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Sacred Sex
Sex isn't everything that the world makes it out to be. It's more.
This is a book about sex, for those who think about it. And if we're honest, that's everyone. Sex dominates our popular culture to a degree we've never seen before. Our world tells us that our sexuality is ours to do with as we please. Perhaps you've heard the phrase YOLO - You Only Live Once! We're meant to believe that since we only have one life, we should do whatever it is that we want with that life. But if we only have one of something, shouldn't that mean that we treat it with care and use it as it was designed to be used? God tells us that our sexuality is valuable and needs to be treated as such. The unrestricted sex of our culture is only a shortcut to personal fulfillment and, sadly, a cheapened imitation of the real thing.
Pastor Tony Evans refuses to let the voice of God be drowned out amidst the clamor of the crowd. Crafting an argument that draws on everything from the basic science of hormones to the original Hebrew language used in the Bible to describe sex, you will discover why your sexuality is so important and why misusing it can be devastating.
Whether you are single or married, discover how to enjoy true intimacy - the real fulfillment and satisfaction that God intended.
This is a book about sex, for those who think about it. And if we're honest, that's everyone. Sex dominates our popular culture to a degree we've never seen before. Our world tells us that our sexuality is ours to do with as we please. Perhaps you've heard the phrase YOLO - You Only Live Once! We're meant to believe that since we only have one life, we should do whatever it is that we want with that life. But if we only have one of something, shouldn't that mean that we treat it with care and use it as it was designed to be used? God tells us that our sexuality is valuable and needs to be treated as such. The unrestricted sex of our culture is only a shortcut to personal fulfillment and, sadly, a cheapened imitation of the real thing.
Pastor Tony Evans refuses to let the voice of God be drowned out amidst the clamor of the crowd. Crafting an argument that draws on everything from the basic science of hormones to the original Hebrew language used in the Bible to describe sex, you will discover why your sexuality is so important and why misusing it can be devastating.
Whether you are single or married, discover how to enjoy true intimacy - the real fulfillment and satisfaction that God intended.
Unknown Binding
First published April 1, 2012
15 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Tony Evans
510 books518 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Anthony Tyrone "Tony" Evans Sr. is an American evangelical pastor, speaker, author, and widely syndicated radio and television broadcaster in the United States. Between 1976 and 2024, Evans served as senior pastor at the over-9,500-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas.
Anthony Tyrone "Tony" Evans Sr. is an American evangelical pastor, speaker, author, and widely syndicated radio and television broadcaster in the United States. Between 1976 and 2024, Evans served as senior pastor at the over-9,500-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2019
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Date Read:
3.22.14
Star Rating:
3.5 Stars
Content Rating:
PG (recommended to 16 & up)
Reaction:
There were some good points made in this book about sexual purity, here are four things I liked about it:
1. I did enjoy the focus on the spiritual aspects of sex, and it did outline the emotional affects pretty well (though it would have benefited from more definition, and scientific facts to back it up-- citation, citation, citation, people...). The spiritual aspects have never been very well explained or talked about in depth with me, so it was enlightening to actually read how so.
2. Fun fact that I learned (but possibly knew in the past), was in biblical times if a husband found his new wife not to be a virgin on their wedding night and charged her for it, the family would have to provide the cloth that they slept and she bled on to prove she was and save her from the charges. Don't ask me how they got it, because I don't know.
3. I really enjoyed learning more about how the marriage covenant reflects God's covenant with us. Yeah yeah, we know sex is good within marriage, blah blah, but this book did make the connection and showed how it reflects God's covenant with us, and how when I husband and wife are together intimately, they renew-- recommit-- to that covenant with each other.
4. I liked the section that touched on when a husband says he wants to meet his wife's sexual needs, but does not meet her emotional needs throughout the day so he can later then meet her sexual needs, then he does not mean he really wants to meet those needs. He wants to meet his needs. For women, it's different; if you aren't there for her when she needs you at 10am, until you want her at 10pm, then you're fooling yourself and it's just about you. (This does not justify or give a wife reason to deprive her husband and not meet his sexual needs though.)
Unfortunately, I expected a book that was going to enlightenment me on why I needed to make sex something sacred in my life, something that explained to me how it was more than just physical pleasure or even emotional connection while backing it up with facts, and an eye-opening attempt at convincing and proving to me that this was better for my life.
Instead I was disappointed and found a book that told me what to believe, though it did use a lot of Scripture well, rather than sharing more supportive evidence.
If I am completely honest: this book feels like it is an "advanced reading copy" and still in need of work. I do not regret reading it, because in truth there are some good qualities to it, but I will be looking to read other books on the subject of "sacred sex" because I am sure there is another book out there that shares this principle better.
