1 Corinthians 7:1-5 (New International Version)
7:1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

I. Leaving and Cleaving (vv. 1-2)
• Sexual intercourse is

if expressed in the covenant of marriage.
• Every act of sex is spiritual whether done in an

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or

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context. (1 Cor. 6:16-17, Prov. 6:26)
• The primary reason for sex is not

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or

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, but to glorify God through

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and

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.
• The biblical view of romantic love is that there are no

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.
• Love is choosing to value someone in

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in order to grow through

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.
• God created two genders with designed sexual

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.
II. Sex as Self-Donation (vv. 3-4)
• Mutual

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and

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based on innate equality is the standard.
• The Bible designates 3 kinds of equal communication in marriage:

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,

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,

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.
• The “

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” of marriage means full disclosure – full physical, spiritual, and emotional availability. (Gen 2:25, SOS, Eph 5:21-33)
• The greatest sexual pleasure should be providing your spouse with

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.
• Sexual intercourse physically and spiritually

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the marriage vow (1 Cor. 6:16).
• Sex shifts from intimacy to selfish impersonal if not accompanied by

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conversation.
III. Sins within marital union (v. 5)
•

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and

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deprivation is taking away what God intended for your partner to have from you.
•

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or

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sex or emotional conversation are equal violations of self-donating love.
• Separation and communion is the healthy

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of real love.
• Relational distance is commonly caused by male

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or female

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.
• Spouses can become

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in Satan’s temptations.

TAKE OFF
Share one thing that you consistently do to maintain/improve an intimate relationship – with a spouse, child, sibling, parent, or friend?

TEXT
1. What thoughts or feelings did you have during this week’s sermon?
2. What claim does the Corinthian church make regarding sexual relations in verse one? How does the apostle Paul refute their claim (v. 2)? What other claims about the marriage relationship have you heard that contradict the Bible?
3. According to the apostle Paul, how do husbands and wives fulfill their marital duties, both in terms of sexual and emotional intimacy? What is the principal justification for a husband and wife to abstain from sexual activity (v. 5)? What do the words “for a time” and “come together again” in verse five imply about frequency of sexual relations in marriage?
4. Discuss how these verses support the idea that sexual intimacy is important in marriage. Are you surprised that withholding and demanding sexual intimacy from a spouse is sin? Are you equally surprised that withholding and demanding emotional intimacy from a spouse is sin?

TAKE AWAY
Relationships are important to God. How can you strengthen your relationship with your spouse – in terms of emotional and sexual intimacy – this summer? If you are not married, how can you develop or strengthen the emotional communication side of your closest relationships (friends, family, dating) this summer?