Partakers Chapel: Sex

Moral Purity and Sex

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The world is mad for sex! It sells magazines, DVD’s and clothes. It is one of the gods of our age! Not only that but we only have to glimpse quickly at recent history to find Christian leaders who have fallen due to the sin of sexual immorality. How are we as Christian disciples to face these issues of moral purity and sex?

Firstly let me state three ways that Christians incorrectly think about sex. Firstly there is compromise with the worldly values of sex, where anything is allowed providing love is there. Second error is that the subject is sacred, and is never to be discussed publicly. Then thirdly, the idea that sex is dirty, and is to be avoided at all costs, in order to be a really super spiritual person. However as I said these are incorrect attitudes. So what does comprise a correct and considered attitude for the Christian disciple to have regarding sex?

The Bible says that sex is beautiful and is part of God's creation. At the beginning in Genesis 1 it was “all very good”. It was a beautiful gift from God for purposes of procreation; mutual enjoyment of both a man & woman, but only within the confines of a heterosexual marriage. Anybody who is anti-morality, is therefore anti-sex and subsequently anti-God.

What the Christian disciple should maintain is that sex would be better if man hadn't sinned originally. We shouldn't feel guilty if we have desires, it is natural, but we are control it before it controls you. One of the strongest human desires are for sex and intimacy, but it needs to be under control. As ever there is a tendency to abuse all good things God has given us. Anything God has made, it can be perverted. What should be love is lust and what was morality is now immorality.

One of the major problems for Christian disciples to overcome in this area is the thought life. In Matthew 5v27-28, Jesus said that lust is trying to claim for yourself, what doesn't belong to you, ie someone else's body. He goes on to say that what you shouldn’t do in the body, you should not do in the mind, for that is God's standard. Sexual desires are easily inflamed, played upon or enlarged. How can normal sexual desire be controlled?

Firstly, by not feeding anything that will inflame your old nature. Remove it all. If it is sin, it feeds the old nature. If you do, you will reap the consequences, just as you would if you stepped into a pride of lions. Anything we observe & hear will affect our old nature e.g. music, books, TV, video, pictures, magazines, posters etc. We are to feed our minds with that which is pure writes the Psalmist in Psalm 119v9, and then it will be easier to control your thought life. Thoughts come from the outside, its what you do with the thought. There is an old saying, that if you put garbage in, you will get garbage out.

What is God’s standard ,and therefore the Biblical Perspective on sex? Clearly, Scripture stipulates that sexual union is to be for the heterosexual married couple. Anything outside of that standard is abhorrence to God and therefore sin. By engaging in sexual immorality you hurt others. Unmarried Christian disciples ought not to do anything in a relationship that arouses desire. This obviously requires great sensitivity. Satan's (and the world’s) order in a relationship is body first followed by soul and then spirit. However this order is the reverse of God's order, thus leading to physical intimacy before spiritual intimacy.

God’s foundation for intimacy & security is oneness of Spirit, then oneness of Mind culminating in the oneness of body in marriage. This is the order in which we are to develop a relationship. Friendship between male and female sows the seeds to love, where a genuine relationship wants to give, not get. Love wants to give, and lust wants to get. The spiritual side is stressed, then the mind and then physical at marriage. Lastly before I close, if you are one of the many that have a problem with internet porn addiction then sign up for one of the many services that monitor your internet access and sends a log to a person of your choice. One such provider is www.covenanteyes.com and whilst there is a subscription for their services, there are free providers available.

For more to think about, please do read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Are there things from my past that I need specifically to ask God’s forgiveness for?
Are my thought processes, words and actions consistent with the biblical model for relationships?
What steps can I take in my life in order to remain sexually pure?

Thank you.