Critique:
Truly, what bothered me most about this book were the few times that Tony made statements and did not further back them up with research, facts, personal experiences... something other than his own word.
Here is one of the few examples from the book that bothered me deeply:
"So Paul says that to avoid immorality, what men and women must do is save themselves for marriage. The fact is that some people were so sexually active before they got married that they were running on low octane after they got married. Their passions burned too early, and now they had burned low because they did not keep what was special and sacred for the marriage bed. This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs. (page 49)"
This one in particular gets me fired up. Where is your proof? He makes a pretty sound statement, but I see nothing that truly holds up, "This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs." I cringe at that sentence. Tony opens up an entirely new topic, slapping it onto a somewhat decent paragraph to make it sound dependable, and then drops it. He never touches on the subject again throughout the book.
Did he really only want to get his two-cents in there and that's it? Back it up, please.
Secondly, this is not a very approachable book for those who are not a Christian. I understand Christians may be the target audience, but this is a huge downfall and I am very disappointed because I expected a book that was approachable. Sacred Sex is filled with Christian words that lack definition and explanation. Rather, I would prefer if Dr. Evans had taken the time to avoid those cliche, church words all together, even that would have made this book more reader friendly.
Aside from those two things, my last quarrel are a couple sections in Dr Evans book where he could have expanded upon the thought he was expressing. It's a bit harder to share an example of this, but there were times when I was reading, it was getting interesting, and then the section was over. That's it? Ran through my head a couple times.
Ultimately, I am not embarrassed to have read about sex, it's a topic that interests me. What this book lacks, however, is content. It really needed to be longer. Of course I enjoyed that it was short and easy to read, but it was too short.
Reading this review make you squirm?
Did you find it too harsh or unforgiving?
DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for posting an honest review. Thank you, Moody!
If you are interested in having a book reviewed by me, you can check out my about page and contact me here.
Or just check out this review on my blog!
Date Read:
3.22.14
Star Rating:
3.5 Stars
Content Rating:
PG (recommended to 16 & up)
Reaction:
There were some good points made in this book about sexual purity, here are four things I liked about it:
1. I did enjoy the focus on the spiritual aspects of sex, and it did outline the emotional affects pretty well (though it would have benefited from more definition, and scientific facts to back it up-- citation, citation, citation, people...). The spiritual aspects have never been very well explained or talked about in depth with me, so it was enlightening to actually read how so.
2. Fun fact that I learned (but possibly knew in the past), was in biblical times if a husband found his new wife not to be a virgin on their wedding night and charged her for it, the family would have to provide the cloth that they slept and she bled on to prove she was and save her from the charges. Don't ask me how they got it, because I don't know.
3. I really enjoyed learning more about how the marriage covenant reflects God's covenant with us. Yeah yeah, we know sex is good within marriage, blah blah, but this book did make the connection and showed how it reflects God's covenant with us, and how when I husband and wife are together intimately, they renew-- recommit-- to that covenant with each other.
4. I liked the section that touched on when a husband says he wants to meet his wife's sexual needs, but does not meet her emotional needs throughout the day so he can later then meet her sexual needs, then he does not mean he really wants to meet those needs. He wants to meet his needs. For women, it's different; if you aren't there for her when she needs you at 10am, until you want her at 10pm, then you're fooling yourself and it's just about you. (This does not justify or give a wife reason to deprive her husband and not meet his sexual needs though.)
Unfortunately, I expected a book that was going to enlightenment me on why I needed to make sex something sacred in my life, something that explained to me how it was more than just physical pleasure or even emotional connection while backing it up with facts, and an eye-opening attempt at convincing and proving to me that this was better for my life.
Instead I was disappointed and found a book that told me what to believe, though it did use a lot of Scripture well, rather than sharing more supportive evidence.
If I am completely honest: this book feels like it is an "advanced reading copy" and still in need of work. I do not regret reading it, because in truth there are some good qualities to it, but I will be looking to read other books on the subject of "sacred sex" because I am sure there is another book out there that shares this principle better.
Critique:
Truly, what bothered me most about this book were the few times that Tony made statements and did not further back them up with research, facts, personal experiences... something other than his own word.
