Truth #3: As an important part
of the expression of their love, the Lord wants a husband and wife to partake
of the wonders and joys of marital intimacy.
This
truth makes me very happy to hear, coming from both a marriage professional as
well as an influential member of the Church. It’s a very profound truth.
Marital intimacy is ordained by God. It is commanded and
commended by Him, because it draws a husband and wife closer together AND
closer to the Lord.
This is a
major key right here. The purpose of sex is to bring husband and wife closer
together. If it’s pushing us apart instead, we’re doing it wrong.
True marital intimacy involves the whole soul of each
spouse. It is the uniting of the body AND the spirit of the husband with the
body AND the spirit of his wife.
This is
another reason why profane erotica is not the best prescription as an arousal tool in
marriage. It splits us and our affections, as we make love and give our
feelings over to something not our spouse. If we’re watching or reading or listening to
profane erotica before we make love to our spouse, we not only lose the
spiritual element of it, we won’t be thinking of our spouse. We’re instead
thinking about the couple on the screen, or in the book. So spiritually we’re
not connected and mentally we’re not connected. Where is the profound symbol in
that?
That ‘soul-full’ union represents just how united a husband
and wife are in all areas of their lives. They work together as partners, they
pray, play, struggle, grow and enjoy life together. They sacrifice for each
other, and encourage each other to be all they were born to be.
My dear brothers and sisters, marital intimacy is sacred. In
fact, a husband and wife can be drawn closer to God when joined in true marital
intimacy.
Procreation
is an important reason for marital intimacy, but not the only reason, nor the
most important reason. (Handbook 2, 21.4.4) The building and creating of a
strong, intimate family unit that’s close to the Lord is the first and best
reason for marital intimacy.
If
procreation were really the first and best reason, then what would happen to
those couples who could not have children? Their relationships would, by that
secular and temporal perspective reasoning, die off out of lack of reason to even
exist.
But this
is not the case. In an eternal perspective, any couple who, for whatever
reason, is unable to have children in this life can still go on to a glorious
future full of increase if they work together to build their love for each
other and the Lord here in this life.
So, how can you prepare for such intimacy? You will need to
live righteously, so the Spirit can be the companion to you and your spouse.
This leads to truth #4.
