‘Any sex outside of God is unsafe’

When two become one flesh in marriage, by God’s perfect design, physical fruit is conceived (Genesis 1:26–28), which God can bless and multiply. Similarly, when its counterfeit occurs in the case of illicit sex, then physical fruit still manifests and multiplies, yet because the union is ungodly, the fruit will be compromised and in some cases contaminated. Therefore, when it comes to conception outside of a loving marriage this may result in either a less than ideal pregnancy situation, an unwanted pregnancy or even an abortion. 

Sexually transmitted diseases

Another fruit of illicit sex is sexually transmitted diseases (STD), which, instead of breeding life, which is one of the fundamental purposes of sex, have the capacity to lead to death. Sexually transmitted diseases include more than thirty different bacteria, viruses or parasites and are spread from person to person through sexual contact. 

In 2015, most of the 500,000 new cases of STDs reported in the UK were in England. Twenty per cent of these people were diagnosed with chlamydia, which is the most common and fastest-spreading sexually transmitted disease in the UK. If left untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility. Up by a whopping eleven per cent, England also saw around 41,000 new cases of gonorrhoea in 2015. Gonorrhoea has the capacity to spread to the fallopian tubes and other internal genital organs, causing conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal blockage, which can also lead to infertility.

Then there’s HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). In 2015, there were thought to be about 100,000 people with HIV living in the UK. A third of these are women. HIV is a virus that can cause AIDS, a potentially lethal disease. AIDS attacks the body’s immune system, making the affected person very vulnerable to all sorts of infections. England also saw about 68,000 new reported cases of genital warts in 2015. These warts are caused by the human papilloma virus, (HPV) which is passed on during sex.

In women, HPV can lead to microscopic changes in the cervix and then to the development of cervical cancer. It also now seems certain that many cases of throat cancer are caused by HPV infection during oral sex. Finally, you have syphilis, which during 2015 increased by a staggering twenty per cent. If left untreated, syphilis is a dangerous and life-threatening disease that can eventually attack the brain, spinal cord and other organs. 

The stark reality of sex without boundaries

You might wonder why I have chosen to outline the most destructive STDs in this way. It does not make for great reading, does it? Yet I wanted us to consider the often-hidden ugliness of sexual immorality. This is the stuff we simply don’t see in Hollywood romance blockbusters, in provocative advertising campaigns or in super sexy music videos.

Yet imagine if in the next billboard advert for Spearmint Rhino’s Strip Club we were shown an image of a stunning stripper adorning a diamanté bikini, St Tropez tan and a sore, inflamed, herpes rash splashed across her perfectly, contoured face. Or how about a toned, chiselled Chippendale male model, sporting a six-pack, smooth muscles and a bout of syphilis?

You see, we are constantly bombarded with the glitz and the sensual glamour of our seemingly liberating sexual independence, yet we often have no real awareness or healthy fear of the deadly diseases that sex without boundaries will introduce into our lives. These are conditions that are strategically designed to kill, steal and destroy us, by the enemy of our souls. It goes without saying that two people who have never engaged in sex before or outside of marriage will usually never have to experience an STD. Yet, when it comes to sexual immorality, STDs and porneia [sexual disorder] pretty much go hand in hand.

For as long as there has been sexual immorality there have been sexually transmitted diseases. We even see Apostle Paul make a reference to venereal diseases in Romans 1:24–27 as he addresses heterosexual and homosexual promiscuity, which was rampant in Rome during his time:

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”  (NKJV).

Here Apostle Paul is referring to those that have discarded the truth of God in exchange of the worship of created idols. Pagan worship involving dishonouring sexual practises such as orgies, bestiality and homosexuality amongst other sexually immoral practises, were the norm during this time. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul shares that God has left them to their own devices and they will invariably have to receive “in themselves” the consequences of their vile sexual perversions. Verse 24 mentions uncleanliness, which as well as uncleanliness of the heart also implies a physical uncleanliness of the body. The bacteria and disease associated with venereal diseases certainly comes to mind.

Imagine if we were shown an image of a stunning stripper adorning a diamanté bikini, St Tropez tan with a sore, inflamed, herpes rash splashed across her perfectly, contoured face

The same scripture addresses the dishonouring of their bodies which, although referring to homosexuality, I believe also refers to the diseased conditions that their bodies were being subjected to because of sexual debauchery. 

Created for perfect love

Whether it is in today’s modern society or during the Apostle Paul’s time, sexual immorality will always incur detrimental consequences. Simply put, no matter how appealing, pleasurable or harmless sexual immorality appears to be, or even how ‘safe’ society can apparently try and make illicit sex, any sex outside of God is unsafe. It will cause contamination and it is satanic at its root.

Please understand, no matter how common STDs might seem, this physical manifestation of a demonic union cannot be taken lightly or brushed under the carpet. I truly believe that STDs are a clear, undeniable indicator of this. You see, any lifestyle, activity or union that allows STDs to occur as standard practice simply cannot be of God. God is not a promoter of disease, defilement or death.

Obviously, I am aware that there are cases when sexually transmitted infections have occurred through non-sexual methods such as blood transfusions, birth, breastfeeding or needle sharing where the person with the infection did not even cause it. People can also be deceived into catching an infection. So please do not misunderstand me; I am certainly not trying to condemn, especially if someone has contracted a STD through absolutely no fault of their own! Yet so many STDs usually are the consequences of our own sin.

Still, I am soberly aware that even if they are usually self-inflicted, let’s face it, for many people, in and of themselves, fear of catching STDs simply is not enough of a reason to refrain from having sex outside of marriage. Even if fear of STDs won’t stop someone from having unprotected sex, I believe the risk of catching STDs when engaging in sexual immorality further promotes God’s marital framework for sexual intimacy as the safest way to have sex.

It further reinforces the benefits of marital sex, where we are free to enjoy sex in a way which does not harm us or place our lives in danger where we do not end up feeling ashamed or dirty — which is often the outcome of STDs.

If you have caught an STD or are carrying an infection as you read this, please know that your identity is not in that STD. It does not label you, or define you, but it is simply not God’s best for you, or for your body. Your body was never created for abuse. It was created for love. Please don’t settle for anything less than perfect love. Please get checked out. Stop having illicit sex and get treatment. If you are a Christian, there is absolutely no condemnation for you and God will lead you into restoration. If you are not a Christian please know that Jesus can deliver you from every kind of disease.

There is no shame when we are in relationship with Jesus Christ. He can make you clean and forgive you. Even if you must face the consequences of sexual sin, He will give you the support, comfort and strength to get through it and to walk in purity.

This article is based on an extract from Bobbi’s book Sacred Sexuality.