Naughty or Nice?

You know, I was just thinking... why is the world beginning to look down on marriage and favor "sex however I want it"?

You know how in media such as movies and books, the "naughty" aspect of sex is rapidly becoming considered the turn-on to any sexual relationship. Gotta have the handcuffs and whips. But I'm not really talking about that stuff so much as I'm talking about how it's now considered desirable to be "naughty". How did what is good become boring, even undesirable? 

I just look on, amazed, at how "goodie goodie" girls are looked down on in our culture, and how we don't earn our man or woman card until we've had, frankly put, a good amount of hot sex. That's the way it's marketed. And really, in all honestly, I'm comfortable with sex, and this conundrum still appalls me. I've never done it, but hey, let's just say that my Christian brothers and I have no problem discussing it. Comfort with the topic is great. Comfort with using it outside of God's preference is not. And I know that sounds like a "goodie goodie" attitude... but there is so much more to life than what I thought before I really started following Christ. To quote Matt Chandler, God did not create the Law to rob us of the enjoyment of Creation, but to help us experience and enjoy it the way it was designed to be by God for our benefit, good, and His glory. God does not rob or deprive us of what He has called good. He helps us enjoy it in the best ways.

So we've all got this huge superiority complex, as Americans. We think that we know the best way to enjoy sex (namely, however we want it). Dare we literally think that God doesn't know the best way for us to enjoy things? Who was it that let Adam and Eve walk around naked all the time and eat papayas?! It was a freakin' sweet time! They didn't have to worry about money either! God has put us here to listen to Him and learn how to enjoy things the way He wants us to. When Adam and Eve walked outside of that parameter, they gave birth to this superiority complex... that I KNOW, not GOD KNOWS.  That the truth lies with ME, not with GOD. So we start listening to US, not to the LORD of all.

And we get this backwards understanding that what is bad... is actually good. See the polarity?

The other day, I told an old friend that my friend Brad was getting married. His response: "Poor bastard." See, marriage is an inherently wonderful, good thing. But the world hates the things of God because they seem like foolishness.

So anyway. We love our "naughty jokes", but perhaps we should stop... and listen to Christ and realize, maybe that's not what He wants us to say. Lust is quickly becoming the new "love". And I just hope that as the true Gospel of Christ is reintroduced by the new wave of united churches all across the nation and the world, that this norm is reversed. Our kids are not going to have it easy.

If you don't understand my point of view and you think I'm a sheltered hyper-conservative jerk... I'm sorry. I'm really not. But I think that the things that God wants for us are important and that He's made it very clear. 

Isaiah 45:19 NLT... I love this. 18 "I am the LORD," he says, " and there is no other. 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner so no one can understand what I mean. And I did not tell my people to ask me for something I did not plan to give. I, the LORD, speak only what is true and right."

Breaking this down: Number one... God's promise is rock solid, and publicly available. Number two, He is not vague, and Scripture is clear. There is no excuse that one can "interpret the Bible differently from another" so as to make sin seem okay. It's called exigesis, look it up. Number three, God promises us salvation, and he will deliver. Number four, if you can count on anyone, it's him.