Here is one of the few examples from the book that bothered me deeply:
"So Paul says that to avoid immorality, what men and women must do is save themselves for marriage. The fact is that some people were so sexually active before they got married that they were running on low octane after they got married. Their passions burned too early, and now they had burned low because they did not keep what was special and sacred for the marriage bed. This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs. (page 49)"
This one in particular gets me fired up. Where is your proof? He makes a pretty sound statement, but I see nothing that truly holds up, "This helps explain the high sales of Viagra and other performance-enhancing drugs." I cringe at that sentence. Tony opens up an entirely new topic, slapping it onto a somewhat decent paragraph to make it sound dependable, and then drops it. He never touches on the subject again throughout the book.
Did he really only want to get his two-cents in there and that's it? Back it up, please.
Secondly, this is not a very approachable book for those who are not a Christian. I understand Christians may be the target audience, but this is a huge downfall and I am very disappointed because I expected a book that was approachable. Sacred Sex is filled with Christian words that lack definition and explanation. Rather, I would prefer if Dr. Evans had taken the time to avoid those cliche, church words all together, even that would have made this book more reader friendly.
Aside from those two things, my last quarrel are a couple sections in Dr Evans book where he could have expanded upon the thought he was expressing. It's a bit harder to share an example of this, but there were times when I was reading, it was getting interesting, and then the section was over. That's it? Ran through my head a couple times.
Ultimately, I am not embarrassed to have read about sex, it's a topic that interests me. What this book lacks, however, is content. It really needed to be longer. Of course I enjoyed that it was short and easy to read, but it was too short.
Reading this review make you squirm?
Did you find it too harsh or unforgiving?
DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for posting an honest review. Thank you, Moody!
If you are interested in having a book reviewed by me, you can check out my about page and contact me here.
May 27, 2018
A book about sex from a biblical point of view.
January 22, 2020
Described God’s idea for sex and intimacy in a healthy way and a good introduction for someone who is looking at what the Bible really does say about sex. It’s meant as a guideline and there are many stereotypes in the book as well. Good for couples working through basic intimacy struggles but couples with deeper struggles or brokenness are not addressed and will leave the reader lacking and feeling left out.
January 10, 2026
Welcome back to the cozy corner of The Phantom Paragrapher. Grab a mug of something warm and settle in, because today we’re having a bit of a heart-to-heart.
As we kick off 2026, I’ve set a personal challenge for myself: to read at least 12 non-fiction books one for every month of the year. I wanted to start the year with something that felt foundational, and Tony Evans’ Sacred Sex was exactly the eye-opener I didn't know I needed.
Let’s be honest: sex is everywhere. It dominates our screens, our music, and our social feeds. Our culture screams "YOLO!" (You Only Live Once), suggesting that because life is short, we should do whatever feels good in the moment. But Dr. Evans flips that script beautifully. He argues that if we only haveone life and one body, shouldn't we treat them with the utmost care, using them exactly as they were designed?
Dr. Evans refuses to let the noise of the world drown out God’s intent. He crafts a fascinating argument that bridges the gap between the science of hormones and the original Hebrew language used in Scripture. It’s not just a "don't do this" book; it’s a "look at how beautiful this is" book.
This read was deeply personal for me. As someone who has only ever had sex with one person, I’ve sometimes felt like the world's perspective on intimacy was a completely different language. This book validated my journey but also expanded it.
My partner wasn’t raised in a Christian home, so we often approach these topics from different starting points. However, sharing this book with him became a bridge. It allowed me to show him that our relationship ,our commitment falls into this beautiful category of Sacred Sex. It helped us both see that sex isn't just what the world makes it out to be. It’s so much more. It’s a shortcut to fulfillment when done the world's way, but a divine masterpiece when done God’s way
Whether you’re single and preparing, or married and looking to deepen your connection, this book offers a roadmap to the true intimacy we were all created for.
"The unrestricted sex of our culture is only a shortcut to personal fulfillment and, sadly, a cheapened imitation of the real thing."
As we kick off 2026, I’ve set a personal challenge for myself: to read at least 12 non-fiction books one for every month of the year. I wanted to start the year with something that felt foundational, and Tony Evans’ Sacred Sex was exactly the eye-opener I didn't know I needed.
Let’s be honest: sex is everywhere. It dominates our screens, our music, and our social feeds. Our culture screams "YOLO!" (You Only Live Once), suggesting that because life is short, we should do whatever feels good in the moment. But Dr. Evans flips that script beautifully. He argues that if we only haveone life and one body, shouldn't we treat them with the utmost care, using them exactly as they were designed?
Dr. Evans refuses to let the noise of the world drown out God’s intent. He crafts a fascinating argument that bridges the gap between the science of hormones and the original Hebrew language used in Scripture. It’s not just a "don't do this" book; it’s a "look at how beautiful this is" book.
