming against the biblical truth, that says children are a blessing, and saying that children are a burden. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Another purpose of sex\u2014that you speak about in your book\u2014we\u2019ve got to talk about this. I mean, we just have to. There is a whole book in the Bible, really, about this\u2014Song of Solomon. The purpose of sex\u2014one of the purposes is pleasure. Comment on that. God\u2019s not down on pleasure; is He?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Yes. Some people view God as this big cosmic killjoy and that He is, somehow, negative when it comes to pleasure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s just not the way the Bible talks. In fact, if you look at the Psalms, it talks about God, \u201cIn His right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.\u201d\u00a0 I mean, God is a God of pleasure. He intends the sexual gift to be a gift that evokes pleasure. I think even the pleasure has a purpose to it. It is given to us, as a gift, for our enjoyment; but it\u2019s also a powerful inducement to achieve all the other purposes for sexuality that He\u2019s given us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>I mean, imagine if the inducement were not pleasure\u2014if it were pain: \u201cDo these things. Procreate or else you will experience pain.\u201d\u00a0 No, that\u2019s not what it is. He has given it to us, as a gift. Pleasure is a powerful inducement to achieve the ends\u2014that He\u2019s made this gift. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, He designed our bodies so that, when we come together\u2014He put the pleasure-centers in there. I mean, I remember Bill Cosby\u2014years ago, he said: \u201cGod could have made it like Polaroid. You kiss your wife, and ten seconds later, there is a baby that appears.\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cThat\u2019s not how God did it.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe said\u2014and this is Bill Cosby talking theology; right?\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut the reality is\u2014God designed us so that, when we come together, there would be physical enjoyment\u2014maybe, with a little additional incentive to say, \u201cI gave you this command, but I\u2019m going to make it fun in the process.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Denny, you may not know this, but we have a video event called <em>The Art of Marriage<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em>. It is six hours long\u2014on video. You can host it in your church for Friday night\/ Saturday. We\u2019ve had anywhere from two or three couples go through this at one time\u2014all the way up to 950 folks,\u00a0 joining together in a church, up in the\u2014interestingly\u2014up in Portland. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the segments is on sexuality. There is a segment in this video\u2014Bob knows exactly which one it is\u2014where a woman begins to describe the first ten years of her marriage. Dare I say the word, here on Christian radio?\u2014I think I can. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, we can just say that her experience for the first ten years did not include pleasure. How\u2019s that sound?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Okay, yes, that would be delicately dancing around a word that starts with \u201cO.\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 Those, who know about such things, will understand that. Little ones, who may be listening, will go, \u201cO?\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut anyway, she makes the statement\u2014in <em>The Art of Marriage<\/em>, she says: \u201cI want to ask the men, \u2018If you had had intercourse for ten years, and you hadn\u2019t experienced pleasure, how interested would you be in having sex?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Of course, the answer is\u2014every man gets it. The answer is: \u201cNot at all.\u201d\u00a0 Finally, she was able to experience that\u2014and that\u2019s a part of the story\u2014but God wants all couples, in the marriage relationship, to be able to experience pleasure. He\u2019s not a killjoy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And He wants husbands and wives to make this a part of the pursuit. He wants us to be bringing pleasure to one another in this time together; right?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, that\u2019s absolutely right. The fantastic thing about the way God set this up is that sex is rigged. It\u2019s not pleasurable\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I can\u2019t wait for the answer to this. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s only pleasurable if you are godly. If you are a bad husband\u2014if you are unloving to your wife \/ if you are harsh and unkind\u2014it doesn\u2019t work. There is a straight line\u2014from your attitude and the way you treat your wife, in general\u2014to what happens in that bedroom. And the same thing happens\u2014and the converse is true for wives. You\u2019ve got to be godly for it to work and for it to be maximally pleasurable. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>When I\u2019ve done some premarital preparation for couples, I\u2019ve said: \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you one of the most important verses on your sexuality. It\u2019s Philippians, Chapter 2, verse 3. It says: \u2018Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. With humility, regard one another as more important than yourself.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s not just about how we treat one another in our conversation. It\u2019s how we treat one another in every aspect of our marriage. When there is unselfish\/humble regarding of one another as more important than yourself, it brings a new dimension to our sexuality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It does. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is one last purpose you talk about. That\u2019s love. Explain what you mean by that. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d seen that in a list, speaking about the purpose of sex. