FASTING AND SEX IN MARRIAGE

Is sexual engagement between husband wife during fasting to be done or not? Does the bible have a

position about it?

To shed light on this, it is important to lay down two essential undesrtandings that must be imbibed by the Christian believer in order to get it right.

The two things are ownership of the body and stewardship of the body.

• OWNERSHIP

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19‭-‬20 AMP

Understand that the ownership of your body is with God. You do not own your body.
The power of ownership is that it sets the rules. Ownership determines how a property must be utilised.

Your body is the temple of God. It means that your body is part of God's operational base. For God to effectively use you, He has to do so using your body as well. So, as your body is not your own, you cannot do with it just anyhow you like. To please the owner, you must follow His rules. God must be honoured in the use of your body, meaning God holds priority consideration in the use of your body.

• STEWARDSHIP

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.
Romans 12:1 AMP

Your body is an instrument of worship and God needs the use of your body as part of the service that you offer in His kingdom.
Like I said earlier, ownership sets the rules, but stewardship keeps the rules. Stewardship of your body means you have the responsibility to make sure that your body is used according to the requirements of the one that owns your body.

Your stewardship of your body also has its own reward. Read this:

For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].
2 Corinthians 5:10 AMP

• MARRIAGE

A believer is to obey the Lord in their way of living as he or she carries out their stewardship. So, when we get married, it means we have come into a partnership that is supposed to help in making a success of our stewardship.

That brings us to the important scripture on this matter of sexual intercourse during fasting.

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
I Corinthians 7:3‭-‬5 NKJV

• The husband or wife is required to bring supply and satisfaction to the sexual needs of their spouse with good will and kindness.
• Both husband and wife have shared authority over the bodies. Both have the right to demand of their partner to be sexually ministered to.
• The only time that sexual intercourse is to be out on hold is during fasting. But there is a way to go about it.

Firstly, there must be mutual consent. That is, for the duration of the fast, the couple must both agree that for that period, there would be no sex. On that agreement, the fast should be observed.

Secondly, both are partners in the stewardship of their bodies in the service of God. So both must be considerate and reasonable in coming to agreement of the hold on sex during the fasting time.

Do not give your body to fasting and sex at the same time. Remember that fasting is denying the body of its appetites. Food and sex are two strong appetites of the body. Fast some food, fast some entertainment fast some sex also. It is also fasting.

God's Servant
Pastor Seyi Ola-Daniels