Note that in the Ten Commandments first our relationship to God is covered, then a transitional one to protect God's authority in society, then one to protect life itself made in God's image, and then a commandment to protect the most basic relationship in society, which reflects the relationship of Christ to his people.

1. What is this command saying positively?

a. Look at Genesis 2:18-25. We can discover God's original intent for sexual relations.

i. Sex is a wonderful gift from God.

ii. The sexual capacity was given to us for the specific context of marriage. Sex and marriage were intended to be inseparable.

iii. One man and one woman (not many partners -- and partner of the opposite sex).

b. The sexual relationship is designed to mirror Christ's relationship to his church.  Eph. 5:31-32

2. What is forbidden by this commandment?

a. Scripture doesn't spell out explicitly. However, marriage is considered the only God-ordained outlet for the sexual capacity. 1 Cor. 7:8-9

b. Lustful thoughts -- Matt. 5:28

3. Gen. 2:25. Being male meant in part desiring one woman and respecting and even rejoicing that all the rest didn't belong to him. Being female meant in part receiving the desire one man and respecting and even rejoicing that all the rest didn't desire her.

a. The sex drive expresses two deep-seated characteristics of humanity:

i. the desire to be fruitful and multiply

ii. the desire for deep companionship that reflects our relationship to Christ that is a finite token of our relationship to Christ.

b. What is lust?

Def. a desire for sexual pleasure to be experienced either in the mind or in the body outside the bounds of God's design.

i. Lust tries to put us in God's place. Because it displaces God, it demands from something finite what only the infinite God can supply.

ii. Erroneously expects sexual pleasure to be infinite. Therefore, it can never be satisfied. Leads to a wandering eye, to experimentation, and perversion, or to deep dissatisfaction with ordinary sexual experience.

iii. To singles – Marriage is the appointed outlet for expressing sexual desires, but it is not a cure-all for lust.

c. The flip side – wanting to be lusted after or provoking others to lust.

4. Marriage -- 1 Cor. 7:1-9

a. Marriage is the only outlet for sexual expression. (v. 9)

b. Marriage is a protection from immorality.

c. It is the privilege and duty of a husband to protect his wife by giving himself to her sexually, and vice versa.

i. The wife has authority over the husband's body, and vice versa.

ii. This should be done gladly.

iii. You don't belong to yourself sexually. You belong to your spouse.

d. Undue delay of marriage is a form of adultery.

5. Singleness

a. Jesus Christ lived the fullest human life ever, and he never had sexual relations.

b. Even singles have present access to the relationship with Christ of which marriage is but a finite taste.