40 Days of Love: Is Sex Love?

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Scripture for the week:

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NASB)

Dear Friend,

Sex? Love? What is it? Do we get it at all?

We just finished watching the short film ImNotBuyingIt, produced by Granger Community Church. The staggering statistics they report indicate that Americans are virtually clueless when it comes to matters of sex and love. Check these stats out: 96% of adult males and 94% of adult females in the US have had premarital sex. Hollywood currently releases 11,000 adult movies per year. 1 of 3 visitors to adult websites are women. 44% of US workers with an internet connection admitted to accessing an X-rated website at work. 47% of families said pornography is a problem in their home. The US has the highest rates of STD's in the industrialized world. 40% of young girls in the US will get pregnant before the age of 20. USA Today says that 56% of US residents say it is important to live with each other before getting married. Cohabiting couples have twice the breakup rate of married couples in the US. 40% bring kids into these often shaky live-in relationships. Roughly 60% of all marriages end in divorce.

Do you think broken, diseased, sexuality is the pursuit of love? Have the sexual habits of this culture helped us or stolen from us? While looking for love, people have settled for lust, fantasy and perversity. Are human beings so love starved that they will settle for sex without life long loving commitment? God help us! And guess what He wants to help! The Bible has so much to say about the habits of the heart in a love relationship. There really are ways to have relationships that are off the charts, fulfilling, and God-directed. Sex is not a dirty word. The brokenness of human beings has defiled the original intent of the Creator of sex. God himself has clearly provided the direction we need when it comes to sex and love. The habits of love found in 1st Corinthians 13 in the original language is where we find the road map of habits to real love.

Love bears all things. Loving relationships don't violate your body or person-hood. Real lovers make a habit of protecting your soul, health and your tomorrows. The original language describes love covering and giving a roof over your head. Real love doesn't expose you to danger, it gives you shelter.

Love believes all things. Love is defined here to have faith in someone and to entrust another's spiritual well-being to Christ. This love is not lust and can always be trusted. Loving relationships are secure because Christ is the Center and Director.

Love always hopes. The Greek word used here describes a loving habit that means to expect and confide. This love is exclusive and private. It is the part of a loving relationship that is safe, allowing you to be your true self but expecting and encouraging you to grow and become all that you were created to be.

Love always perseveres. The habit of perseverance is a lost art in this culture. Perseverance is defined here as "staying under (behind)", i.e. remaining; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere. Loving relationships live through the tough stuff and go the distance. Loving relationships are committed and surround you in all your days and look toward a blessed future together and...are willing to replace every harmful habit with a loving one.

Whether you are married or single, these habits from scripture will give you the love you long for. Don't settle for a less than best relationship or give in to being stuck in the statistics. Give in to God's ways and experience real love.

Sticking with the habits,

Parental Advisory: For CCM attenders, this week we will be discussing portions of this eletter. Please come and invite your friends to the 10:45 service. Crossroads is committed to helping families find God in this confused culture. Our services in the Main Auditorium will sometimes address strong issues not appropriate for young children. Our C.R. AdventureKiDs (nursery-6th grade) will minister to childlike needs. We strongly recommend utilizing our children's ministry.
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