WALKING IN SEXUAL PURITY- Part 2
A CALL TO SEXUAL PURITY
July 14, 2015WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT AS A LEADER
July 24, 2015Passage: 1 Corinthians 6: 12-20
Flee from Sexual Immorality
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. ESV
I. WHEN CHRISTIANS LIVE IN A LIFE OF COMPROMISE
THE PROBLEM: Christian brethren had began sleeping around to the extent of even buying prostitutes.
They lived in Sensuality, the Corinthians treated sex just like any other appetite. Vs 13.
. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
It is not just like food that when you feel hungry you eat. Just because you have desired it does not mean you satisfy them.
IT FEELS GOOD; NOT EVERYTHING THAT FEELS GOD IS RIGHT.
II. HOW DO WE EXERCISE OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. ESV
Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims. MESSAGE
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. NLT
12“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. NIV
1 Corinthians 10: 23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
There is a general behavior amongst todays Christian which says now that all my sins are forgiven I can go ahead and do whatever I want, he forgave those before and those after.
Freedom is no license to sin. “I will not be dominated by anything.” Means such people are actually not free but slaves.
There are places you should not visit. There are films I should not watch. The people I cannot make my friends. There things I should not smoke or drink. If it does not glorify God, I should not do it.
GRAY AREA QUESTIONS
· Can believers marry non-believers?
· What about missionary/evangelistic dating? I am going out with him or her to change them.
2 Corinthians 6: 14-16
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17Therefore,“Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
Marriage: The only area we expect Christian to be married to non-believers are those who were found to be already married at the time of their salvation. Otherwise we discourage it.
Dating non-believers: You are not as strong as you think and the majority of the times you will be converted instead of you converting that man or woman.
· How far is too far?
CAN WE KISS, TOUCH, DO ALL OTHER THINGS BUT NOT GO ALL THE WAY?
You are not as strong as you think. You cannot keep that Ghee near fire and not expect it to melt. “vs. 18 flee from sexual immorality”
Phil 4:
· Does it honor and glorify God?
· Does it draw me closer to God?
· Does it lead other people to know, honor and love Jesus?
· Is what I do loving my neighbor, my spouse, my church and my kids? 1 Cor 10: . 24No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
IV. WHY I NEED TO MIND MY WALK?
· Compromise leads to painful consequences
“Sex outside of marriage is like a man robbing a bank: he gets something, but it is not his and he will one day pay for it. Sex within marriage can be like a person putting money into a bank: there is safety, security, and he will collect dividends
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But such a relationship can lead to other issues:
- Are you ready for a child to be born if not then do not go there.
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When STDs come are you ready to face the consequences.
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For you are a married person, your short lived pleasure can cost your a marriage. Will hurt your kids more than both of you. You will loose respect in society, it will show all of us how cheap you are. PLEASE DON’T GO THERE.
IT COMES WITH OTHER SINS.
· SEXUAL SIN IS A BIGGER SIN.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
It involves ones whole personality. Body, mind and spirit. There is physical attachment, there is emotional attachment your hearts get connected, there is spiritual attachment also.
It is a sin against God, your Family, the Community, the other person and your very self.
· I belong to Jesus Christ. I do not belong to myself.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
I am the Christ that people see. I am an ambassador. I represent the King of Kings.
1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. ESV
V. HOW TO WALK IN PURITY
Purity is not easy. Temptation is real and sin can also feel God. That is a reality. But the stakes are high we need to face the facts. I also know there are people here who have failed there is still hope but time to act is now.
1. Know Who You are. YOU ARE NOT CHEAP
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You are God’s temple
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The Spirit of God dwells in you
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You were bought with a very high price. The blood of Jesus Christ.
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You are a prince and you are a princess. YOU ARE NOT CHEAP.
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God has a great plan for your life and compromise can easily cut it short.
2. Renew Your Mind.
All of our sins are processed in our minds before they are acted out, our mind is what is called the heart.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
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First, do not allow garbage in your mind. It will corrupt you.
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Renew your mind through positive in-put.
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The word of God has the greatest power to cleanse our inner man.
3. Set up Boundaries for yourself.
Phil 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Create a set of standards for your life.
THEY ARE LIKE FENCES: “When you build a fence around your yard/ COMPOUND, ….You build it around your own yard so that you can maintain control of what happens to your own property,” THEY ARE FOR YOUR GOOD.
· FOR MARRIED PEOPLE: IT CAN BE LIKE THIS: I will not go out for lunch alone with the opposed sex unless it is my wife or husband. I will not travel for a safari alone with another man or woman when we are the only two of us. We shall always try to be three or more.
· Your spouse should know your income and together know how you spend it.
· For a single person. YOU SHOULD not bring YOUR boyfriend or girlfriend to YOUR house when it is only the two of us alone.
· We shall not indulge in intimate closeness ( touching, kissing etc) with another person who is not your spouse no matter what.
· Be accountable For marrieds and for single people. Your spouse parents or close friends should know where you are all the time and every time. You have to account for every minute of your day to someone close to you.
· Computers and Internet: Put filters on your computer to block you out of some sites on the internet. We have done that for our Network here at the Gaba Campus.
· Movies. Before you watch a movie check: is it general, PG, PG13, R-rated etc.
4. Fall in Love with Jesus.
The closer we go to God the further we get away from evil.
5. If you find yourself a vicious cycle of bondage seek help
