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sex as a spiritual union; offer your bodies as living sacrifices, soul ties
sex is spiritual even more than it is physical

Because sex is a spiritual union first

The city of Corinth worshiped Aphrodite, Greek goddess of sex. High on the hill was a temple dedicated to her, and one of the functions of the priestesses serving in the temple was to have sexual relations with those who came to worship. In this way, the demons behind this false deity were transmitted from the temple prostitutes to those who came to worship.*

It was to the church there in Corinth that Paul penned these words: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” (1 Cor. 6:15-16).

In youth groups and para church organizations there has been teaching on the physical and emotional ramifications from illicit sex, but bestselling books on the subject have had very little focus on the spiritual effects. As Christians, it’s imperative that we understand sexuality foremost from the perspective of a spiritual union.

That “the two become one flesh” (Eph. 5:31) is God’s overall picture for marriage, and includes the concept of covenant. So while two people may have nothing else on their minds but the physical, there is actually a spiritual and, in essence, legal transaction taking place in their intimacy. This is commonly called a “soul tie.”

Peter Horrobin of Ellel ministries explains sexual soul ties this way, “Intercourse is the union of flesh, when the desire of the soul is completed through bodily sexual union. Through sexual union, therefore, there is both a joining of spirit and soul and a joining of bodies. After intercourse has taken place the bodies separate, but the souls are now joined together – the marriage, as such, is complete. There is then not only a union of spirit, but also a union of soul . . . There is now a soul-tie established between husband and wife through the act of sexual union. Something of the man becomes part of the woman and something of the woman becomes part of the man. It is for this reason that as the years go by, married couples can grow like each other in so many different ways.”+

But these soul ties aren’t limited to married couples. As Horrobin goes on to say, God doesn’t suspend His laws just because we break them. Ungodly soul ties form through illict sex, and can act as a channel for demonic torment. In the act of sexual sin, just as biological infections can be passed from one person to another, demons can transfer from one person to another. This was the goal of the temple prostitution in Corinth (1 Cor. 6:16).

When a teen or anyone, for that matter, comprehends sex primarily as a spiritual act, then the ramifications of acting in accordance with the culture around us drastically change. STD’s, pregnancy, and even emotional damage are only a fraction of what is at stake; ungodly soul ties that can be a source of demonization and bondage for life can also be established through one careless act.

Has this teaching been established in your life? Or is this the first you have considered that sex is foremost a spiritual union, and not a physical one? How would your own life be different in light of this?

* Stedman, Ray. Adventuring through the Bible. © 2005 Discovery House Publishers.
+ Horrobin, Peter. “Sexual sin: what it is, what it does, and the way out.” http://ellel.org/assets/dl/peter-horrobin-article-sexual-sin-part-2.pdf

Photo by Mario Orellano, “Fragility,” February 16, 2006 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution (cropped).

About Emily Tomko

Emily Tomko's radical encounter with the Lord while at a nightclub changed her life forever and inspired her first novel, College Bound: A Pursuit of Freedom. She is the author of seven books, including 31 Thoughts on Prophecy and Leaving the Shallows: igniting the faith that overcomes the world. Her tastes tend toward vintage and she's a Germanophile, having spent a year in Bremen and Nuremberg. Emily loves the scriptures and writes with fierce compassion and a deep desire to see people freed from the miry clay of this world and walking in the truth.

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12 comments

  1. Excellent article with a view seldom explored. The soul tie damage is real! Praise God for the healing in Jesus Christ.

  2. WOW! I’ve never heard of soul ties, though I’ve heard and read that the 2 become 1. It is a beautiful mystery. Loved this article.

  3. “sexual soul ties”….hmmmme…Interesting indeed… That’s a 1st for me.

  4. Very familiar with soul ties, and I’m glad this article was written. Interestingly, I was actually thinking about an article on “soul ties” so your timing was perfect. I know “soul ties” can go very deep and involve many souls. Thanks for sharing this article. I think it might be a good article to follow up on as well. Just a thought. God bless.

    • Thanks, Joel. Yes, I appreciate that input and hope to explore this idea more in depth. Certainly the impact of soul ties in our current culture is staggering – praise God there’s a way out!

  5. Loved your article, nice job bringing to light soul ties. Much more is at stake than just the physical and emotional side effects that are most talked about in the Christian community

  6. Would you like to back up this teaching with actual Biblical proof? Not just random Bible verses but actual contextual exegesis? These teachings aren’t new to me – I was involved in a ministry that taught them for years. I realised they were false doctrines when I started reading the Bible in context (not topically), and with a theological understanding of the original Hebrew words & context,

    “In the act of sexual sin, just as biological infections can be passed from one person to another, demons can transfer from one person to another. This was the goal of the temple prostitution in Corinth”

    Can you actually support this view Biblically?

    There is actually nothing in the Bible that supports 1) soul ties 2) “ungodly soul ties form through illicit sex, and can act as a channel for demonic torment.”

    Have a look at the original greek/hebrew words for sin, transgressions, iniquity, soul & spirit – you’ll see the Ellel Ministies do not use the translation/interpretation correctly. Also have a look at the doctrines of sin, grace, atonement.

    • Hi Lyn, thanks for stopping by. I’m sorry you don’t like the style of teaching, and you’re certainly free to harbor your own opinions. Blessings!

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