“For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes . . . . “ – Romans 1:16a
“And such were some of you” – 1
Corinthians 6:11
Sexual sins
such a pornography, fornication (any and all sexual interaction outside of
marriage), adultery, homosexuality/lesbianism, bestiality, are rampant in our
day. So deep is our world in such sins that governments both national (e.g. the
United States) and international (e.g. United Nations) are actually passing
legislation to legalize and protect those who indulge in such sin. Laws are
being passed to justify those who indulge such sins and prevent people from
discriminating against them. It is socially anathema to speak against those
living immoral lifestyles. And standing for holiness and speaking against
such immorality is becoming more and more of a "criminal" offense.
Our world is twisted. These are days when evil is called good and good is
called evil (Isaiah 5:20). But there is a greater truth. There is a higher
reality.
The acceptance
of immorality as "good" in our world today is bad enough, but the
greater tragedy is that the world refuses to see the addictive nature of
immorality. Immoral thoughts and actions release chemically addictive elements
in the human body. The images of immorality scar human memory. And the end
result is slavery to the sins of immorality. Sexual sin affects every aspect of
people; body, mind, and spirit. Sexual immorality is one of the greatest
addictive enslavements in our day. But there is a way to be freed. There is a
way out. You can make an exodus.
Sexual sin
perverts our view of humanity reducing people to objects not people
created in the image of God. It literally dehumanizes people. Sexual
sin ruins marriages and families. It is frequently instrument of
unfaithfulness and covenant breaking. It bankrupts people financially. People
lose homes, jobs, everything to feed their sexual appetites. All of this is an
allurement of a spirit of hedonistic "pleasure." That
"pleasure," is far from God's definition of pleasure. Sexual sin
leads to the putrification of the person. But there is a way to be purified.
This is a
longer than usual study. It’s longer because it deals with one of the most egregious,
debilitating, prevalent and widespread plagues of sin in our day; sexual
immorality. I hope you can prayerfully take the time to go through this study. I
pray the Spirit use it in your life if you are caught in the web of sexual sin.
I pray the Spirit helps you to use it in other people’s lives who may be caught
up in sexual sin. But I pray God uses this teaching to bring a revival of setting
captives free. God’s word is, after all, described as “the law of liberty”
(James 1:25; 2:12).
In Paul’s
inspired letter to the Romans he connects sexual immorality to the downward
spiral of humanity into to ever deepening sin. Romans chapter one gives great
insight into the nature, cause, and solution regarding sexual sin. Here is the
arrow that can bring down the beast of sexual immorality that has stampeded the
land.
In the opening
lines of Paul’s letter to the Romans he says, “I am a debtor” regarding the
sharing of the gospel (1:14). Paul felt the good news of the gospel of God’s
grace and salvation was so incredibly wonderful that it would be criminal to not
share it. The powerful gracious love of Christ that he experienced compelled
him to share the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:14 -15;
Romans 5:5). Why did he feel this way?
Sin is
mercilessly captivating and enslaving no matter the form it takes. It chokes
the life out of the sinner. Sin works a slow death in people. Sin can work a
swift death in people too. But sin always kills, murders, and destroys. Sin
wrecks lives. Sin leaves spent bodies and broken promises in its wake.
Deviating outside the parameters of God’s truth into sin always carries with it
cancerous consequences. But there is a cure. There is a gracious cure from God
that is good news for the person bending and near breaking under the weight of
sin. The word “gospel” means good news. And
the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest of good news. The gospel sets
sin-captives free and that liberation by God of the sinner is what Paul was
indebted to pass on to all slaves of sin.
What was it
that so impressed and moved the apostle Paul and caused him to feel indebted to
write this epistle and share the gospel? There are four reasons stated by Paul
in Romans for his feeling this way and they are immensely pertinent to anyone
caught in a lifestyle of sexual sin.
First Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16a). Paul would not shrink back
in shame because some did not receive the gospel or God’s truth. He was not
inhibited by peer pressure or public denunciations from his enemies. He cared
more about serving God and Christ’s opinions than the opinions and opposition
of people. The philosophy of the world is often presented as one of
“tolerance.” But that tolerance is selective in that only those views that do
not challenge the comfort of those living in sin are tolerated. You have to go
with the flow of the status quo to be tolerated in the world today. Go against
that flow and you will be labeled and libeled and discriminated against in the
most intolerable ways. You will be persecuted. In some parts of the world to
point out a lifestyle or act as sin leads to a fine or prison time. That day is near if not already here in
America. Just as Paul stood and courageously proclaimed in love the truth of
God, no matter what, so should we (1 Corinthians 4; Ephesians 4:15 )
Second Paul says, “For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone”
(Romans 1:16b). The good news is that
the gospel of Christ is God’s powerful tool to save people from their sins. The
gospel empowers people to live righteous lives. That is what makes the gospel
worth sharing. We are saved from the death sentence of sin through the free
gift of eternal life received by faith in Christ (Romans 6:23 ). The gospel introduces us to a grace
that helps us overcome sinful lifestyles. It breaks the chains of sinful habits
that on our own we cannot overcome (Romans 5:20; 6:4, 14,22; 7:24-25; 8:1-4,
37; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The grace of God is able to set the sin-slave free.
That’s a great reason to share the gospel.
Third Paul says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith” (Romans 1:17 ). The gospel of God is received
by faith and lived by faith. “Righteousness” (Greek dikaioisune) refers to the
character or quality of being right or just. Righteousness was formerly
spelled “rightwiseness.” Righteousness refers to the right way things are to be done.
Righteousness
is determined by God’s word. When
“righteousness” is used to refer to an attribute of God it is equated with
God’s faithfulness or truthfulness (Romans 3:25-26). God is “righteous” in that
He is faithful and consistent to keep His word. God keeps His promises. When we talk about the righteousness of God,
we mean the highest, most holy, just and good standard of what is right. Since
God is the highest and holiest of all, so is His righteous standard of
governing the universe.
Part of the
good news of the gospel is the bad news of sin. Unless a person realizes the
bad news of their sinful state, the good news of God’s gospel will not be worth
much to them. In the words of the ancient church father Jerome, “You cannot understand the antidote until
you first understand the poison.”
Sin is the
poison we need to identify before the antidote of the gospel can be
administered. It is the law of God that is meant to expose the poison of sin in
life. Paul wrote: “But we know that the law is good if one uses it
lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous
person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly
and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers
and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other
thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the
glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Tim.
1:8-11). Two sexual sins exposed by the law here are “fornicators” and
“sodomites.” Let’s look at these two
areas of sin.
The law of God
states that sex outside of marriage is sinful. Sexual activity outside of the
marriage relationship is called “fornication.” When we think of fornication we
may limit our understanding to a sinful act.
But the holy standard of Jesus, the one all people will be accountable to,
is something that begins in the mind. Sin begins in our thoughts. Jesus
elevated sexual sin or “lust” to our thought life; our fantasies. He said, “You have heard that it was said to
those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’28 But I say to
you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28).
Sexual
fantasies are not harmless; they are sinful. Pornography, which preys on the “pleasures” of the mind, is not
harmless. It pollutes our thoughts. It crowds out the pure thoughts God would
have us meditate on (Phil. 4:8-9). We are called to be renewed in our minds
(Eph. 4:23). Those caught up in impure sexual fantasizing need to have the
gospel applied to their minds. God is able to renew and purify our thoughts.
Jesus is able to cleanse and scrub your mind clean of the filth. He does this
with the cleansing power of His word (cf. Eph. 5:26).
The word
“sodomites” refers to homosexual behavior. Homosexuality is included under the umbrella
of sexual sin. God is very clear when He states in His word, “You shall not lie
with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22; See also Romans 1:18-32).
