The Corinthians wrote to Paul, and you ask, “Well, how do we know what they wrote to him?”  We know what they wrote to him by the answer he gives.  You have to remember, these pagans have just been introduced to the redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, and for the first time in their lives they feel free, pure, and holy.  They’ve separated themselves from all of that pagan worship.  Then, what happens in environments like that is that we, being excited about God and wanting to be more holy, we have a tendency, as human beings, to want to take it even further than God.  So, in this situation, they began to think that if all of these orgies that were taking place were displeasing to God, then, surely abstinence would be more pleasing to God.  “We would be more holy; we would be more pure.”  So, Paul, in response, is telling them, “No, it’s not good for man to be alone.”  We see, here, Paul reiterating the mind and heart of God when he makes the statement here that, “Every man is to have his own wife, every woman her own husband.  Let the husband render due benevolence, likewise, the wife.  The wife has not power over her own body but the husband and likewise, also, the husband has not power over his own body, but the wife.”

As it pertains to physical relationships, the commandment is, “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and to prayer; and then come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”  Now, this tells us that long segments of time between physical relations give Satan opportunity.  Is that what it just said?  “Come back together and come back quickly together after your prayer and your fasting, that Satan won’t take advantage of you.”  The actual physical aspect of our sexuality, it differs with each individual, but we would refer to it as the sex drive.  Everybody doesn’t have the same drive.  Some are in Corvettes and some are in Volkswagens.  People ask, “Well, what’s the average in a relationship?”  There isn’t any average.  It’s all unique.  These things are to be dealt with, not fretted over, not frustration, not trying to just not talk about it.  It’s something that has to be addressed, spoken to, agreed upon, right?

It says, “You can’t have a separation without an agreement.”  You have to talk together and work out why, when, and how we’re going to fulfill the purpose of God, the will of God.  We don’t think like the Catholics do.  Physical relations are not just for procreation, they’re for recreation.  Surely, some man would have said, “Amen.”  What do you have to say to get an “amen” around here?  So, we realize that we’re back to that word again, aren’t we?  Communication.  We’re back to that word again.  Preference.  Each one trying to outgive the other.  So, Paul speaking here as it relates to this question makes it very clear the responsibility that we have to keep Satan from taking advantage and for keeping that individual, as Proverbs 5 says, away from the corner, away from taking fire into your bosom, unless they be burned.