DAY 20: WINNING THE WAR AGAINST JEZEBEL III (SEXUAL SIN)
PHRONESIS DEVOTIONAL
30 DAYS DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM
September 20, 2023.
Topic: WINNING THE WAR AGAINST JEZEBEL III (SEXUAL SIN)
Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13-20
Verse for Meditation: 1 Corinthians 6:18 NLT
Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
All forms of sin is grievous and offensive to God, but have you ever wondered why many preachers talk more on sexual sin as though it is like the unpardonable sin? You’d have to understand their hearts before you could understand why they talk the way they talk. It is not the unpardonable sin, instead it is the only sin that the Bible emphatically says that is against our own body.
In John 8, a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery was brought to Jesus, and instead of Jesus to condemn her, He showed her mercy and spoke the words of grace to her, “Go and sin no more.” So sexual sin can be pardoned. And before I delve into this fully, I want you to know that God has already forgiven you. So accept His forgiveness, forgive yourself- don’t feel condemned anymore, and move on.
When man sinned against God in Genesis 3, it was guilt and shame that made him to hide from God. The guilt and shame of your past mistake will make you draw far from God. We’ve talked about the power of the cross and the blood, Christ’s death paid for the penalty for all sins. And guess what? You are not just forgiven, every record of your sin has been forgotten; you no longer have a past because you are made new in Christ (Ezek. 33:16; Heb. 8:12; 10:17).
And by the way, if God can still use David to give the Messianic prophecies in Psalms and still call him a man after His heart then He can do much more for you that now have a better covenant in Christ. Mind you, David lusted after Bathsheba, committed adultery with her and killed her husband. And when God’s judgement came upon him, the child he had from her died. But the Bible told us that David had Solomon from Bathsheba! Meaning he went back to her to have another carnal knowledge with her! Yet God forgave him and used him to His glory. Come on, I’m here to tell you that you’re not exempted from God’s plan for your life; He can still write a message from what you’ve called a mess.
The Bible says that all that God had made was indeed very good (Gen. 1:31), even the fruits from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was also good (Gen. 2:9). The tree, as well as the tree of life, were there as God’s way for man to exercise his freewill. The fruits by themselves were not poisonous, what led to man’s fall and death was the violation of God’s instruction. I’m saying all these in a bid to say that sex was designed by God for man’s pleasure. Hence, it is very good. But what makes it immoral is the violation of God’s instruction (1Cor. 7:1-3; Heb. 13:5); sex should only be enjoyed in the confinement of marriage.
Why is sexual sin against one’s body? Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth, “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1Cor. 6:13). You were bought with a price, and your body has now become God’s holy temple (1Cor. 6:19-20). So first, it is against your body because it defiles God’s dwelling place. How?
When you have sex with a harlot, you become one with her (1Cor. 6:15-17). Such spiritual participation and oneness defiles God’s temple (2Cor. 6:14-17).
1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Sexual sins have led to many societal problems like STIs, abortions, forceful single parenting and even more risk of divorce. God is wise when He told us not to commit sexual sins.
And by the way sexual sin is not just fornication, adultery and lust. The Amplified Bible gave an elaborate rendition of the phrase, “sexual immorality.” It can be in any form, whether thoughts or behaviour, whether visual or written. So in thought; that is lust. In behaviour or in action; that is masturbation, fornication and adultery. In visual; that is pornography. And in written; that is erotic materials. And Jesus said that a lustful thought is the same as committing adultery (Matt. 5:28), that means whatever form of sexual immorality, all are the same and they defile God’s temple.
Now how can we overcome sexual sin? We shall discuss on this tomorrow.
I SHUN EVERY ACT OF SEXUAL SIN FROM TODAY.
Bible Reading Plan: John 18; Ephesians 6; Proverbs 20
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