Proponents of
homosexuality try to explain away the Biblical mandates against same sex
relations. They try to dismiss God’s prohibitions based on many of the
statements being in the Old Testament. But they cannot refute the underlying
principles found in the Old Testament. In Leviticus and Deuteronomy when God
provides His people with His Law He does so in part to prepare His people to
stay away from unhealthy and unholy practices of pagan inhabitants that His
people would encounter in the Promised Land of Canaan. The Canaanites did
practice homosexuality. They did practice incest, bestiality, self -mutilation,
human sacrifice and a host of other sinful behaviors. The Canaanites were
examples of what humanity degenerates into when people live without the one
true God. These sinful practices were abominable to the Almighty Holy God. And
so God called His children to be
holy, to live holy, to remain separate from the sinful practices of the pagans
in the Promised Land.
Unfortunately
as people in our day have moved further and further from God and His word they
are indulging the very same sinful practices God warned His people of leading
up to their conquest of Canaan. Humanity is not evolving into higher levels of
living. Humanity is degenerating into lower levels of sin that threaten to
surpass sinful civilizations of the past. We have a winner! But this race is
not a good race. It is a race over a cliff.
God cannot
simply overlook or dismiss sin. If He did that He would tarnish and contradict
His righteousness and justice. God’s righteousness and faithfulness to His word
holds the universe in order. Pagan gods are capricious. Pagan man-made gods are
not faithful to their word. But the God of the Bible is righteous and true. You
can depend on God and His word. That is a source of great security and comfort.
The order of
the universe is based on God’s standard of justice. Murderers will not go
unpunished, nor will the greedy, the covetous or the sexually immoral. These
are, in the truest sense, crimes against humanity. Sin causes pain and
suffering. Sinful people are deceived
into thinking their sin is harmless. The Holy Spirit knows better. And the
school of hard knocks often teaches the sinner there is a consequence to sin.
It’s true, “what a man sows, that he will reap” (Gal. 6:7-9).
All sin will be
recompensed justly. It would be criminal to allow a murderer to go free
unpunished. There is a penalty for those who cause pain to others. And there is
even a penalty for those who pain themselves. We all belong to God. God created
us. We have no right to harm ourselves or others. God’s oversight of the
universe does not allow for unpunished criminals so that there is order and
deterrence.
There is a
penalty, a “wage” for sin that God’s righteousness has set forth. That wage is
“death” (Romans 3:23 ; 6:23 ; Jeremiah 2:19 ). All those who sin are deserving of
death according to God’s standard. But God is rich in mercy. God doesn’t give
up on sinners. God loves those He has created. And because God loves us He is
posed with a dilemma. How can, how
does, a righteous God reconcile sinful humanity to Himself and still maintain
His righteousness, His justice? The answer to that question is found in Christ.
By God’s grace through faith in Jesus, we can be made righteous before Holy God
(2 Corinthians 5:21 ). God demonstrates His own love in sending
Jesus to pay the sin debt penalty He did not owe, for sinners who owed a debt
penalty they could not pay (Rom. 5:8).
Fourth Paul says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness unrighteousness” (Romans
1:18 ). God
provides a plan of salvation. He does so while remaining just. And it is that
justice which requires recompense. In His holy justice God administers a penalty
that fits the crime. Because God is just He cannot, He will not, He does not
simply dismiss sinful offenders. Those who refuse to receive the loving,
gracious, just and costly gospel of Christ by faith, the wrath of God is
revealed and coming against them.
God has
appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31 ). There will be no plea
bargaining on that day. Saying you are sorry will not be enough to gain a
dismissal of the charges against you. The sinner should feel sorry for your
sin. We don’t do God a favor by being sorry for offending Him. God is holy and
just and His judgment will be fair. But He will fulfill His nature as Holy
Judge. His judgment will be just and proper. For those who rebel and persist in
denying God’s word and law and live on in sin, it will be a frightening
Judgment Day. Rebellious sinners will come before God on judgment day and do so
standing alone. They will come before the Almighty in their own strength
without Jesus as their Advocate. It will be a time of great fear and doom
(Hebrews 10:26-31). This is why those
who do know Jesus as Savior and have received the gospel and truth of God’s
word have an urgency to share the gospel with sinners. Those given spiritual
life in Christ want others to be saved from sin and receive eternal life too.
The alternative is too terrible even for the worst of enemies.