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Denny: <\/strong>Well, I\u2014yes, I say it\u2019s the expression of love. What we mean by that is\u2014that there are things that are communicated in the conjugal bond that aren\u2019t communicated anywhere else\u2014and that you don\u2019t have to be a poet\u2014but there is a certain union and a certain expression that happens, within the marital bond, that can only happen there. So, that\u2019s the final purpose\u2014is the expression of love. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Amen. I may not be a poet, but I\u2019m going to tell you, \u201cI enjoy loving my wife.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve been married for 41 years, and it is a great privilege. Loving her has never grown stale. It hasn\u2019t grown old with the years. It, frankly, gets sweeter and sweeter with each passing year. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I\u2019m glad you pointed it out earlier, Denny\u2014being a sacrificial leader of your wife\u2014especially to the men. They need to hear that today. They need to give up their lives for their wives. There isn\u2019t a place probably more sacred than the bedroom as a place for a man to do that\u2014denying himself on behalf of his wife. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You know, I think we live in a culture, Dennis, where we don\u2019t get that message often enough. The culture is screaming at us to go in different directions. It panders to our own selfishness in this area of human sexuality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s why we need to have our minds renewed\u2014to have our brains washed with the Word of God. Denny, you\u2019ve done that in your book, <em>What is the Meaning of Sex?<\/em>\u2014which we\u2019ve got in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019d encourage our listeners\u2014go to FamilyLifeToday.com to get more information about how you can get a copy of Denny\u2019s book. You can order online, again, at FamilyLifeToday.com. Just click the link in the upper left-hand corner of the screen that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d The information is available right there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019d like information about <em>The Art of Marriage<\/em>\u2014we\u2019ve talked about that video series today\u2014you\u2019ll find that, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com as well. Again, click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER,\u201d to get the information you are looking for. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me also mention that all three of us are going to be in Nashville for the national conference being hosted by the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention\u2014a conference dealing with homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and the church, and how we understand these issues. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s October 27-29<sup>th<\/sup>. Al Mohler is going to be speaking. David Platt is going to be there, speaking. Dennis, you\u2019re speaking. Denny, you\u2019re speaking. Folks can get more information about this national conference when they go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the \u201cGO DEEPER\u201d button, and the link is available right there. You can register for that conference. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOf course, I mentioned Al Mohler. He\u2019s going to be joining us, this weekend, at the <em>I Still Do<\/em><sup>\u2122<\/sup> event in Portland. It\u2019s coming up on Saturday. We still have seats available for our listeners in the Portland area who\u2019d like to join us for a one-day celebration of the marriage covenant. Go to IStillDo.com to order tickets. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd those of you who live in the Washington, DC, area, we\u2019ll be seeing you in a few weeks\u2014October 4<sup>th<\/sup>\u2014at the Verizon Center. That event is being simulcast, all around the country and around the world. You can get more information, again, at IStillDo.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd of course, we want to say a big \u201cThank you,\u201d to our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> friends who make this radio program, and the resources of FamilyLife, and the events that we host\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014you make it all possible by your financial support of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. More than \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t60 percent of the revenue we need to operate the ministry comes from donations from folks, who listen to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> and say: \u201cThis really does matter. We want to see it continue.\u201d\u00a0 So, thanks for your support. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, if you can make a donation, right now, we\u2019d like to say a special \u201cThank you,\u201d by making available some activity cards to help you engage with your kids around faith issues\u2014to help you disciple your children. Those cards are our thank-you gift when you go, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com\u2014make an online donation. The cards are immediately available. Or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY. Make your donation over the phone. Or you can mail a donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at P O Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. Our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd again, mention that you\u2019d like the activity cards. Send us your email address, and we\u2019ll get the information back to you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we hope you can join us back again tomorrow. We\u2019re going to spend some time talking about homosexuality and same-sex marriage\u2014how we should understand those issues, biblically, and how we should engage in this culture around this very controversial subject. Hope you can tune in for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2014 FamilyLife. 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