Sexual immorality, like a shadow of death has now overspread the land, and the prophecies of Isaiah pertaining to our gross spiritual darkness has now become a reality, from which we cannot now turn away our faces. In high and low places, amongst leaders and followers, amongst stars and fans, with teachers and students, with clergy and laity, with the rich and poor alike, the perversion of love, and sexual relations has now become a metastasizing stage four cancer, that is threatening to engulf all of society. Indeed, the great confusion pertaining to the word “Love” causes us to use it with caution.
There are only three categories of sins from which satan can choose to tempt the human family, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and as our feet stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, the temptations to deviate from The Lord’s ordained order will not only be significantly ramped up, but as we have seen with our own eyes, will be made the law of the land. Thus, with the prospect of popular opinion battling against the laws, principles, and instructions of God, as Christians we will need to beware of the snare of sexual immorality, lest the sheer force of a majority opinion invade our thoughts and actions, thereby debarring us from the gates of heaven.
For starters, The Lord will have us understand that the urge to merge is a God-ordained desire, but it must only be fulfilled according to the stipulations laid down in the Bible. One man, and his female wife in the context of God-ordained marriage is what the Lord specifies, and any other variation to the contrary constitutes a violation of His word, and will never be accepted, condoned, or approved by Him in our day, when the fullest light of the gospel, and His revealed will on this matter is literally at our fingertips. We must also be careful of the sin of the Pharisee, by which we may count our own versions of marriage, such as shacking up, or cohabiting, as being acceptable to The Lord, when contrasted with the other extreme perversions of marriage, with which we are now surrounded. Let’s read:
[Christ’s Object Lessons pp. 159] As the Pharisee judges himself by other men, so he judges other men by himself. His righteousness is estimated by theirs, and the worse they are the more righteous by contrast he appears.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
This is as simple as it gets, but very great violence has been, and is being done to this very sacred ordinance, to the point where many folks are at a loss as to what to do on mother’s and father’s day. First it started with LG, then it went to LGB, then as the issue spread LGBT was coined to include those of other sexual orientations. But it doesn’t stop there, because two more letters were necessary to extend the diversions from God’s original ideal. And so we now have LGBTQ, and NB for non-binary. And at the rate we are going, it will become necessary to soon add on all the letters of the alphabet, to read LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ, and so forth. But the word of God still stands forever, and His perfect will is made known to all who would harbor correct concepts of truth and duty. Let’s read:
Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
After the fall, intimate relations between the sexes took a dramatic turn, resulting in men generally falling for what they see, and with women generally falling for what they hear. The reason for this is because of the way in which the temptation and the fall took place. On the one hand, Eve had listened attentively with curious interest to hear a serpent speak, and therefore fell for what she heard, whilst Adam made his decision because of his intimate relationship with his wife, who was very beautiful. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 54] Now was the tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Eve was surprised and startled as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts. But the serpent continued, in a musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing. Instead of fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak.
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 56>57] An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned. Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.
Thus there are certain pertinent instructions which go along with the revelations of scripture regarding the fall of Adam and Eve, and if these cautions are observed, husbands and wives can avoid to a large degree, the temptations to sexual immorality, to which each may at times be subject.
Instruction # [1] It is never advisable for a husband and his female wife to be apart from each other for extended periods of time, wherever and whenever such situations can be avoided. The reason for this is, when either spouse is absent for too long, satan can, and will introduce thoughts and suggestions which under different circumstances may not even be considered. This instruction is to be found in the old and new testaments, for it is the wisdom of God and not of man. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Proverbs 7:6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the good-man is not at home, he is gone on a long journey.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Instruction # [2] We should avoid idleness as much as possible. Very many people, even amongst those who are professed Christians have been educated in pornography because they had nothing else to do. The devil always finds work for idle hands to do, for this was how Sodom and Gomorrah were ensnared in gross sexual immorality. The prophet identifies idleness as one of the main triggering mechanisms for the sins of the twin cities, and because God is much more practical than many Christians realize, He is giving us these instructions, and cautions so that we may position ourselves intelligently, closing all doors to the tempter, as much as is humanly possible. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters”…..
50 And they were haughty, and committed
abomination before me, therefore I took them away as I saw good.
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 156>157] There is nothing more desired among men than riches and leisure, and yet these gave birth to the sins that brought destruction upon the cities of the plain. Their useless, idle life made them a prey to Satan's temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train. It enfeebles the mind, perverts the understanding, and debases the soul. Satan lies in ambush, ready to destroy those who are unguarded, whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men in their idle hours.
