Pineapples and Sex
Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and one of the things that was discovered in the New World was a curious new fruit that was juicy like an apple but shaped like a pine cone.
They brought it back to Europe and called it a pineapple. Europeans were captivated by it. No one had ever seen such an exotic object before. And it became the ultimate symbol of luxury, privilege, and hospitality.
In fact, at one point, it became a design element in architecture, ceramics, and art. And it would have been a pretty big moment in a person’s life to have a single taste of pineapple.
Pineapples were once sold for as much as $8,000. But most people – if they could get their hands on one wouldn’t even eat it. They would display it in their home until it rotted, often having viewing parties, where people would come over and a pineapple would be unveiled.
However, the steamship and the pineapple plantations in Hawaii made the pineapple widely accessible. And as a result, its value drastically diminished.
Today, you can get one for as low as $2.99. In Guam, it is sold for $0.75 per lb. And people are no longer amazed over it.
Why is it that a once exotic and rare fruit is no longer cherished as it once was?
The reason is because now they are easy to come by, so their value has been diminished.
Pineapple still tastes and looks exactly the same, but it has lost its significance.
And that’s because it’s everywhere. And anything that’s everywhere does not have the same value as something that’s a very unique, guarded experience.
The same can be true in regards to sexuality. Sexuality was once sacred. It was once extremely special and exclusive to the marriage bed. It was created to be a gift between a married couple. But it has been stripped of its value.
If we journey back to the Garden of Eden, God created one male and one female who would one day enjoy this beautiful, unique, privilege of sex.
But now, casual sex is everywhere. People are using social media apps to meet up and have casual sex. Sex has infested our movies, our commercials, and our even influenced our clothing.
As a result, its value is diminishing.
So how do we redeem the value of this once sacred, God given experience?
Guard what is precious:
A pineapple is protected by its outer prickly covering. A person needs to know how to properly cut it in order to delight in its deliciousness. One way to redeem the value of sex is by protecting our purity with the outer covering of obedience to God’s word.
Sex is not wrong. Sex before marriage is wrong. Sex is a precious God given gift. And when we choose to guard the precious gift of sex by saving it for the marriage bed, we redeem its value by proclaiming that we trust God enough to wait.
Sisters, by revealing that sex before marriage is a sin, God is protecting us, not limiting us.
As much as we do not want to admit it, sexual sin engages every part of us: mind, body, soul, and spirit. It affects us in a significant way each and every time. There is not a condom that can fit over your soul.
And as much as we do not want to admit it, sex outside of marriage diminishes our relationship with God.
By guarding your sexual purity, you are guarding your soul and protecting your precious relationship with God.
Paul says is 1 Corinthians 6:15-18, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainty not. Or do you not know that he who is jointed to a harlot is one body with her? For the two He says shall become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:15-18).
When I became a Christian and was convicted to stop having sex before marriage, it was because I read this verse and realized that I was joined with the Lord and His spirit was with me when I was baptized. Therefore, when I was having sex, I was just as bad as those who nailed Him to the cross. When I took measures to guard my precious relationship with Him, my mind, confidence, and strength was transformed. I began to value sex as a God given gift, not something I gave away cheaply.
Realize the Freedom of Purity
The world wants us to buy into the lie that there is power in sexual freedom. They say Christians are just prudes, boring, and slave to a bunch of conservative rules. They say casual sex is fun and liberating.
But God who created sexuality teaches us the truth. God tells us that we reap what we sow “Galatians 6:7. Scripture goes on to say, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” When we treasure God and desire to honor him with our lives by submitting to his plan for our sexuality, we not only avoid the pain and suffering that is sown by extramarital sex; we also reap greater depths of joy with our spouse and accomplish what we were created to do: glorify God.
Sowing sexual intimacy between a husband and wife will reap incredible benefits. As someone who did not have sex with her husband before she married him, I can tell you, it has been worth it. I have reaped trust, security, and a firm foundation that my marriage stands on (Trusting in God’s word).
Escape the Guilt of Sexual Failure
Maybe you are reading this and are currently having sex before marriage. Maybe you feel convicted but stuck because you have already failed. If that is you, please do not let your past mistakes prevent you from redeeming the value of sex in your life.
Luke and I waited to have sex with each other before we were married and it was the hardest thing we have ever done (Aside from surviving breast cancer). But it made it such a special, sacred experience and it prepped us for greater challenges. Now that we have conquered sexual temptation together, it feels like we can conquer any temptation Satan throws at us. Our battle with sexual temptation strengthened our spiritual muscles for future challenges.
But there was a time when I had to conquer the guilt I had from losing my purity before I met Luke. And if that is you, please know that conquering this guilt is possible, I am living proof. Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In Christ, there is completely new life and new purity available. Christ is able to replace what the thief destroys. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do not let your past dictate your future or prevent you from redeeming the value of sex in marriage now.
In a sex-saturated world that has diminished the value of sex, let’s fight to get it back.
Let’s be women who radiate trust in God’s word and reap protection by saving ourselves for someone who properly opens us through the marriage covenant.