Sex In Heaven?

            The question whether or not there would be sex in heaven is pertinent because the Bible narrates a more complex question in Matthew 22. But if we consider the same question from an informal perspective, we would term the question as cheesy or coarse. 

            Interestingly, the Lord Jesus Christ answered HIS questioners, irrespective of the question being cheesy or sophisticated. If Christ answered HIS questioners, then we may as well answer any question.

            The Bible provides our context, “On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22: 23-30, NASB).

            Some Christian theologians argue that there will be no sex in heaven.¹ Other theologians argue that there will be sex in heaven.²

            I personally believe that there will be no sex in heaven. The Bible indicates that there will be no sex in heaven (Matthew 22: 23-30). Furthermore, existence of sex in heaven would entail insane possibilities that would contradict the core attribute of heaven, which is perfection (heaven is a state and place of perfection).

            If there is sex in heaven, consider the extent of insane possibilities:

            1. No Procreation: The goal of sexual intercourse on earth is procreation. However, if there is sex in heaven, procreation cannot be the goal, for there cannot be procreation in heaven. (The Bible does state from the narrative in consideration that there would be no procreation in heaven.)

            Procreation cannot exist in heaven because children are in an innately imperfect state (they need to grow to actualize their purpose for creation). Since heaven is a place of perfection, imperfection cannot be actualized or children cannot be born.

            However, if procreation were to be possible in heaven, every child born in heaven should be hardwired to believe in God. In other words, every new birth in heaven would be a birth of a heavenly human robot, without freewill, and programmed to believe in God.

            You could argue that heaven is a place of perfection, hence freewill need not be a theme of concern. This response would lead to a myriad of questions disputing God’s wisdom and justice, and the answer to each question would die a death of thousand qualifications.

            Here is a model question, “If children born in heaven are perfect, why are children born on earth imperfect (they can sin)?” If you were to invoke the entailment of evil / Satan on earth as a precursor for mankind’s imperfection on earth, then a follow-up question could be, “Is it not unjust of God to create metaphysically different children, wherein some children born in heaven cannot sin (due to perfection in heaven), and other children (born on earth) have the potency to sin (an adult could reject God) so to merit hell?

            So procreation is impossible in heaven. If the goal of sexual intercourse in heaven is not procreation, then it should be something other than procreation.  

            2. Sex in heaven could be for pleasure, if procreation were to be non-existent in heaven. If sex in heaven is for pleasure, there ought to be gradational variations to pleasure, which in turn will betray the attribute of perfection. The conservative Christian consideration is that man will derive pleasure in heaven because of his coexistence with God (cf. Psalm 16:11 et al.). So if the beatific vision or coexistence or face-to-face worship of God is to bring about ultimate pleasure to man in heaven, then what kind of a pleasure would sex offer him?

            Sex cannot offer man a greater pleasure than worshiping God. So sex ought to offer man the pleasure that is inferior to worshiping God. But the state of “inferiority” is an attribute of imperfection. So if sex were to exist in heaven, then it should be predicated on imperfection. So sex cannot exist in heaven for the purpose of pleasure.  

            But certain theologians contend that we can eat in heaven, and that eating is not for the purpose of necessity but for the sake of pleasure. If eating for the purpose of pleasure is existent in heaven, then why can sex not exist in heaven for the sake of pleasure?  

            The notion that we can consume food in heaven for the sake of pleasure is based on conjecture. Pleasure need not be the only other option to necessity i.e. if food is not needed for sustenance / necessity, then it does not infer that pleasure is the only other reason for consuming food. In fact, we do not know what type of food will be available in heaven. Some reckon it would be the food that was made available to Adam & Eve. However, food in heaven can be for purposes that do not involve pleasure.  

            So in the same way, could sex be existent in heaven for reasons other than pleasure? No! There are better reasons that invalidate the existence of sex in heaven.

            3. Singles would be deprived of sex in heaven: Not all who die and go to heaven are married. Christian singles die and go to heaven and all children who die go to heaven.

            If sex were to exist in heaven, the aspect of partnership (how would one choose another for sex) is a key thorn in the face of perfection. Who would the single individual in heaven choose to engage in sexual intercourse with and what would be the mechanism (suitability / eligibility) of this selection or participation?

            Furthermore, since the Bible categorically rejects the notion of marriage in heaven, sex, in the context of being outside of marriage in heaven, would open an “ethical” Pandora’s Box.