While we would
rather preach and teach about the love of God, the wrath of God is part of
God’s character and gospel truth. The holy justice of God results in the wrath
of God on sinful injustices. Without God’s wrath on sin, God would cease to be
holy and loving. A God who condones or casts a blind eye on sin is neither
loving to the victims or just and powerful to maintain His law. This is reality.
God is not who we say He is or think
He is. God is who He has revealed
Himself to be. And He has revealed who He is in His word. That is our only
reliable source of information. If we go to the word of God it will lead us
away from our sexual sin.
We are called to Sexual Purity. Sexual purity is God’s will for
all people as Paul was inspired to write: “For this is the will of God, your
sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of
you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not
in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should
take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is
the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in
holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God,
who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 4:3-8).
Everyone, especially the Christian, is called to “walk to please God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1) The Christian is held
to a higher standard. A Christian cannot simply follow the secular standard or what
the world says is right or wrong. A Christian is called to “the will of God,
your sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). “Sanctification” (Greek hagiasmos) refers
to holiness, dedication to the Lord,
dedication to moral purity (Romans 6:19 ,
22; 1Corinthians 1:30 ;
1Thessalonians 4:3, 4, 7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ; 1 Timothy 2:15 ;
Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:2f.).
Paul points to
a particular area where the Christian is to be sanctified. That area is sexual
purity. Looking at this passage we can define such dedication to God and moral
purity in the following ways. Sanctified and acceptable behavior to God consists
of:
- Each person should know how to control their body in a way that dedicates it to the Lord and is honorable and honoring to the Lord – 4:4
- Passionate lust is unacceptable because it is the way of those who do not know God. Passion for the Lord and passion to live within the parameters of God’s word is holy. But lustful fleshly selfish passions are sinful – 4:5
- We should not allow ourselves to be manipulated into sexually compromising situations. We should not manipulate others into compromising sexual situations – 4:6
- Remember, God called us to be pure and separate, not unclean and polluted by the world. We should guard against adopting worldly standards that compromise by way of rationalizing so that we unnecessarily put ourselves in tempting sexual situations – 4:7.
- Those who reject God’s call to sanctification and sexual purity are rejecting God’s best for them. They are rejecting God and the Holy Spirit who guides and convicts us in such matters – 4:8.
In light of
these words what should we do? We should guard against putting ourselves in
compromising situations and take every precaution to fulfill God’s call to walk
a holy and pure life, especially in the area of sexuality.
Some are Loophole Christians. God has promised to not allow us
to be tempted beyond what we are able. He has promised to make a way of escape
so that we can refrain from sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). That path to purity is
not to presume on the grace of God (Romans 6:1ff). We are not free to sin, but free
not to sin. We should not be looking for loopholes to justify our
indulgence in sin. We should not have an attitude that seeks to go as far as we
can while still rationalizing our “holiness” before the Lord. Such an attitude
is evidence that one has already begun the descent down the slippery slope of
sin. We need to take every precaution, make every effort, and refrain from
every questionable action that threatens God’s call to holiness (Ephesians
5:1-3).
Practically
this means we need to put aside the attitude that says, “Others are doing it,
why can’t I? God will understand.” This is the sin of presumption. Presumption
is assuming immunity or God’s approval when it is not there. We need to put the
sin of presumption far from us. We need to take the lead in purity not follow
the flow of impurity. Any dead fish can float down stream. It takes a live fish
to swim against the current.
The only place
sexual contact of any kind is holy and permissible is in the marriage
relationship (between one man and one woman), nowhere else (Hebrews 13:4).
Dating, engagement nor any other state outside of marriage is acceptable for
sexual contact. It is a gigantic mistake to disregard the cautions of God and His word
in this area.
