Avoiding Sexual Sin, Part 1 By Kevin B. Bullard

As you’ve probably noticed, our society is sex-crazed and completely driven by sensuality. From shampoo products to food and drinks to cars to sports, mostly everything is advertised with sex and the fantasies surrounding it. It’s no wonder then that we’ve seen presidents, politicians, athletes, preachers and others get caught up in the lethal trap of sexual sin. Even more devastating, we’ve seen people we know personally become enslaved in this area – including Christians.

Through His Word, God has given us principles - that when followed - are anointed and powerful enough to separate us from sexual sins. Below are three of the many found in God’s Word.

Guard Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23, instructs us to guard our heart with great determination. Why? Because every part of our life – desires, thoughts, actions, etc. – begin in and flow from our heart. Jesus, Himself, said in Matthew 15:19 that sexual immorality among other sins come from the heart. Just how do you guard your heart? By purposely avoiding television shows, movies, songs, jokes, people, magazines, web sites, books, and other seemingly harmless media or forms of entertainment that will pollute your heart with Satan’s filth instead of God’s Word. You’ll always know what the condition of your heart is by the words of your mouth (Matthew 12:34), the thoughts you continually roll over in your mind (Proverbs 23:7), and whether or not God’s Word is working in your life (Mark 4:14-20).

Offer Your Body To God
In Romans 12:1, believers are begged to present their bodies to God as living, holy and acceptable sacrifices. The key to doing that is found in verse 2; by not being conformed to this age and its ideals and ways of being. Instead, we’re told to have our minds renewed by God’s Word. I can guarantee you, it is going to be impossible for you to avoid sexual sin if you’re continually dousing yourself with sexual images and activity.

Avoiding sexual sin without renewing your mind to God’s Word is like jumping in a swimming pool without getting wet. It’s just not going to happen. Wish and pray as you may, you cannot overcome sexual sin and temptations without renewing your mind to the Word, and then actively and moment-by-moment offering your body to God as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). As you allow Him to, the Holy Spirit will help you yield your body to righteousness instead of sin (Romans 6). Part of the Holy Spirit’s job is to help the weaknesses of your flesh (Romans 8:26). Being Spirit-filled will take you a long way in offering your body to God (Ephesians 5:18).

Use God’s Word
Psalm 119:9 asks how a young person can keep his life clean. The answer is by paying attention to, receiving, and conforming his life to God’s Word. John 17:17 shows us that God’s Word will sanctify or separate us from worldly ways. God’s word is the purifier and only soul-cleansing agent in the earth that can deliver us from sin, and then keep us from it.
Begin applying these principles today to avoid sexual sin. No matter how deeply involved you are, and regardless if the sin is adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, molestation, bestiality, pornography or any other, you can be free. Guard your heart, offer your body, and use God’s Word. You can avoid sexual sin!

** You may e-mail Kevin Bullard and read other articles on relationships, family, marriage and much more at www.understandthebible.org**