In 1964, Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986), Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God, published a book then titled God Speaks Out On The New Morality. Several years later, it was given a new title, THE MISSING DIMENSION IN SEX. Within twenty years, almost a million and a half copies of this book had been distributed, eventually reaching virtually every nation and territory of the world. It was later discontinued by Mr. Armstrong’s successors, and its vital principles lost to nearly the entire generation that followed.

With the rapid acceleration of the sexual revolution, begun in the 1960s, there has come a need to rewrite the truths revealed in Mr. Armstrong’s book from a twenty-first-century perspective. This book brings these principles and truths back to life. It also works in direct concert with, and is an important companion to, our extensive book Dating and Courtship – God’s Way.

The world is now drenched—actually more like drowning—in a deluge of sex, with much or most of it having no real meaning or right purpose connected to it. More than ever in history, all mankind is awash in every conceivable kind of sexual pleasure, fantasy, perversion and pursuit—in or out of marriage, because fewer and fewer people any longer make a distinction between the two. There has come to be no end to—and virtually no limits on—advertisements, television programs, movies, books, magazines, articles, photographs and websites for every kind of pornography and sex-related activity that the misguided creative genius of human beings could devise.

But sadly, there is a drought in right understanding of these things.

Almost none know why they were born—what is the supreme purpose for human life. Most have no idea that there even is a purpose for human existence. Philosophers are not explaining it, because they do not know what or whether there is a purpose for your life. Educators are not teaching it, because no one can teach what he himself has not been taught. Scientists do not speak to this subject, because it lies outside their field. Moralists are ignorant—and so are the theologians of all the world’s supposed “great religions.”

But this ignorance has been no more evident than in the misunderstood and largely unknown purpose of sex. Believing himself to be merely the highest of the animals in an evolutionary chain, man has remained in the dark, completely unable to see a reason for sex, or why human beings exist as men and women. Yet, there is an awesome purpose for humanity collectively—and you personally—and, when fully understood, it is inseparable from the purposes of sex.

The nations of the world possess a vast sum of knowledge, and this fund of knowledge increases every day, but they are ignorant of the right kind of knowledge—spiritually revealed knowledge. This is because the modern system of education is morally and spiritually bankrupt! Deluded educators have been biased against God and His Word by having had the atheistic teaching of evolution funneled into their minds from childhood. They have taught young people for decades that there are “no absolutes” and that they must follow “situation ethics” in all circumstances. These young people have grown up into now several generations from which the world’s leaders have come.

These educators have led the world into a kind of secular humanism—where people are driven by how they feel rather than clear definitions of right and wrong! This has led to a level of immorality and kinds of perversion perhaps never before seen in history. But there is right and wrong in life—and the educators of this world have cut themselves off from this knowledge (Isa. 59:1-2). They cannot teach what they were never taught. And neither could their parents who were also indoctrinated in the same false thinking!

Also, this world’s churches have kept humanity steeped in traditional pagan philosophies and teachings that have deceived the world for millennia. All the world’s religions have ignored the great spiritual principle of cause and effect that governs every aspect of life. They have all neglected to teach true spiritual values—and that there is a vital, inspired Instruction Book from Almighty God that contains special knowledge. It explains that there is a great spiritual law that, when obeyed, brings all the good things that every human being seeks. Confused by the conflicting influence of blinded religious leaders and deceived educators, the masses have been permitted to put the pursuit of sex for pleasure as at or near the pinnacle of all human goals.

The results have been terrible—the fruits absolutely devastating and most tragic in a host of awful consequences almost too many to enumerate.

“Authorities” Do Not Know!

We live in an age when everyone is an “expert.” Newspapers, magazines, television and radio programs are filled with people giving their opinions—about everything! Every problem, issue or important current event confronting society now seems to command the view of journalists, scientists, psychologists, educators and every conceivable kind of self-styled or self-appointed “authority” on the subject. Invariably, they disagree with each other—and few even remotely consider what God thinks. Though many are questioning marriage, only God can reveal its purpose. There is certainly nothing wrong with questioning marriage. In fact, everyone should ask the questions that the “authorities” ask, but cannot answer. These “authorities” do not even understand what you have read so far in this Introduction. Again, this is because they look to evolution as the origin of the human race!

