LIVING PURE IN A SEX-CRAZED WORLD –II

Sexual immorality is a “fruit” of our old, unregenerate nature—the sin nature we naturally possess. When we become born again by faith in Jesus, we receive a new nature—the nature of God Himself. This new nature does not produce the fruit of sexual immorality, because God does not produce sin. If we have the nature of God in us, our reborn spirit does not and cannot manufacture sin anymore. Whoever then is practicing sexual sin as a born again Christian, is doing so because he has not allowed the Word of God to change the way he thinks, and he has not completely yielded himself to the control of the Holy Spirit; he is still allowing himself to be governed and controlled by the flesh and the ungodly habits he had before he got born again.

We need to understand that we don’t just become Christ-like overnight. It takes continuous effort and a tenacious decision on our part to align our soul (the mind, will, and emotions) with the truth of God’s Word, and to cooperate with our recreated spirit who yearns to honor God, rather than our flesh. This is why Romans 6:13 admonishes us thus, “Never offer any part of your body to sin's power. No part of your body should ever be used to do any ungodly thing. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have come back from death and are now alive. Offer all the parts of your body to God. Use them to do everything that God approves of.” (GWT)

This is a daily choice that must be accompanied with decisions that line up with the Bible. To be holy means to imitate the Father in thought, word, and deed - “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;” Ephesians 5:1. When we focus on imitating the Father on a daily basis, we will begin to automatically separate from our old behaviors and ungodly habits. By focusing on what we should be doing, we will find ourselves abandoning those things that are judged by God as wrong which we are involved in.

First Thessalonians 4:3 says, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.” Sexual sin violates our body that was created to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, and should be used to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20). The Holy Spirit lives in every born-again person, when we sin sexually, we desecrate His dwelling place. When we walk in the fear of the Lord, however, we cannot commit sexual sin, as Proverbs 8:13 tells us: “All who fear the LORD will hate evil.”

Let’s also keep in mind that sexual purity is not the presence of a hymen or virginity. Sexual purity is the presence of a pure heart and an undefiled body. To Christian singles, it is avoiding all forms of sexual acts, such as heavy petting, foreplay, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, pornography, lust, sext, and of course, sexual intercourse before marriage. There is a grace available to us to be victorious in the area of sexual purity, but we must release our faith so that it can work for us. We no longer have to be in bondage to sexual sin because of the power God has given us to live above it. Constantly meditate on scriptures concerning sexual purity so that your mind can be renewed.

God’s standard of living is attainable because we have everything we need to achieve it through our relationship with Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives; I am a living witness to this truth. Provided your faith is in Christ Jesus to supply you with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to combat and mortify fleshly desires, and if you daily behold the glory of God in the face of Christ through His word; i.e., spend quality time with God in His Word daily, you can actually live sexually pure. Remember what the Scripture says in Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” And verse 9 of the same Psalm 119 says, “How can a young person stay pure? By living according to your Word”. Thus, spending time to know what God’s Word says, meditating on them and storing them up in your heart is highly imperative to living a life of purity. As a Christian, if you don’t have time to spend time in the Word, you don’t have time to be changed into what that Word says. A daily diet in the Word is what separates us from the world and their way of thinking, reasoning, speaking and behaving.

Societal norms and values have declined to accept the perversity and lies of the devil. As Christians, our success or failure in living a life of purity is based on whether we choose to walk in the Spirit (follow the counsel of God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit) or choose to conform to the image of this world’s system which leads to death. Just because something is accepted by a majority and is “politically correct” or “socially welcomed” doesn’t make it right. Little wonder Exodus 23:2 warns us thus, “Do not follow the majority when they do wrong….” The only proper standard of what is right and acceptable is the Bible; it is time to start taking it seriously.

God bless you.