            4. Polygamy in heaven? If sex were to occur in heaven, then polygamy is a direct entailment, within the context described in the Scripture. If a man had married multiple women during the course of his earthly life, then he should obviously have sex with all of them in heaven.

            But deprivation is innate to polygamy (husband can only be with one wife at a time, which results in sexual deprivation for the other wife). Deprivation is a state of imperfection. Hence polygamy (or sex in heaven) cannot exist within the state of perfection, for heaven is a state of perfection. If polygamy cannot exist in heaven, then we could presuppose an absence of sex in heaven.

            Conclusion: This is a trivial theme for our consideration, because it is non-salvific and does virtually nothing to aid our growth in Christ while we live on earth. We do not know for certain as to the availability and the purpose of many relevant aspects in heaven (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9). Hence, it is not a good use of our time to delve deeply into these trivial aspects of Historic Christianity.

            However, every question ought to be answered meaningfully. Hence, this is an honest endeavor to respond to the question, “Will there be sex in heaven?” The overall evidence points to the notion that there will be no sex in heaven, which is in no way a loss to those who would inhabit heaven in the glorious presence of our living God.

Endnotes:

¹https://www.gotquestions.org/sex-heaven.html, last accessed on 6^th April 2017.

&

http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/will-there-be-sex-in-heaven/, last accessed on 6^th April 2017.

²http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/sex-in-heaven.htm, last accessed on 6^th April 2017.

Sex Inside and Outside Marriage

A dictionary definition of adultery is, “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.” My question is, would anything at all justify adultery in a marriage? Here are some scenarios apparently justifying adultery:

(1) The Old Testament records personalities who dabbled in adultery (Lot, Judah, Tamar, Rahab, David & Bathsheba…). So, can marriages dabble in extra-marital affairs, especially since the Bible apparently endorses it?

(2) If one’s belief is intact in Christ, he is saved and heaven-bound. Does this give him/her the privilege to be adulterous?

(3) God loves to forgive. Can a partner in marriage be adulterous, then repent, gain forgiveness, and be right with God? In this instance, man finds pleasure in tasting variety, and still remains right with God. Is this acceptable?

(4) What if a marriage is heading towards divorce and one partner indulges in sexual intercourse with a friend/acquaintance who he/she intends to marry. Is this a sin?

(5) Sex is an inherent component in a marriage. What if a marriage truly suffers in its sexual expression (sex life in marriage sucks)? Does pain from lack of sex offer the person the moral privilege to satisfy his/her sexual needs with another outside marriage?

Does the Bible define adultery or sexual immorality? The answer is a very certain yes. To begin with, God says that sex should only be within the precincts of marriage (Genesis 2: 18-25; Leviticus 18; 1 Corinthians 7: 2-4).  God also states adultery is a sin (Exodus 20: 14; Hebrews 13: 4). Therefore, any sexual innuendos outside the marriage, in thought (Matthew 5: 28) or in deed is adultery and a sin against God and the spouse.

The Bible as a narrative records various historical instances, so it records the sexual frailties of Lot, Judah, Tamar, Rahab, David & Bathsheba. These are mentioned as a historical narrative and not to endorse adultery. These instances serve to teach that sex outside marriage is a sin against a holy God. While interpreting the Bible, one must always employ the hermeneutical principle to interpret the implicit passages by their explicitly stated, similar-themed counterparts. Therefore, Exodus 20: 14, Leviticus 18; 1 Corinthians 7: 2-4, and Hebrews 13: 4, should interpret all narratives of adultery in the Bible.

If one’s belief is intact in Christ, he/she should flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6: 18). But, humans are fallible, for we are weak and prone to sin. Still, it is normative that a believer in Christ will not sin intentionally, for such an act will betray his faith in Christ. But, if a Christian intentionally sins to satisfy his hedonism through adultery, he is in grave danger (cf. Romans 8: 5a & Galatians 5: 21b).

The Bible unequivocally states that God’s grace doesn’t offer a believer the liberty to sin (Romans 6 ff). One cannot bank upon libertarianism or God’s forgiveness to sin intentionally. In fact, God’s grace should captivate and motivate a believer to love and obey God always.

