A little while ago, I did a count up of all the Christian Ministers I knew, or knew of, in my sphere who had 'gone astray' sexually. There were ten.Naturally, we are all horrified when this happens but without ever condoning, we must always remember that 'you cannot see inside a marriage' and for every one of these who has weakly and pathetically given in to the kind of temptations which are such an easy target for the devil, there is probably one who has been sexually neglected in their marriage.
In the latter case they are still blameworthy but that blame should rightly be shared. [When have you ever heard that point made in churches?]
The finger-pointing in such situations tends wrongly to have a single target.
For all the so-called sexual freedoms of our age, it is ironic that in many marriages there is probably less sex than in ancient times when feminists did not roam the earth causing trouble to all and women understood this as their primary function in marriage.
The male libido cannot be ignored. The reverse is also true, of course.
Before Dave Wilkerson embarked on his ministry amongst the backstreet druggies and prostitutes, a wise friend spoke to him and his wife together. He told Mrs W that it was essential that she gave David so much sex that he would never fall to the temptations. The advice was sound!
1 Corinthians 7 (New International Version) ... 3] The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4] The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5] Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
When Jesus talks in Mark 10 of a couple being 'one flesh' and this is incorporated into the marriage vows, taken in combination with what Paul wrote, it is abundantly clear that within marriage, sex is not optional.