Protect Your Honor. Each person must “know how to possess his own vessel in
sanctification and honor.” The word “know” (Greek ŏikĕiŏs) is a word that speaks about our dwelling, our home. We are to “know” our bodies just like we
know our home. Another word closely associated with this is “edification” (Greek
ŏikŏs). It is a construction term
that means to build up. The point made here is that each person is
responsible to know how to handle their own body. You have to know how to
handle yourself. Know your weaknesses and avoid situations that you are most
susceptible to be defeated in. And you need to know what you need to be built
up spiritually. You need to know how to handle yourself so that you will be
sanctified or prepared and available for
God to use. This is our responsibility. The Holy Spirit will empower us to
live sanctified lives. But we have a part to play here too. We need to live
reverently so God can work righteously in us (Phil. 2:12-13).
The word “honor” (Greek time, pronounced tee-may´) means a value, valuables, of
the highest degree, or the dignity
itself . . . honour, precious, price, some. Your body and its purity are precious and you
should take every precaution to protect yourself from doing anything that would
lessen its value and preciousness. Christian your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Therefore live in a way that would not embarrass the Holy Spirit who
resides in you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
What is Sexual Immorality? What is “sexual immorality”? “Sexual immorality” is translated from
the Greek term porneia refers to “harlotry (including adultery and incest)
idolatry . . . fornication.” [1] During the years of President Clinton’s time
in office and the Monica Lewinsky scandal he justified his interaction with Ms.
Lewinsky by interpreting “sex” as only intercourse and therefore he reasoned
the alternative sexual interaction he indulged in with this young woman was
allowable. Many youth today justify their sexual activities similarly. The
Bible makes no such distinctions. Sexual immorality/fornication is any sexually
related contact or interaction between unmarried people or between married
people with those they are not married to. Sexual immorality/fornication is any
activity that arouses passions and lusts in those outside the holy marriage
relationship. Sexual immorality is closely connected to idolatry because a
person who is willing to disregard God’s commands concerning sexual interaction
has made an idol, a god, of sex.
God promises to make a way to escape so we can overcome the common
temptations that come our way due to our natural desires. The desire for sexual
activity is from God and is good. As long as sexual desire is used according to
His plan and will in marriage, it is holy. When God given sexual desires are
provoked prematurely, purity is pummeled.
Wisdom is the ability to apply practically to life the revealed truth
of God from His word. In Proverbs it states, “Can a man take fire to his bosom,
and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be
burned?” (Proverbs 6:27-28). The
context for this verse is a proverbial warning against the deception and danger
of being drawn into sexual sin by a temptress, a harlot. But there is a broader
application here. A modern day translation would be “If you play with fire,
you’ll get burned.” The natural sexual desires that God has built into the
human being to be used in marriage can be inflamed into an inappropriate
burning lust that burns up our purity. And it doesn’t take much. A seductive
look, a seemingly innocent touch, a caress, a song, a picture, an image on the
screen, words, all of these can provoke passions that are sinfully lustful and
need to be avoided. This is true for both males and females.
God loves us and He has given us sex as a wonderful gift. But He has
also prescribed certain boundaries for sexual activity, marriage (between one
man and one woman). Don’t have the attitude of, “I can handle it.” You can’t! That
is presumptuous. That is pride. God opposes the proud. He gives grace to the
humble (1 Peter 5:5). Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Don’t
play with fire. God loves you so much and there’s a reason why He warns you of
the dangers of playing with the fire of sexual passions. He wants to keep you
from getting burned. He wants to spare you and others pain.
Sexual desires were meant by God to be fulfilled with one person (of
the opposite sex) to whom you have entered into a holy matrimonial life
relationship of love and commitment. Your sexual purity is a precious gift to
give to the one with whom God has ordained you spend the rest of your life.
Unfortunately many cast that precious gift of virginity aside prematurely with
those they thought they would spend
their lives with. Sadly people spend that preciously valuable virginity on the
wrong people. They waste that precious treasure on people God has not ordained
for them. There is no room for slipups with your sexual purity. If you
relinquish it, it cannot be regained. You can be forgiven by God if you indulge
this sin. But that precious gift God gave you to share with the one human you
love supremely will have been lost forever. Don’t take the chance. Submit to
God and the words of the Holy Spirit. Wait for the right person. Wait until you
are married in the sight of God. You won’t regret it.
