The Message (MSG)

Never has a love story caused so much controversy as the Song of Songs.

And I get it, it's not every day you get to read about sex, lusting and burning passions in the Bible. It's not making God nervous, so why should it make us nervous?

God made sex, it is meant for us to enjoy within the safe boundaries that God intended for us to enjoy it. In a marriage, between the bride and bridegroom. Two become one.

I tell you what should make us nervous though..

But first, a little background story.

About five years ago when I gave my life to God, to Papa, I had quite a few addictions I still had to deal with. The Holy Spirit miraculously and graciously guided me through them, one by one. I wanted to quit them all, cold turkey. But He knew I would never make it that way.

Among the addictions, there was a serious porn addiction, and though I didn't want to admit it, I had become a sex addict.

Sex to me, was an outlet. An escape from reality. Junkfood. Instant gratification. Just one of the means to cover up the hole in my soul. It was disconnected from intimacy, from love. It was self-centered. And like all addictions, I had to have more of it, and more extreme, in order to get that 'high'.

You know how I finally beat 'my' porn addiction?

One night, after a moment of weakness, I felt so ashamed and so weak. And I said, I'm sorry God, I did it again. Then I felt the hand of Jesus on my shoulder and He said: "You're doing so well, I'm proud of you."

And it just broke me. I said, "how can you say that? I just messed up again!"

But that moment changed everything. It changed the way I perceived pornography. Each time I watched porn I was giving my yes, my okay, my endorsement to the devil. It's just like him to turn something as sacred and beautiful as sex into a deed of depravity and perversion. To strip it from all intimacy, from love, from relationship and make it all about you and your needs in spite of others.

And the second thing I learned that night was, I never ever again want to hurt or disappoint that Man again. He had been SO patient and loving with me for so long, I loved Him too much to ever disappoint Him again. And that night cured my thinking, the disease and addiction.

Now, back to the thing that should make you nervous. It's not sex. It's when we strip and disconnect sex from intimacy, from love, from relationship, from marriage.

Probably the number one threat to the church is pornography and porn addiction. If you think it's just a 'world' problem, think again. If you think it's just a 'man' problem, guess again. Just search for pornography and the church, and the numbers will shock you.

It's destroying families, relationships, marriages, the way kids see sex.

Back to Song of Songs. though it is a beautiful story about a bride and her bridegroom, it's not just that. It's about the intimacy, the yearning, the longing that should characterize your relationship with God, with Jesus. Without that there can be no meaningful relationship. Worship is about intimacy. About a deep burning love and desire.

Did you know that the Greek word proskuneo (translated "worship") means "towards to kiss" or to "adore"..Literally: 'to throw a kiss'.

This is the greatest love song of all. It's like Jesus saying "kiss me". It's like the bride saying "kiss me, for Your love is better than wine. I need to have You, to know how to really love!"

© Written by Xander Stok, Project of Love