This read was deeply personal for me. As someone who has only ever had sex with one person, I’ve sometimes felt like the world's perspective on intimacy was a completely different language. This book validated my journey but also expanded it.
My partner wasn’t raised in a Christian home, so we often approach these topics from different starting points. However, sharing this book with him became a bridge. It allowed me to show him that our relationship ,our commitment falls into this beautiful category of Sacred Sex. It helped us both see that sex isn't just what the world makes it out to be. It’s so much more. It’s a shortcut to fulfillment when done the world's way, but a divine masterpiece when done God’s way
Whether you’re single and preparing, or married and looking to deepen your connection, this book offers a roadmap to the true intimacy we were all created for.
"The unrestricted sex of our culture is only a shortcut to personal fulfillment and, sadly, a cheapened imitation of the real thing."
December 9, 2024
El Punto de vista bíblico del sexo
Tony Evan es un autor Afroamericano que ha escrito varios libros muy pequeños sobre el matrimonio (Solo para Esposos, Solo para Esposas y el Matrimonio Sí Importa) y este sobre el sexo. Todos estos libros están centrados en lo que la Escritura dice sobre el tema. En este caso, Evans discute en este pequeño libro el diseño de Dios para el sexo. Es quizás el mejor libro que he leído sobre el tema y en menos de 100 páginas. Todo persona casada o soltera debe leerlo. Lo recomiendo.
Tony Evan es un autor Afroamericano que ha escrito varios libros muy pequeños sobre el matrimonio (Solo para Esposos, Solo para Esposas y el Matrimonio Sí Importa) y este sobre el sexo. Todos estos libros están centrados en lo que la Escritura dice sobre el tema. En este caso, Evans discute en este pequeño libro el diseño de Dios para el sexo. Es quizás el mejor libro que he leído sobre el tema y en menos de 100 páginas. Todo persona casada o soltera debe leerlo. Lo recomiendo.
October 28, 2021
A causa de un taller que daremos, tome este libreto para poder consolidar bíblicamente nuestra postura con respecto al tema, me encontré con un pastor que tiene argumentos sólidos y extra bíblicos, muy recomendado para todo aquel que piensa en Dios y tiene dudas y/o consultas con respecto al sexo
April 7, 2023
Another “hit” by Tony Evans! I have several of his book and this one didn’t disappoint AT ALL! As a single trying to get it right it definitely opened by eyes and “condemned” me (in a perfecting type of way) it’s definitely a would recommend in my book.
November 21, 2020
Heard the audio version (1 hr. 45 minutes).
January 16, 2022
It was random but alright for first timers.
January 28, 2022
Recommended by XO Minsitries as a healthy read. I loved and appreciated the perspective and scripture backing. He made a lot of concepts very simple
May 31, 2014
A small guide aimed at describing what it means to be a 21st century, sexually pure, Christian. Author Tony Evans, breaks this small work into three sections: Sex as God intended it, the value of sexual purity, and keeping sex sacred. In short, keep it in your pants and out of your mind. Ignore Hollywood and the loose immoral ideas of our society. Stay pure or you will suffer scarring emotional damage that can be forgiven, but never fixed (that especially means you women, with all your crazy emotional baggage!). This tiny guide (under 80 pages) is intended for single men and women as well married couples. As for parents, just give this book to your kids when they turn 12 and you'll never have to give "the talk." It's a win, win for everyone! That is unless you're not a virgin... then you're in big, big trouble (God is watching you, even when you masturbate. Might want to rethink that vibrator, and don't say I didn't try to warn you, this is only your soul we're talking about).
I received this book for free from Moody Publishing in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
I received this book for free from Moody Publishing in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
July 20, 2016
If you believe in Jesus Christ and you seek to honor his will....this is a GREAT BOOK to understand Sex and the purpose of keeping Sex sacred in its full entirety.
If you are a non Believer in Jesus Christ and you are curious about the book title....this is a GREAT BOOK to give your curiosity some insight and understanding to some questions you may have.
If you are a non Believer in Jesus Christ and you are curious about the book title....this is a GREAT BOOK to give your curiosity some insight and understanding to some questions you may have.
Read
August 11, 2012Gr8...informAtional and to the point.
July 26, 2018
This small book is very enlightening. Dr.Evans goes to the original Hebrew word that encompasses what sex really entails. He pellucidly demonstrates what God's intentions are for sex in our lives.
July 28, 2013
A true eye opener and life changer. I wish I'd had this knowledge 15 years ago. Would've saved me years of disrespect and pain caused myself by myself. No time like the present. True healing.
June 21, 2016
Excellent read; very helpful and insightful.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews