Review: "Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With?"

 

Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With? By Sam Allberry is part of Good Books “Questioning Faith” series.

This book is aimed at helping Christians to understand the biblical word on who is acceptable to “sleep” with and when. That is, between one man and one woman in marriage.

In the first two chapters, Allberry looks at what happens when people have sex outside of the biblical mandate.  Here, he also considers what a person is worth – if sex in an unbiblical situation harms those involved, as he argues, one need to consider what a person is worth – to God and to other humans.

Then he considers the purpose of sex and concludes it is for reproduction and all the aspects of oneness between the man and the woman. The one aspect that is not here – that I have raised elsewhere – often to raised eyebrows – is that sex is also to be purposed as worship.  Not worship of each other or the sex act itself, but the worship of God for creating humans able to have dex, for sex in marriage, for the pleasure of sex, and so forth.

In the next three chapters, he rightly argues that the biblical teaching is that sex is only to be between a man and his wife.  The arguments against that in biblical days and now is the low value of marriage and the putting of pleasure on a pedestal while considering the act disposable.  Today we talk about “friends with benefits” – sex is meaningless except for the pleasure of the moment.

Allberry spends time addressing those who have sinned in this area and points one to the forgiveness found in Jesus.  From this, he addresses the question of whether or not sex is a necessary part of being a Christian and one’s fulfillment.  The answer is “no.” As Jesus explained, some are eunuchs for the Kingdom.

He concludes by arguing that “love” is not enough to justify and hold together people who desire to “sleep” together outside of marriage.  What one may call “love” without God and His blessing is less than it should be and is not approved by God.

Allberry’s book is well-written and biblical.  It sets forth the biblical mandate on sex.  This book is good for any Christian, but I would like to see it read in the context of a Bible study with Junior High or High School students -= especially given the culture we live in.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].