Sex within moral boundaries is a beautiful act; a man and woman unite as one flesh, a covenant of God. The Scriptures teach that a union of man and woman is comparable to the union of Christ and His Church. It is a sacred union that speaks volumes of the heart of God to be one with His people and for His people to be united to Him and Him alone.

The procreative nature of sex also displays the mystery of the generative, overflowing aspect of God’s love. As love naturally overflows between a husband and wife, so too life overflows, perpetuating God’s created order in the form of children and family.

Christians consider sex outside of these moral boundaries as sinful not only because it is specifically violating clear commandments of the Scripture, but also because sex outside of marriage does violence to the picture we’ve been given of Christ and His Church.

Throughout history many religions, which Christians would consider pagan, have included sex as part of actual worship celebrations. To a Christian this would be blasphemous and a misuse, a desecration of one of God’s greatest gifts.

But it also illustrates the fact that humans have inherently understood that there is something transcendent about sexual union.