This Friday at HomeWord, I am going to be addressing the topic of sex in marriage. For the health of our marriages and ultimately the glory of God, this is something that we must talk about. In the book Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, Justin Taylor writes the introduction. On pp.13-14 he laments the church’s shame in discussing these things:
One of the hindrances to a frank and edifying discussion of sexuality is the issue of shame. Shame can be healthy, and shame can be sinful. By and large, our culture is hell-bent on shedding any vestiges of propriety and shame in all things sexual. As an overreaction, the church is often too timid to even broach the topic, for fear of violating Paul’s command that “it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Eph. 5:12). But this proper shame can easily morph into improper embarrassment and an unhealthy reticence to apply the whole counsel of God to an issue of paramount significance.
This is so well said. Part of my tension in preparing this week and part of the tension I feel every time I bring this up with my wife are these same emotions. If we are going to have lives that are fully lived to the glory of God and if we have a conviction that especially this facet of our life is one in which God should be honored (as the context and content of 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 indicate) then we must have a clear communication about these things. Pray for me this week in that regard and faithfully seek to discuss these things in your own home.