When sex between spouses is a sin?

Question:

When sex between spouses is a sin?

1. Sex between spouses is a sin when blood relatives get married

God forbids marriage between blood relatives. Here is the list of relatives with whom marriage is prohibited:

None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. The nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for their nakedness is yours. The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born to your father, she is your sister, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s blood relative. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s blood relative. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother; you shall not approach his wife, she is your aunt. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is lewdness. You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness. (Leviticus 18:6-18)(NASB)

2. Sex between spouses is a sin when they have sex during menstrual cycle

Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity. (Leviticus 18:19)(NASB)

3. Sex between spouses is a sin when one forces the other one to do forbidden things

In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. (Ezekiel 22:10)(NASB)

4. Sex between spouses is a sin when it is used for manipulation

I invite you to read the article “Do not manipulate your spouse sexually”.

5. Sex between spouses is a sin when it hurts the conscience

Some husbands ask their wives and some wives ask their husbands to do in their sexual relationship things that are against their conscience and thus hurt the conscience of their spouse. The Bible says …

Whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)(NASB)

And if the conscience stops one partner from a particular practice and does not allow him/her to do so, both he/she who acts against his/her own conscience and the one who puts pressure or forces the other one to act against his/her conscience will sin.

I recommend all readers to get the inductive Bible study course entitled “Marriage without regrets” by Kay Arthur. In this course, in the 9th lesson the subject of sexual relations between husband and wife is deeply and widely discussed. I also recommend that you get the course “The truth about sex” and “What does the Bible say about sexuality” by the same author.

Translated by Felicia Rotaru