1. The document discusses the history of views on sex, from a "necessary evil" in Roman Catholicism to a "wonderful gift" in modern times. 2. It argues that sex is a holy act, as it was created by God, is holy by design, and has specific purposes including creating intimacy between partners, representing the relationship between Christ and the Church, and procreation. 3. The deeper meaning of sex is that it allows a married couple to represent the full image of God through their sexual union as male and female.

1. In Love for Life
Building or Rebuilding a Great Marriage
Mike Mazzalongo
#4 – Holy Sex – Part 1

2. If God created sex as a gift to
married people why is sex such
a struggle?

3. 1,000 Years of History…
• Necessary Evil – R.C.

4. 1,000 Years of History…
• Necessary Evil – R.C.
• Blessed in marriage - Protestant

5. 1,000 Years of History…
• Necessary Evil – R.C.
• Blessed in marriage – Protestant
• Wonderful gift - Moderns

6. 1,000 Years of History…
• Necessary Evil – R.C.
• Blessed in marriage – Protestant
• Wonderful gift – Moderns
• METTA SEX

7. God designed sex to be an
encounter with the Divine.

8. Sex as Holy
1. Created by a Holy God

9. Sex as Holy
1. Created by a Holy God
2. Holy by design

10. Sex as Holy
1. Created by a Holy God
2. Holy by design
3. Specific Purposes

11. Specific Purposes of Sex
• Create the “One flesh” experience
Genesis 1:24

12. Specific Purposes of Sex
• Create the “One flesh” experience
• Represent the Christ/Church
relationship – Eph. 5:31-32

13. Specific Purposes of Sex
• Create the “One flesh” experience
• Represent the Christ/Church relationship
• Procreation – Gen. 1:28

14. Specific Purposes of Sex
• Create the “One flesh” experience
• Represent the Christ/Church relationship
• Procreation
• Worship – I Thess. 5:18

15. We shouldn’t be afraid to
discuss what God wasn’t
ashamed to create”
Dr. A. Gardner
“Sacred Sex” p. 15

16. The Deeper Meaning of Sex
It is only in the sexual union of both
male and female that the full image of
God is represented.

17. Gen. 1:27
27 God
created man in His own image, in the
image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.

18. If
Oneness = Image of God

19. If
Oneness = Image of God
And
Sex = Ones in Marriage

20. If
Oneness = Image of God
And
Sex = Ones in Marriage
Then
Sex = Image

21. It’s not how intensely you feel
in human sexuality,
It’s what the total experience
is supposed to represent.

22. How Does This Truth Serve Us?

23. How does it serve us?
1. Reveals

24. How does it serve us?
1. Reveals
2. Frees

25. How does it serve us?
1. Reveals
2. Frees
3. Opens

26. Next Week
Is All Sex Holy?