The Love, Joy, and Peace of Sex.
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5/Romans 8/1 Corinthians 13)
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (Galatians 5:16-18)
..22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; (Romans 8:5-6
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
The question of the purity and holiness of all our relationships, including the sexual, all boils down to the battle ground of living according to the Spirit or according to the sinful nature.
If indeed, as Scripture seems to suggest, the fruit of the Spirit is our only hope for purity and holiness in any aspect of life, then questions and aspirations relating to the purity and holiness of your marital and sexual relationship specifically, oh couple, remain no less
contingent upon the fruit of that Spirit being in evidence as much in the bedroom as in all other walks of life.
Oh couple, in your marriage, even in your marriage union, oh couple,…
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you ….”.(2 Corinthians 13:14).
Chapter headings in the book...
Section 4: The Fruit of the Spirit
Meditation 47: “Fruit” not “Fruits”
Meditation 48" The Temple of the Spirit?
Meditation 49: “Of the SPIRIT”
Meditation 50: Fake Fruit Verses Real Fruit
Meditation 51: What of Our Part? (Keeping in Step)
Meditation 52: Learning to Control Sex
Post script: Preparing for the REAL Marriage