“God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
From past to eternity future, God’s standard has not changed (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17). For instance, the Bible constantly reminds us that we were modeled to be vessels of honor, carrying God’s Glory anywhere we are. However, certain things like defiled conversation, idolatry, and sexual immorality can change the narrative.
Do not be carried away by believers who preach that sexual purity is overrated! These are the confessions of those who have decided to conform to the practice of the Babylonians rather than offering their bodies as living sacrifices.
From illicit adverts on mobile phones to movies on televisions, from covers of books and magazines in the store, the obscurity of promiscuity is constantly promoted, and sexual impurity is rated high. Studies have shown that 62% of teenagers and youths in America are engaged in fornication, adultery, pornography, masturbation, and homo-sexualism.
And so, most people think that the message of sexual purity is only for teenagers. However, this isn’t so. Just as Gen Z’s expected to uphold sexual purity, so should Gen X and the Baby Boomers. In essence, whether you’re 15 or 55, single or married, you’re required to walk in sexual purity.
Do you have someone who is indulged in these illicit acts of impurity? Or perhaps you are directly involved in any of these categories? Or do you feel discouraged from abstaining due to peer pressure? Maybe the experiences you had while growing up made you this way, or perhaps the need to explore as your friends nudge you. Whichever of these groups you fit in, I want you to know that God’s will is for you to be holy, pure, and undefiled. Therefore, if you must have a rightful place in His plan and purpose for your life, you must live in holiness and not in lustfulness.
The 3-plan
Clueless and impatient because his time for eternal destruction is near, Satan has been moving like a roaring lion all around the world, devising means to steal from God’s kingdom. He’s constantly on the lookout for whom to kill and who to officially join him in the everlasting destruction he’s doomed for. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” – John 10: 10a. This 3-plan agenda of the devil is carried out in many deceitful ways, and sexual impurity/immorality is one of the major ways.
The devil is aware that the sin of impurity is a dent to our body which is supposed to be offered unto God for true worship. Therefore, in a bid to cause separation between Man and God, he introduced immorality in several forms. The forms of sexual immoralities include adultery, fornication, masturbation, pornography, homosexualism, lesbianism, and gay marriage. Also, cohabitation is one of the avenues for fornication, as two-thirds of adults in America either strongly or somewhat agree that living with one’s significant other before getting married is a good idea.
Impurity Has a Price Tag
After his entire life adventure, King Solomon came to a powerful conclusion that any pleasure or achievement gotten on earth outside God is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3).
Detachment from God is a danger to one’s destiny that’s why Solomon was talking about vanity from the point of view of one who had experienced lust and made terrible mistakes. He got to realize that when God is out of the equation of a man’s life, his existence becomes empty and meaningless. The consequences of sexual impurity are simple, you die a spiritual or even physical death; archives of people’s stories can attest to this. You become separated from God and His promises concerning your life because He’s holy and cannot dwell in darkness.
Benefits and Beauty of Sexual Purity
Have you ever considered how fulfilled Noah was in the ark while the world was flooded with water? The scripture in Genesis 6:9b (NLT) affirmed that “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at that time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Purity births a genuine and close relationship with God. Just as food is important for nourishing a man’s body, so is staying pure essential in your walk with God. Staying sexually pure without defilement would attract people’s unnecessary opinions; nevertheless, always remember that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, hold your grasp for sexual purity tightly because God’s will for you is that you may be Holy and acceptable before Him.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation!
Sexual purity is attainable! The question is how do I break loose from Satan’s agenda and live a life of purity? After reading deeply into this inspiring piece, I’m certain you’d be asking yourself the above question at this point. The answer is simple: Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Matthew 4:10a (NLT) – “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him.”
Also, in a decent meal of sexual purity, commitment is a major ingredient. The devil will confuse you with a myriad of thoughts: “Look at you. You’ve made lots of mistakes. God will not forgive you. You’re done.” He will make you feel as though you can’t overcome your struggles. However, until you commit, resisting him will be impossible for you to carry out. Proposing in your heart not to be defiled by the king’s meat is the first bold step to winning this battle. Because the reality is the devil is done, but you’re not.
- Have a vision: Figure out why you must pursue sexual purity. Then, get out your journal and write the reasons down.
- Set boundaries. From spending time alone with the opposite sex to regulating your daily conversations, be intentional about your boundaries. This is because breaking the hedge can let the serpent in (Ecclesiastes 10:8).
- Ensure to ask trusted friends to hold you accountable. You and this friend(s) should be sworn to secrecy and honesty. James 5:16 reminds us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” This is not a call for you to tell everyone your sins. But it says that you should have fellow Christians who understand your challenges and can guide you on your journey.
- Rely on the Holy Spirit at every tick of the clock. You can have your boundaries spelled out, but it’s most important to walk in dependence on the Holy Spirit moment by moment. As you do this, you’ll have the strength you need to be victorious over sexual sin.
Now that you have realized you can break off from Satan’s lies, embrace the salvation you have in Christ.
- Accept that you’ve done wrong. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – Romans 3:23,
- Confess your sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9,
- Embrace your new identity in Christ. “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1: 12, and
- Continually ask the Lord for help “Our help comes from the Lord.” – Psalm 121: 2a.
Remember that though the world is blatantly evil, just like in the days of Noah, sexual purity can be maintained if you put your faith in God, practice self-control by setting boundaries, and trust the Holy Spirit to help you.