God designed sexual intimacy to be experienced solely within the confines of marriage. Like all gifts from God, it is enjoyed to the fullest extent when it is guided by God’s directives.

And the man and his wife were both naked and unashamed (Genesis 2:25).

Barriers to Intimacy

Sexual intimacy is a critical component of a healthy marriage. Beware of these common barriers that can significantly threaten the relationship.

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter… 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).

Experience

Your sexual activity with each other or with someone else before your marriage won’t ruin your intimacy, but it does raise challenges.

When sex is engaged before marriage, it increases insufficiency suspicions and unhealthy comparisons. 

Exposure

Being a member of this culture ensures that you have been exposed to sinful content and suggestive comments that distort sexual sanctity. 

Every exposure to sensual material threatens our chance for sensible satisfaction within marriage.

Expectation

Unclear or unrealistic expectations can lead to damaging frustration within marriage.

Genuine needs should be communicated with tenderness and reasonableness.

Blessings of Intimacy

God designed sex, and He had some brilliant reasoning behind it. Sex is a connection unique to marriage that bonds together as nothing else can.

Praise

Every good gift comes from God and gives us reason to praise Him.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17).

Pleasure

Sex is meant to be an incredibly pleasurable activity reserved for marriage that stabilizes commitment and ensures romance.

Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go (Song of Solomon 3:4).

Procreation

It makes sense that the physical union of intimacy would provide one of the most emotional connection points possible – children.

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord” (Genesis 4:1).

Protection

Since we have sexual desires, the more fulfilled you can be within the marriage, the less likely you will look for pleasure outside the marriage.

Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (1 Corinthians 7:5).

Partnership

The uniting of bodies also encourages the uniting of hearts.

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous (Hebrews 13:4).