A lowly view Christ produces superficial Christianity. When the sinner is united with Christ in his death and resurrection through faith, he enters into a vital, living relationship with Jesus Christ, with the whole personality. The motivation for living like this is four-fold:
- Because you have died with Jesus Christ
- Because you have been raised up with Jesus Christ
- Because Jesus Christ is your life
- Because you have the hope of glorification with Jesus Christ
You Can, You Must, You Will
Christian life is not about obedience to laws. The Christian life is about obedience to Christ. The Christian life is not about conformity to an external behavior.
In Colossians 3:5, Paul lists five sins of passion, with the first three distinctly sexual in nature and the last two being the culmination of uncontrolled desires. I honestly cannot think of a more fitting list of verses that describes the present condition in our own culture. “Immorality” refers to any type of sexual activity outside of marriage. The word broadly covers the gamut from sexual improprieties, to affairs, and to perversions. It’s the Greek word – Porneia, from which we get our English word, pornography. The lexographers who coined the term identified it properly, for the use of pornography in any form ultimately leads to immorality.
Need I add that there is never any good that comes out of immorality? So to be a Christian is not to have your head in the clouds but go and battle against your own sinful flesh. And when our sinful flesh rears its ugly head, we are to respond not by suppressing it or denying it. We are to respond by putting it to death!
If your car is leaking oil, if your roof is leaking and staining the ceiling, if your house is infested with bees, you go to the source and fix it!
The Bible is concerned with the sickness, the disease itself. If you treat the disease, the symptom will be eliminated. So if symptoms are all you are addressing in your life: don’t do that, don’t think that, and don’t say that. You will never overcome the sinful impulses of the flesh.
It’s a Heart Issue
Jesus came to address the human heart, not human behavior. He came to deal with the unseen nature of humanity. God did not come to make us good boys and girls. He came give us new natures. In Colossians 3:8-9 once again Paul lists a sequence of activities.
- Anger is something that builds within us. It usually comes because we are frustrated that we are not getting our way about something.
- Rage is the boiling over of anger. It is seen in a quick-tempered person.
- Malice is the bitterness that seeks to hurt another.
- Slander is hurtful speech that defames a person’s character.
- Filthy Language – When anger controls a person they often spew hurtful and vile words.
Anger is a dangerous emotion. When anger grows bad things happen:
- Children are abused
- Lives are destroyed
- People are injured or killed
Hurtful words leave scars that never heal. Relationships are shattered “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Prov. 6:27).
How many of you know someone whose life is wrecked by sexual sin? I don’t know anyone who sits down and says that my 5-year goal is to have an affair; I plan on getting addicted to porn so to pollute my mind. I have never met anyone that the one thing I want is AIDS. No one plans to do something is to break up a marriage and family and yet it happens all the time. The most common thing that people say on the other side of tragedy – I never thought it will happen to me.
Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” The Gk word Porneia is used and what it literally means that any kind of sexual arousal outside the boundaries of marriage. There must not be a hint of that.
In today’s culture, what is normal when it comes to sex? It’s pain, regret, guilt, shame, insecurity, fear, lust, divorce. Up to 65% of men and 55% of women will commit adultery by the age of 40. When you add those numbers, some 80% of marriages will be affected.
I Corinthians 6:15-20 Flee sexual immorality. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? shall I take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? Paul then goes back to Genesis chapter 2 to clear this up. God actually speaks to this early on so as to clear this up for us. And in verse 16 – he quotes Genesis 2 – The two will become one flesh.
Practically, we begin with unusual things to get unusual results
- Learn the warning signs of anger
- Get some distance, walk away. Do some deep breathing.
- Dress Modestly
- Keep Four Feet on the Ground if you are dating
- No Sleepovers
- Avoid places, people that are dangerous
- Watch what you Read, Watch and Listen to
Finally: Repent! – I Cor 6:20 – A price has been paid. Christ is All, in All.
