Saturday, February 7, 2015

February 8, 2015

"Honor God with your body." I Corinthians 6:18

Suppose you have spent much of your life as close to the edge of sexual immorality as you could until you stepped off the edge and now you are living with painful regrets.

You dishonored God with your body and you still struggle to forgive yourself and handle the guilt. 

So, now you want to make sure you never step over that line again. In fact, you are trying to back away from the edge but you are not sure how.

I will suggest three ways to stay far from the edge of sexual immorality.

First, ask right.

If you want a different result you need to ask a better question. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with it?" Paul counsels the Corinthians to ask "what honors God?".

Had you asked that question earlier in your life would you have the regrets you have now?

Second, adjust right.

Now that you are backing away from the edge, it is time to deal with your past. How?

Confront your past. Don't deny it. Don't dodge it. Don't excuse it. Face it!

Confess your past. Agree with God that you were careless and selfish and deliberately disobeyed him in a committing a sexual sin.

Claim His forgiveness. His Word promises that "if you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." Once you confess your sin claim His forgiveness.

Clean it up. Repent of your old sinful ways and begin honoring God with your body.

Commit yourself to God and find an accountability partner to help you keep your commitment.

Third, act right.

Discipline your heart, your thoughts, your habits, your eyes and your internet.

Determine ahead of time how you will avoid tempting and compromising sexual situations.

Delight yourself in your sexuality in ways that honor God! If you are married, celebrate your love and satisfy yourself and your partner as God intends!

Honor God with your body!

Discover the Biblical plan for love and marriage and sexuality and submit to it. When you do and when you honor God He will honor you with a marriage relationship you always dreamed of!

February 7, 2015

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." I Corinthians 6:18-20

Our culture has a way of luring you to the edge of immorality and then ridiculing you if you cross the line.

Next week leads up to Valentine's Day and in this week the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues will come out as well as the erotic movie, "50 Shades of Grey". Both are produced for the purpose stirring up lust.

In sharp contrast to those sensual productions, God's Word calls followers of Christ to "flee from sexual immorality". What does that mean? It means to run as fast and as far as you can away from the source of the temptation.

Seriously? How realistic is that demand?

How can we be expected to do that?

What is the wise thing for a Christ-follower to do?

Discipline yourself to stay close to God so you can stay far from the edge of immorality. Paul gives you several compelling reasons for "honoring God with your body".

First, when you give into sexual immorality you are sinning against your own body. That reference is not to just the physical body but the soul, the psyche and the spirit. Those are scars not easily healed.

Second, when you involve your body in sexual immorality you are desecrating the Holy Spirit since He dwells in you. I don't think that is something you really want to do.

Third, you are reminded that, as a Christian, your body is not your own. When you committed yourself to faith in Christ you gave Him your all. When Jesus died on the cross to redeem you from sin He purchased you body, soul, mind and spirit. You are His!

In addition to disciplining yourself, determine in advance where you will draw the line. Write a script of what you will do and what you won't do in a moment when you are not under the pressure of temptation and the fog of emotions.

Finally, decide to honor God with your body! That means if you are married you honor God when you enjoy sexual relations with your spouse. It is His gift given to you to celebrate your oneness in Him!

It also means if you are not married then you honor God by abstaining from sex and saving yourself for marriage.

So, honoring God with your body as His Word requires will take the strength and power that only He can give you through His Holy Spirit.

Don't flirt, flee!