Self -Worship and Homosexuality. In Romans Paul continues, “who
exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:25). Paul speaks of an unholy
exchange. The word “exchanged” is found
in Romans 1:23 , 25, and 26
(also translated “change”). This word is translated from the Greek term metalasso and means, to exchange, change, alter, and substitute;
to exchange by leaving. Those
Paul is referring to here do not merely turn away from God’s truth; they
replace it with a “truth” of their own making. But this alternative “truth” is
really a “lie.” People leave God’s truth and replace it with a
“truth” that they feel comfortable with. They avoid God’s truth because it
shines a light on their sinful behavior. Rather than repent and turn from their
sin, they make up their own standard to live by. And their standard approves
their sin. Any alternative to God’s truth is a lie!
Paul is speaks of a specific lie as indicated by the article “the.”
What is “the lie”? The lie is the
belief that man does not need God. This is based on Satan’s temptation to
believe that man can become God. Satan wants people to believe they can rule
their own life and destiny. Satan in the form of a serpent deceived Eve
with the words, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Satan’s
personal sin was to try to exalt himself above Almighty God (cf. Isaiah
14:12-15). This lie is at the root of all sin. The lie is rooted in sinful
pride and a lust for self-sovereignty. It’s a lust to sin and serve self
regardless how it affects others. This is at the cancerous root of all sexual
sin.
“The lie” says, “I don’t need God; God does not exist; God is
not a factor; what matters most is ME.”
The lie says, “I don’t need God,” and will try to kill God or remove
God from consideration in order to accomplish the goal of self-rule. The wrath
of God is on these sinners for substituting their “truth” in place of God’s
truth. And this continues today. We see it in people who say, “God accepts me for who I am.
He created me as a homosexual. Therefore to be a homosexual is okay.” This is a
perfect example of not only misrepresenting God, but also trying to insert a
falsehood in place of His truth.
In order to attain the goal of self-rule the sinner will try to explain
away God and His word. This is attempted in a number of ways. Here Paul points
to the elevation of the creature to
godhood, idols made in the image of the creature. Idolatry is foolish (Psalm
115; Isaiah 44:9-20). God is justified
in giving such idolatrous self-worshipers up to their own rebellious
preferences.
There are Vile
Passions. Paul speaks of the
consequence of departing from God saying, “For this reason God gave them up to
vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is
against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful,
and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” (Romans 1:26-27).
Paul says, “For this reason.” What reason? Because they refused to
receive God’s revelation truth of Himself (Romans 1:19 -24). They rejected God and not only
rejected Him but twisted His truth with their own warped view of reality. And
because of this, “God gave them up to vile passions.” God allows people to not
choose to worship and thank Him. Here we see the downward spiral of
sin. “Vile passions,” are the natural consequence of rejecting God. Look around
you, what do you see in our post-Christian world? We see a host of vile
passions. When you reject God you enter into a warped view of existence. That
warped view leads you into all sorts of contorted, mangled, mixed up, hell bent
ways of seeing the world around you. Remove God and expect an anything goes world. That’s
exactly what we see today. Same-sex marriage, polygamy, transient open
marriage, are in vogue now. Is there any doubt that bestiality will be a future
trend?
Paul speaks of “For
even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, . . . ” When a person rejects
God their sin leads them to abuse nature and do things that are actually
opposed to nature. One function of sex is procreation. Homosexual and lesbian
sexual activity is unnatural. Such interaction contradicts and goes against
nature disregarding the procreative purpose of sex. Homosexuality and lesbianism
are a perversion of natural human
desires.
Turning from God and His revelation leads to idolatry and the height of
idolatry is worship of self. Homosexuality
and lesbianism are self-worship as people worship their own gender image in
other people; women with women and men with men.
Then Paul says of
these people that they, “burned in their lust for one another, men with men
committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their
error which was due.” This is the only occurrence of this particular word for “burned”
here in the New Testament. The word “burned” is translated from the Greek term ekkaio and means burned out; consumed; inflame deeply; or set ablaze. The idea here is that so deep is their
lustful burning for one another that they actually burn out and are consumed by
their lustful pursuits. This may allude to physical consequences
(e.g. disease), emotional consequences, and certainly spiritual consequences.
