SEXUAL PURITY -1

God has a set standard on sexual purity for His children. It is His will that we remain pure in our spirit, soul and body (1Thess 5:22 -23). Sexual purity honours and pleases God. His instruction, is that we stay clear of all forms of sexual sin (1Thess 4: 3 NLT). In a bid to blur the lines of this command, many have made rationalizations to suit their desires. People give such excuses as “a brief sex scene in a movie cannot be all that bad. It should certainly be better than watching a pornographic movie. I only masturbate, I’m much better than those who engage in premarital and extramarital sex. I kiss and caress, I am still within the boundaries of sexual purity!” The redefinition of sexual immorality to include only the very act of sexual intercourse and exclude all the other ungodly acts and activities such as watching and meditating on pornographic images or playing with the genitals or other activities that bring sexually satisfaction without the sexual intercourse is a tactic of the enemy.

There has been a lot of focus, and rightly so on singles staying pure until marriage. Christian singles must abstain from sexual immorality. In marriage, the Lord commands and the church also teaches that the marriage bed must be undefiled.  Even within the confines of holy matrimony, sexual acts such as sodomy are ungodly. The use of pornographic materials also debases the sacredness of the union between a husband and wife. Jesus called it adultery, literally, sexual intercourse between a married person, and someone other than their spouse, the act of simply looking lustfully at a woman. That is what pornography in marriage is – adultery. Whilst Satan has sold the lie that pornography can improve sexual performance in marriage, data has shown that couples who use pornographic materials have decreased sexual satisfaction, with some preferring to view pornography, over sex with their spouses. There is also a higher probability of extramarital affairs and divorce, among couples who view pornography (Doran and Price, 2014).  Christian couples must enjoy the God-given pleasures of sex in purity. All Christians are called to sexual purity, regardless of gender, whether single, married, separated, divorced or widowed. It is not a command for a season, it is one for life. 

Humans have inherent desire for sex. It is God’s instrument that drives procreation. However, the devil exploits this and leads people to sin. Everyone is likely to fall prey to manipulation of devil’s exploitation of their sexual desires except such persons receive salvation in Christ. One evidence that one has received salvation in Christ is that the yoke of sin is broken. Sin has no dominion over such a person (Rom 6:14).  A man who believes in Jesus, receives power (over sin and more), to be made a child of God (John 1:12). His rebirth as a seed of God makes Him incapable of sin (1John 3:9). A man who persists in sin is not saved. If your life has not transformed from the life you lived before you came to Christ, you are being deceived into believing you are a child of God. If you are questioning if as a Christian, falling into sexual sin makes you lose your salvation, then, your salvation experience was a lie to begin with. Peradventure, you truly believed and received power over sin, you did not “fall into sin”, you willfully chose it (Heb 10:26), and the consequence of death remain the same. Consistent victory, a lifetime of purity, abound in Christ for all who believe and choose to submit to Him daily.

It is only on this foundation, of a life of power over sin through Christ, that tips can be given to a man to war with, against the temptations of sexual sin. Scripture tells of someone who saw a field, and sold all he had to obtain it. As a Christian, you must see the worth in God, in order to give up all forms of sexual immorality. You must resolve, that it is of more value to you to please God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Whatever it will cost you, with God the profit is so much more!

So what should you do to your sexual desires as an unmarried person? What can you do if your spouse does not satisfy you in bed? We will answer these in our next article.