Yet, if human beings are products of evolution, how and when did the tradition of marriage begin? Since evolution teaches that human beings are the highest form of “animal,” we must ask, if this were true, when did pre-humans or near-humans or almost-humans begin to marry? And how did the two sexes come to be? It is ludicrous to think that this could have happened slowly, over millions of years. How did offspring survive until the amazing mechanisms of sex could be perfected—and in no less than millions of species of animals as well? Evolutionists cannot answer these questions. Returning to marriage, at best, they can merely suppose that man (not God), at some point in the distant past, devised the idea to “get married.” Naturally, they could not, therefore, see any attached purposes or reasons for sex other than producing offspring.

Many professing “Christians” claim to follow the Bible, while believing the theory of evolution. However, most never think through and examine their beliefs. Consider. While saying that they believe in a Creator, they reject the Genesis account as literal. This forces them to draw the same conclusion as evolutionists about the how and when of marriage. They cannot see that “God created” human beings “male and female” (1:27).

Also recognize that it has been traditional Christianity that has taught that celibacy—remaining unmarried—is a “higher” state of existence. This supposes that marriage, and of course sex within marriage, is purely for the purpose of procreation—having children and propagating the human race. This presents a problem.

Consider again. All mammals reproduce in exactly the same way. This is a fact of nature. Yet none of them marry. And human beings and animals are also different in practically every other way. Now, if having children is the only purpose for marriage—or sex—then why should human beings marry? If they are merely the highest of the animals and, once again, sex and marriage have no other purpose but procreation, then marriage is a waste of time.

Do you see the point? Understanding the purposes of sex “connects the dots” to marriage, and then on to the purposes of marriage itself. Of course, then, the purposes and right use of sex, and that it only belongs in marriage, must be divinely revealed.

Take the point further—and consider this. If celibacy is the highest form of human existence, and sex is only for procreation, it would seem to be much better for unmarried people to only come together for sex and procreation, before returning to celibacy. Remember, most professing Christians are also taught that any birth control is wrong! This belief derives from the “sex is dirty and only for procreation” idea.

Do you see the logic? If traditional religion is correct, and sex is only for procreation—and if celibacy is a higher state of being—then marriage has absolutely no value. And make no mistake, there is plenty of reproduction taking place without marriage (now one in three, just in America). Understanding the God-ordained purposes of sex eliminates much ignorance and confusion about marriage.

Traditional Christianity—completely deceived on nearly every biblical point—has utterly failed its followers—and the world—by teaching the fallacies we have just described. Sadly, when it comes to sex, marriage and celibacy, most believe the falsehoods of deceived men who claim to be God’s representatives, but who know little or nothing of His true teachings.

Is God the Authority?

The Bible is written by One professing to be God. This “One” leaves no doubt as to His authority and power, and that He created everything: “I am the Eternal, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me...Thus says the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command you Me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isa. 45:5, 11-12).

This statement is not ambiguous. If we are to accept the Bible, God establishes Himself as the One who has authority to answer life’s biggest questions!

In the same passage, God continues to establish Himself as the Author of the Genesis 1 creation account: “For thus says the Eternal that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it...I am the Eternal; and there is none else...who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the Eternal? And there is no God else beside Me...I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow...” (vs. 18-23).

These are very strong words. They are either true or false—they cannot be both. You need to know which, because all who are unwilling to investigate—to even consider—what God says will one day be required to “bow the knee” before the God they rejected (Phil. 2:10). Since sex is such a big part of the human experience and existence—and even the very centerpiece of so many lives today—the God of the Bible would have much to say about its use and purposes, and whether it is for exclusive use in marriage.