Sexually transmitted diseases are a big problem and a source of much pain and
suffering for those indulging in immoral sexual behavior.
God created sex. Sex is not sinful. God created
sex (i.e. “one flesh” - Genesis 2:23 -25).
Sex only becomes sinful when it is misused outside of God’s ordained
parameters. When sex is misused in ways God never intended it has the opposite
effect of God’s intended purpose. God intended sex to bring two people together
as one in a very wonderful way. When two people enter into sexual activity
outside of marriage a uniting takes place out of sync with the process God laid
out as right and proper.
Sex unites. Paul warned against adultery and
sex outside of marriage because there is a uniting that occurs between the two
parties involved. Paul was inspired to write, “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 harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to
a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall
become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he
who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,
whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:15-20).
Sex is a beautiful part of God’s creation. Sexuality outside of the
marriage covenant makes unholy connections. It is Satan’s strategy to take what
God meant for beauty and loving expression between two people and turn it into
something dirty and shameful. That is what the downward spiral of sin does.
When I was a boy I enjoyed building models. But as a young boy I was
impatient and didn’t always read the instructions or follow directions.
Nowadays you can buy models that are already painted. But in my day you had to
paint the models and then assemble them. As I would put the models together I’d
sometimes get impatient. The instructions called for me to paint certain parts
in certain areas, let them dry, and then glue them together. Inevitably
my impatience would get the better of me and I’d paint over areas I was
supposed to leave paint-less and try to glue parts together before the paint
was dry. What I found is that the glue never held pieces together that I
impatiently tried to glue when the paint was still wet. Then I’d try to take
the pieces apart to wipe them clean and I’d have an even bigger mess. When I
didn’t follow instructions and acted impatiently the model always got sticky
and weakly assembled and never lasted very long. The same is true with sex and
marriage. If you try to glue two people together with sex before the Lord
prepares the parts properly your relationship will wind up weak and likely
won’t last. It’s always best to wait
on God and follow the instructions of His word (the Bible) when it comes to
marriage and sex, and everything else in life for that matter.
There is Hope of Deliverance from Sexual
Sin. Sexual sin can be addictive whether it manifests itself in the actual
physical adulterous act or the lustful fantasy of the mind. Trying to overcome
such sin in one’s own strength is futile and frustrating. But there is hope. As
we mentioned earlier the gospel is powerful. God is able to deliver the person
caught up in sexual sin from that sin. The Bible states: “Do you not know that
the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were
washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Notice what Paul says, “But such WERE some of you.” He is inspired to speak of the sin of
the Corinthians in the past tense
because it was a thing of the past; it had been put behind them.
How were they able to put their sins behind them? Later in the same
epistle Paul writes: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common
to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it.” (1
Cor. 10:13). God’s promise is to not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you can bear. He promises to make a way of escape so you can stand and get
through it. That’s His promise and the person caught in sexual sin needs to
pray long and hard over that verse.
God is faithful. He will show you the way out of your sinful lifestyle
or addictive habit. That way out starts with turning from your sin to God and
putting your faith in Jesus. You put your faith in Jesus by asking God to
forgive you based on His sacrifice for you on the cross. Receive God’s
forgiveness through faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit will then give you
spiritual life; eternal life; abundant life.
In another letter of Paul’s he writes: “Brethren, I do not count myself
to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). It’s time to put your sin behind you and press
on with Jesus to His higher calling (see Jeremiah 31:34; Micah 7:18-19; Romans
6:14). That means leaving your homosexuality or any other sexual sin behind. Now
is the time to put your faith in Jesus. Now is the time to seek forgiveness of
your sin based on His cross work. Now is the time to receive the eternal life
and indwelling of the Holy Spirit God promises in His gospel. The New Testament
puts it like this: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward
man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our
Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become
heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). Those are wonderful
words.
