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christian counseling today
VOL. 22 NO. 1
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and female He created them” (Genesis
1:27). He also gave us the beauty of our
sexuality: “God saw all that He had
made, and behold, it was very good….
And the man and his wife were both
naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis
1:31, 2:25). He, too, gave us the means
to procreate and, in essence, “retell” the
story: “God blessed them; and God said
to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply….’
For this reason a man shall leave his
father and his mother, and be joined
to his wife; and they shall become one
flesh” (Genesis 1:28, 2:24).
One needs only to read the Book
of Solomon to understand that God
gave us passion and pleasure in our
sexuality; however, it was also intended
to remain within the confines of
marriage: “Let marriage be held in
honor among all, and let the marriage
bed be undefiled…” (Hebrews 13:4).
The Greek word for bed used here
is
koite
, and can be translated as
“cohabitation by implanting the male
sperm.”
Koite
has the same meaning as
the Latin word,
coitio
, and it is where
we get the word,
coitus
, which describes
the special relationship a married
couple experiences in the bed that they
“cohabit.” In that context, you could
read the Scripture as, “Let marriage be
held in honor among all, and let
coitus
be undefiled.”
Finally, the Lord gave us holiness
in His design for sexuality. Most would
acknowledge that God has what could
be described as both masculine and
feminine attributes. When He created
Adam, it is as if He deposited all His
attributes into His highest creation,
making man in His own image.
However, He fashioned Eve differently,
taking her out of Adam… perhaps in
one sense, taking those characteristics
that were essentially female and putting
them into her. When a husband and
wife join together in the act of marriage,
it can be viewed as bringing together
all the attributes of God into a moment
that should represent committed love,
covenantal intimacy, and something
holy. No wonder Satan hates this
imagery and will do anything he can to
destroy its purity.
This issue of
CCT
attempts to
tackle the broad continuum of human
sexuality with an honest and engaging
perspective. Sean McDowell and Jim
Cress each provide an overview of the
various issues, concerns, and treatment
factors related to sexuality and culture,
while Greg Miller zeroes in on the
sexting craze we are currently seeing
as the self-pornography phenomenon
continues to grow. Christopher West
offers a sound biblical theology of
the body and Linda Mintle examines
the research on the brain and the
neurological impact of pornography.
Several articles are specifically oriented
to the challenges parents face when
raising their children in a sexualized
culture. This includes the use of
Internet filters and blockers by Dan
Armstrong, strategies to protect the
next generation by Joel Hesch, and
an insightful look by Meg Meeker
at what happens when puberty and
pornography collide. The topic of
sexual addiction is also the focus of
national experts, as Marnie Ferree
addresses female sexual addiction
and Mark and Debbie Laaser offer
their thoughts and wise counsel when
pornography hits a marriage.
Counselors, caregivers, and ministry
leaders are frequently confronted with
many of the presenting problems
discussed in this issue. Sadly, incidents
are more likely to continue and grow
in an increasingly secularized and
amoral society. We must be aware,
properly equipped, and ready to engage
the enemy of our souls on one of the
most important battlegrounds of the
21st century: “For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the
world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
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