But to every good and perfect gift God has given us, satan has a perverted counterfeit, and especially in our day when the battle of the sexes has become so confused, it’s important for the multitudes to know the difference. Satan has succeeded in introducing counterfeit marriages, a counterfeit Sabbath, a counterfeit Jesus, and a counterfeit Holy Ghost. There are also counterfeit tongues and a counterfeit faith, so when it comes to the issue of sex, it’s very important for us to be on guard, so that we do not fall a prey to the current moral declension that is cascading in our day at an alarming rate. It’s also very important for us to avoid deliberate distortions of the word love as misinterpreted by many groups, organizations, politicians, clergy, and other entities.
In the mortal battle against cultivated and inherited tendencies to evil, the Bible reveals a very sobering fact, that the propensities that are not subdued and overcome by the grace and power of God, will one day, sooner or later, overcome us. In other words, it is a “Eat or be eaten” scenario we are dealing with. This applies to all sins, whether it be uncontrolled anger, gossiping, unrestrained appetite, or the indulgence of sensual thoughts and desires. Any sin that is not completely overcome is an adversary awaiting an opportune moment to strike, it’s just that simple. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 2:19 …“For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
The psalmist David had harbored the sin of sexually immoral desires for several years, but because of His connection with God, the desires were subdued and kept at bay for a very long time, though they remained, not being entirely uprooted. But God does not want to merely keep our sinful desires at bay, He wants to cut out the roots so that iniquity will not arise a second time in our lives. It is always dangerous to settle for partial victory, to leave the roots of sin in the soil of our hearts, because at the opportune time these propensities will be fanned into life under the right circumstances. This applies to every sin, and thus we should never consider ourselves exempt from the instructions given on the matter in God’s word. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
This sin of David did not occur in a vacuum, but was rather the culmination of a long running series of sinful thoughts and desires, cherished in the dark recesses of his mind, and which were never entirely surrendered to God. It is worthy of note, that while David’s prayer life, and communion with God was intact, these propensities were held at bay, but even then, from time to time he would succumb to the same temptations, under the cover of what was then socially acceptable. No man, and no Christian ever falls suddenly, because the decision to sin is the result of a long, protracted process by which inordinate desires are cherished in the mind and dwelt upon, until a decision is made act upon them whenever the opportune moment arrives. Let’s read:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
[Patriarchs & prophets pp. 459] A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.
2nd Samuel 3:2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
2nd Samuel 5:13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
No study of the scriptures will do justice by merely pointing out sin, without offering viable remedies and solutions to the problems we face. And as it pertains to the current spiritual darkness on sexual immorality, we will need to pay very close attention to the words and instructions of God.
Instruction # [1] If anyone is currently indulging the sin of pornography in any form or fashion, the word of God says to cease and desist immediately. We may pray until we are blue in the face, about this problem, which has now become an epidemic, but if we do not take proactive steps to stem the tide of evil, we will be entirely engulfed in sexual sins of the darkest hue.
Furthermore, if we do not overcome on this point, it will overcome us, and it will take us further than we are willing to go, it will cost us more than we are willing to pay, and it will keep us longer than we are willing to stay. This is not merely good advice, it is a serious caution coming from The Lord, for many are soon going to bear the full brunt of responsibility, and consequences for inordinate actions, if decided and deliberate changes are not made. Let’s read:
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 460] Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest. “Girding up the loins of your mind,” says the apostle Peter, “Be sober, ... not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in ... your ignorance: but like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living.”
This will require earnest prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will attract the mind upward, and habituate it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we must give diligent study to the word of God. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” “Thy word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
Instruction # [2] Victory over any, and every type of sexual immorality is an impossibility without the grace and power of the Holy Ghost. As a matter of fact, even if we earnestly desire to do right, our good desires are not powerful enough to preempt sinning, and thus we will need God’s supernatural power, and energy in the relentless pursuit of perfection. Let’s read:
Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 460] The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown. David's prayer should be the petition of every soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. And having become partakers of the heavenly gift, we are to go on unto perfection, being “kept by the power of God through faith.”
In closing, it’s important to remember that victory is well within reach of all, if we so desire, because Jesus Christ was revealed to destroy the works of sin, and because of this we have the promise that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
God bless!