It is possible to prove both that God exists and that the Bible is His Word. (You may read our booklet Bible Authority...Can It Be Proven? to prove that the One who speaks from the pages of the Bible has authority—and that the Bible is, in fact, God’s Word. Prophecy is only one of the proofs of the Bible’s divine inspiration that this booklet discusses. Also, our carefully prepared booklets Evolution – Facts, Fallacies and Implications and Does God Exist? prove the folly of evolution.)

Great Purpose Revealed!

Evolutionists are stymied—and trapped!—within the boundaries of their theory. They see no greater reason for the birth of a human than of a puppy or a giraffe. If, as they assert, human beings are merely the highest of animals, and products of blind, dumb evolution, it is impossible for them to simultaneously believe in an over-arching or transcendent, God-ordained purpose for human life. The two positions are opposites. No one can honestly accept both!

Though often of exceptional intelligence, the evolutionist’s dependence on human reasoning, accompanied by rejection of revealed knowledge, leaves him utterly incapable of knowing God’s awesome purpose for humanity. Men have literally shut themselves out of true understanding! They do not know—they simply do not and cannot know the purpose of sex.

This volume is written to those who will consider what God reveals, not to the unwilling. God reveals that marriage and sex have an awesome purpose completely beyond the bounds of human imagination. After hearing God’s explanation, you be the judge of whether it makes more sense than that which is offered by evolutionists and traditional Christianity.

Remember, if you will not accept God’s revealed Word, you are left with no choice but to be ignorant of how and when marriage began, and the purposes of sex within it. You must accept that marriage is either a human invention on the road of evolution, or for no purpose other than procreation because celibacy is a “higher calling.” These are your only options! The marvelous answers, available here, to the great questions of marriage and sex remain shrouded in mystery.

True Values

The world has been devoid of right values—true values, which would have brought it to enjoy every wonderful and good thing that a loving God could give to His creation. God is a parent. And like human parents with their children, He has wanted His children to enjoy all the good things that He could provide for them.

The problem is that God’s children have ingested false values, having wandered out of the house and into the neighborhood where they absorbed the thinking of different “parents.” For generations, humanity has sought the wrong goals, with the wrong purposes in mind. Even though it has reaped a host of wrong results, and pain of every imaginable sort, it has not sought to examine the foundation upon which it stands—wrong values.

Just a short time ago, none could have dreamed that so many today would be choosing a variety of “alternative lifestyles,” and that many centuries of basic marriage values and customs would be under attack—challenged, lampooned and ridiculed as out-of-date. With many abandoning the once-sacred institution of marriage, and the wholesale loss of traditional values, many are left confused, not knowing where to turn for answers.

Why is all of this happening?

The Bible is filled with true doctrines. Each has a counterpart—counterfeit or substitute—that has been accepted by the world at large. These include the gospel, the nature of salvation, punishment in the afterlife, which day of the week Christians should keep holy, observance of men’s holidays or God’s Holy Days, and many others. Each requires one to not only learn the truth of the doctrine or teaching being studied, but to also unlearn the common, popular errors taught about it.

It is the same with sex. Recognize that you have been trained—actually conditioned—in wrong knowledge and values. Not only do you need to learn the truth of when and why sex, but you have to be prepared to unlearn all of the error that has been pumped into you. You must be reconditioned to the truth about sex. As you would with any other teaching, this means that you must be prepared to wash your mind from all assumptions and error.

Mr. Armstrong’s book contained explicit drawings and diagrams. This one does not. This is because it is posted on the Internet and therefore it becomes available to those under 18 years of age. In addition, there are more relatively detailed manuals now available than ever before, greatly reducing the need for such illustrations.

A couple of points to consider before continuing. The reader may be familiar with the fact that The Restored Church of God has prepared a number of books, booklets and brochures that speak to the many different aspects of marriage, sex, the family, childrearing, dating and courtship and other related topics. (If not, it is hoped that you will take the time to explore all that we offer.) There are some few paragraphs that are basically repeated between books for help in a different context. These brief overlaps are important to what is being covered. (Also remember that this volume is a companion to our book Dating and Courtship – God’s Way, and each is incomplete without the other.)