A story is told of a man who purchased a white mouse to use as food for
his pet snake. He dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snake's glass cage,
where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse had a serious
problem on his hands. At any moment he could be swallowed alive. Obviously, the
mouse needed to come up with a brilliant plan. What did the terrified creature
do? He quickly set up work covering the snake with sawdust chips until it was
completely buried. With that, the mouse apparently thought he had solved his problem.
But the truth of the situation was that sawdust chips wouldn’t hold back the
snake. The solution to the mouse’s problem came from outside of the cage. The
man looked down at the plight of the mouse and took pity on him lifting him
out. In the same way, no matter how we try to deny our sinful plight by
covering up the truth of our need, in the end the snake of sin will fatally
bite us.
You Can Have A New Heart with New Desires. In the Old Testament God promised
a time when people would be able to receive a “new heart.” We see this in the
following verses: “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways,” says the Lord God.
“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be
your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you
have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should
you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death
of one who dies,” says the Lord God.
“Therefore turn and live!” And later in Ezekiel the prophet is inspired to
write, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will
cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the
heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I
will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you
will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Those
are wonderful prophetic promises. THESE PROMISES FOR A NEW HEART ARE ALL
FULFILLED IN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
This promise from Ezekiel is elaborated upon and explained later in the
book of Hebrews where it states: “But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13
from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15
But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
says the Lord: I will put My
laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17
then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer
an offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to
enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way
which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21
and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”
(Hebrews 10:12-22).
When we look at these verses from the Old Testament illuminated by the
New Testament we learn that when a
person repents or turns away from their sin and to God, trusts in “this Man”
Jesus and His sacrifice, that God will wipe our sinful slate clean. Wonderful!
But not only that; Paul in Romans states God will give us “a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” Romans
8:9-11). God gives us a new heart; a heart filled with the Holy Spirit.
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he was inspired to speak of
how in a relationship with Jesus we become a “new Creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ). That’s what we need to
overcome sexual sin, a new heart with new holy desires. When
a person turns from their sinful life to God through faith in Jesus, God
promises to give them a new heart that will be receptive to His law and word.
For those who have received a new heart but allowed it to be dirtied
and tarnished once again with sin, there is continuous ongoing cleansing
available from God as we confess our sins to Him honestly and walk on in the
light of His word (1 John 1:7,9). We should always ask God to search our hearts
to expose sin so we can confess it to Him and He can keep us clean (Psalm
139:23-24).
God has revealed His righteous plan of redemption from sin through
faith in Christ. No matter how we try to suppress or hold down the truth that
we are sinners and need a Savior, this truth cannot be denied. The only way to
be saved from sin is to turn to the One outside the cage of this fallen world.
We need to turn to God in Christ by the Spirit. If we continue to reject and
hold down God’s truth, sin will fatally bite us, (Satan the snake is waiting –
Genesis 3; Revelation 12:9; 20:2).
If by reading this you are convicted of your sinful state and know you
would be found guilty on God’s righteous judgment day, you need to turn from
your sin to God (repent) and place your faith in Jesus Christ to save you. You
can know you are forgiven and going to heaven. You can receive a new heart
filled by the Holy Spirit.
Below is a simple gospel summary for you to follow. God didn’t make
hell for people. Only people who persist in their sinful rebellion will go
there. God is reaching out to you through His only Son Jesus. He wants to
forgive your sin and save you from it. Don’t let this gracious opportunity of
God pass you by.
The
Bible states you can know for sure whether or not you are going to heaven?
- 1 John 5:13 - 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
How
can you know for sure?
- Realize you are a sinner –
- Romans
- Galatians
- James
- Realize there is a price for sin –
- Romans 6:23a - 23 For the wages of sin is death,
- Realize Jesus paid the price for you –
- Romans 5:8 - 8 But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. (Galatians
- 2 Corinthians
- Realize your salvation is a free gift that requires only a heart decision from you to receive it –
- Romans
- Romans
- Realize you must now call upon Jesus to save you –
- Romans
A
SALVATION PRAYER: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner. Please forgive me for my
sins. Come into my heart and save me. Send Your Holy Spirit to me and help me
to live the life that you have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
[1]Strong,
J. 1997, c1996. The new Strong's dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words
(electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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