Ed Sheeran paints a picture of a night out in vegas. The video charts everything you need for a good evening - girls, money, drink and body-popping Japanese business men singing karaoke. The focus of the lyrics is something else. All of that stuff fades into a blur behind the intense anticipation and excitement of acting on the flirtation that’s been going on all night.
We think we know what Christianity has to say about this. Obviously, God wants to limit your pleasure, especially when it comes to sex, whereas Sheeran wants you to experience every good thing the world has to offer.
That’s not God
The myth is that Christianity want to squash your fun. The reality is that true, ultimate pleasure is found in God. He invented sex, it was his idea. He made it pleasurable, rather than just a mechanical procreative act, He wanted us to experience that pleasure. The greatest sexual pleasure is found where he designed it, in marriage. The rush of the unknown one night stand is not better than the lifelong commitment of marriage! The fact that that sounds laughable shows that we have forgotten that He is good.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:11)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
(John 10:10 ESV)