Unhooked: Holy in a Hookup WorldSample

Day 24: Sex

Read

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. –Genesis 2:24

Connect

God invented sex.

It was designed to be the unique, pleasurable expression of a married couple’s unity. It was meant to bond a husband and a wife to each other. It was intended to be creative—to powerfully allow people to co-create life with God.

But in a hookup world, sex is primarily—if not solely—for pleasure.

The hookup culture encourages us to pick a person to marry because the sex is gratifying. But the better way is to marry a good match and, together, create a gratifying sexual relationship.

The hookup culture also encourages us to selfishly use, abuse, and discard each other. But we are actually meant to love selflessly.

Sin has so distorted sex that now it is widely misused. But God has called us to reclaim it—and that includes you.

Even if you’ve ever been part of the hookup culture, God is a God who redeems.

Even if you’ve been sinned against by someone who has used or abused you, God is a God who heals.

Even if you have regrets, God can give you a fresh start.

He wants to do that for you. Will you let Him?

“Go and sin no more,” Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery in John 8.

Each time you repent for sin, He says that to you, too.

And He wants you to know: you are loved—and your choices make a difference. When you choose to love as He does, you begin to undo the damage done by a culture that chooses to use.

In a hookup world, truly loving others is countercultural.

But it is possible—with God’s grace. And He has so much grace for you.

Pray

Thank You, Father, for the gift of sex—and for trusting me to help reclaim it in a fallen, hookup world. I’m excited to start afresh today and to live out my sexuality as You designed it.

Reflect

What are the purposes of sex? What can you do to help redeem sex in a world that misuses and abuses it? Have you asked God to forgive you for the mistakes you’ve made? He is ready to do it.