Sex is not a blush-topic for God. He talks about sex throughout His Holy Word.

Sex is surely not a hush-hush hideaway for today's comedy, movies, rap, videos, books, magazines and what-have-you.

Sex as an "item" has found its place within our public schools.

Yet the church too frequently continues in its cultural lag syndrome by shying away from a theme dealt with quite freely by the church's deity.

First, God would have us understand that sex is not a "bad" word. Instead, sex is a gift from God Himself. Satan did not provide us with our sexuality.

Second, it is true that sex, being one of the Lord's good presents, can be corrupted by the devil. When that is so, sex turns into lust. Lust then is the devil's misuse of God's good gift. Therefore, believers should make a clear differentiation between the two terms when coming to the discussion table.

Third, sex was meant by God to be more than procreative. It was intended also to be pleasurable.

Fourth, since God gives the gift, God also makes the ground rules for the gift's use. Throughout His Word, God makes it clear that sex is meant to be actualized within marriage. Outside of marriage, sexual relationships are sinful--plain and simple.

Fifth, God has promised discipline for the unmarried. Discipline is enumerated in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Sixth, God has planned for His gift of sex within marriage to be especially meaningful. This is primarily so when both wife and husband are sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification is based on the premise that the believer has made a complete surrender of his entire life to God. There is no area kept back for carnal purposes. God has given His all to save us; therefore, the resigned believer gives his all to serve Him.

Yielding completely one's human spirit to God results in the divine Spirit indwelling the Christian, cleansing the carnal nature, thus empowering the believer to live the life of holiness.

Such a purifying experience should obviously include one's sexuality. Therefore, the height of sexual expression within marriage should be realized by the sanctified husband and sanctified wife who are blessed continually by the Holy Spirit.

This opportunity for sanctified sharing needs to be explained more carefully and thoroughly in marriage counseling prior to the wedding. Further, more written material should be available to couples in order for them to understand God's sex gift as being one of the prized treasures offered the human potential.

The magazine, MARRIAGE (provided by Marriage Encounter), is noted for its high regard for relating sexuality within the biblical context. The believing community would benefit greatly if more publications followed MARRIAGE's journalistic example.

In the Old Testament, The Song of Solomon for example is a rhapsody of spirit-and-body pleasurable exchange blessed by God. The intimacies graciously pictured are exceptionally real.

In the New Testament, Paul speaks of the Christian husband's body not being his, but belonging to his believing wife. He also speaks of the Christian wife's body not being hers, but belonging to her believing husband.

Jesus echoes the call of the Old Testament by inviting the man to leave his parents in order to cleave in union to his wife--to become one flesh.

Over and over again, the Word provides the reader with graphic detail concerning the marital bond. It also states in similar detail the dangers of writing one's own sexuality-rules-of-the-game. Such wealth of revealed information needs to get into the minds of believers more and more.

The hush-hush hideaway whisper of some is not regarded as the backroom topic for God.

The church, more than ever, needs to relate truthfully the Word to today's believers. Hopefully then they may grasp the beauty-power available in the sanctified sexual sharings of a husband and a wife.

J. Grant Swank, Jr.