Genesis 3:1-6
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced.
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How many lies or half-truths have I accepted as fact?
Oftentimes the enemy hisses the question, “Really??? Did God really say…?”
I remember a conversation with a pretty classmate who was sexually active.
She told me she always keeps a pack of condoms in her bag because, according to her, “You’ll never know when a girl needs it.”
I told her I believe in saving my virginity as a gift for my husband.
She smiled at me knowingly, with a patient look of a teacher. “Alysia, what if you married a virgin and you’ll find out too late that he’s lousy at sex? You’ll have lousy sex for the rest of your lives! Don’t you want to know what he’s like in bed first?”
I knew in my heart what she was saying was wrong. But I had no witty comeback nor a Bible-based response that seemed convincing enough. I also thought of saying, “Because God said so!” But it sounded so lame, like I was a child whining because I don’t have any better explanation. Inwardly I also asked myself, ‘Now where in the Bible did God say don’t have sex before marriage? Did God really say don’t have sex before marriage?’
So instead, I responded in a timid voice, “Well, since I’m a virgin, then it’s not a problem because I won’t know what’s lousy sex or not.”
As my classmate looked at me with horror and pity, I began to question the logic of my argument.
I knew God was right but that moment, God seemed so wrong and outdated.
The question persistently echoed in my mind, ‘What if your future husband is lousy at sex? You’ll be doomed to have lousy sex for the rest of your lives….’
I realize now that Eve went through a similar experience. But she was swayed by the serpent and reaped a lifetime of consequences.
I’m glad that in my case, I decided to put my faith in God, despite the fears planted in my hearts.
Because I would later learn that virgins who love each other would learn how to make each other happy in the bedroom.
If I could rewind the conversation with my classmate, I would have told her, “Aren’t all great lovers virgins in the beginning? My husband and I can learn the art of lovemaking together, and not have the baggage of sex-perience with other people.”
The world is so focused on being sexually attractive that it forgets to remind people that there’s more to a relationship than sex. But we’ve reduced relationships to that. And the world is even more messed up.
Jeremiah 17:9 (New Living Translation)
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
Lord,
Please forgive me every time I deceive myself and trust in my heart and logic.
I need to immerse myself in Your truth
So that I can know between truth and lies.
But most of all, I need to know You more
So that I will delight in obeying You.
And when I fall and sin,
Please help me not point fingers and cast blame.
But may I run straight to You with a broken heart.