A marriage heading towards divorce also isn’t a license to adultery. Primarily, divorce isn’t an option for a believer. Of course, we do have the exceptions of marital infidelity (Matthew 5: 32) and unbelief (1 Corinthians 7: 12-17) that offers a believer a valid option of divorce. But God’s relationship with Israel vividly portrayed in the personages of Hosea and Gomer implies to me personally that divorce even in proven cases of marital infidelity is to be approached with grace than law. One should work to repair the broken marriage than find an easy way out of the marriage. Exploring this on another tangent, we can infer that finding an easy way out of the marriage could be an indication that the partner was never in the marriage to begin with.

Finally, unsatisfactory sex within a marriage is not a valid reason to engage in adultery. Marriage is not a means to douse one’s burning sexual appetite and fetishes. Marriage is beyond sex. It is a conglomeration (heterogeneous combination) of two individuals to believe, love, care, and nourish each other through favorable and unfavorable circumstances. Sex is a secondary aspect in a marriage. A marriage can indeed survive, by the grace of God, even without satisfactory sex.  

In my blog about premarital sex, there are reasons against premarital sex for the sake of those who do not believe in Christ. Those reasonings were not from the Bible. Still, those reasons would deem adultery as a non-viable option for all and sundry. 

In today’s postmodern world, people rely upon themselves for decisions on morality. A partner in marriage can decide that he needs a change and thus engage in adultery. That person may think that he is not bound to his spouse or any other objective moral authority (God, parents, children etc.). But this person will hypocritically subject himself to a moral framework at his place of work. He cannot take off from work as and when he desires. He would be allowed a certain number of days off from work. Further absence from work would result in termination of employment or loss of salary or a severe reprimand. In other words, this person who is postmodern in his morality within his marriage will not or cannot subscribe to the very same post-modernity at his workplace. Isn’t this sheer hypocrisy? He who refuses objective authority in his marriage hypocritically subjects himself to an objective moral authority at his workplace. He will not be a postmodern at his workplace for the fear of losing his job. Whereas Godlessness in his life that entails fearlessness in his marriage motivates him into adultery. Such a person may fool himself thinking he would not lose anything by virtue of adultery. But he loses his mind, and along with it his morality, integrity, consistency, but most significantly, the pleasure of being with God and enjoying HIM.

Ravi Zacharias offers a perfect analogy for the postmodern mindset. When a friend told him that Wexner Center for the Performing Arts¹ is a postmodern building that was designed with no particular design in mind, Ravi quipped that the foundation of this building would certainly be purposeful. Of course, the architect would have designed this building with pillars without purpose and stairways going nowhere. But this architect would have built this postmodern building with a purposeful foundation meant to hold the building together.

This is the hypocrisy inherent in postmodernism. A postmodern mind may think that life is capricious and so can be lived without any purpose. But that purposelessness is the very purpose, exhibited hedonistically and inconsistently, in that postmodern life – an utter insanity. A postmodern man would reject an objective moral authority when he prefers to indulge in adultery, but he would subscribe to an objective moral authority elsewhere (workplace). Wexner center was closed for three years and $15 million dollars worth repairs were performed to counter its basic design flaws. Similarly, a postmodern mindset, unless transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ, would inevitably be riddled with moral inconsistencies and disasters.

A few days ago, much acclaimed basketball superstar, LeBron James married his longtime sweetheart, Savannah Brinson. The couple had two sons even before they were married; a result of their live-in relationship before their marriage. Live-in relationships are a prevalent practice today. If two unmarried people live together and have children, would they be categorized as adulterers or those indulging in premarital sex? Practicing Christians would consider a live-in relationship a sin or an aberration. A live-in relationship is a loose arrangement without a binding covenant (before God) that holds the relationship together through thick and thin. Adultery comes into the picture when marriage is solemnized, but when the couple has children before marriage, I would term it as premarital sex, thus unacceptable.

To conclude, sex is only permitted within the confines of a marriage. But marriage is not meant for sex alone. Adultery is unjustifiable. May God protect us. Amen.

P.S: If a person has kept his marriage bed pure (in thought & deed), but is accused of adultery, how should he respond? He surely can come out with all his guns blazing, but in the most peaceful and with God’s wisdom. In other words, the evil in the accusation should be despised and overcome by the power of God. Patience should be adopted with a view that the marriage be reconstructed through justice served by God at HIS time and according to HIS pleasure and purpose. Amen.

References:

¹ http://www.house-design-coffee.com/postmodern-architecture.html