Pure in Heart: Passion

PASSAGES: Proverbs 5:18-19, 1 Corinthians 6:15-18, Song of Solomon 1-5, Psalm 16:11, Malachi 2:15, Matthew 22:30

One of my favorite vibes, and Berkley’s as well, is to light a log in our fireplace. On a cold, rainy day, the fire produces heat, light, and it’s honestly beautiful.

Who’s gone camping? One of my favorite moments when I go camping is when the evening rolls around and we sit around the campfire eating s’mores, hot chocolate, coffee, hanging out, and it also helps deter bugs from the environment.

Fire in the right context is enjoyed by many of us and it is good.

Fire in the wrong context is destructive and deadly.

News Story at The Columbus Dispatch, on January 23rd, 2024

“A pastor and two of his children died early Tuesday in a fire at a Pickaway County home.

Mark Robinette, 55, the vocational pastor at Foundation Church in Mount Sterling, and two of his sons, Gideon Robinette, 17, and Liam Robinette, 10, died in the fire, according to the Pickaway County Coroner's Office.

The fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. on the 11000 block of Ballah Road, also known as Township Road 159, near Orient.

The Pickaway County Coroner's office confirmed three people died in the fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's office.

Three other people suffered injuries in the blaze. All three injured were released from an area hospital later Tuesday morning.

According to his biography on the church's website, Robinette and his wife have eight children. Robinette also was involved in missionary work in Myanmar.

Robinette's brother confirmed his death on social media Tuesday afternoon, saying the pastor died while attempting to get two of his children out of the house. The post said Robinette managed to help his wife and two other children out of the home before he perished”

Fire in the right context is enjoyed by many of us and it is good.

Fire in the wrong context is destructive and deadly.

Sex is like a fire

Proverbs 5:18–19 ESV

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

When many of us leaders were in Youth Group, our leaders at the time had to talk about the same stuff. This was always a dreaded subject and people felt awkward. In my mind though, why does the world get to make it normal, but when we talk about it in Christian circles, it’s uncomfortable or weird.

The bible is not afraid to talk about sex, neither should we. It has an entire book pertaining to its beauty, passion, and joy that God has created.

We need to teach the biblical stance on this subject and help you see the beautiful purpose but also show you the negative consequence. Back when we were in youth group, we had some terrifying analogies that like sex is like a piece of tape. The more you do it, the less sticky that tape becomes and you become used and used. I understand what they were trying to say, but God created it for a purpose. It is meant to strengthen marriages and glorify God.

In the right context, it provides light, heat, and beauty. In the wrong context, it is destructive, painful, and deadly.

What does it mean to be pure in heart?

What does it mean to be sexually pure?

It’s not just abstinence of having sex, it’s realizing how God has made it beautiful for the right context. Those thoughts you have are not necessarily wrong, but it is important to realize that God has a design for that.

To be sexually impure would stem from:

Looking or doing things regarding sexual pleasures outside God’s design.

Having sex before marriage, going too far even where you’re just flirting with Satan.

This can be looking at women or men inappropriately

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Fantasizing in your mind about these kind of things

You will not be perfect

The whole point here is to not just say no, but it’s actually to go to God and focus on learning more about Him. Praying and desiring, that same desire you have for these wrong things, and desire what is good.

Sex is not a Sandwich

There is a beautiful God ordained purpose that produces love, excitement, and babies. Sex does produce pleasure and intimacy, God created sex enjoyable if used in the wrong context, will often destroy.

The world says you can pick and choose who you want and that’s how you should live. That is not right. Sex attaches you. The bible shares this truth and that should be enough. But several studies and conversations will show that sex connects you with that person. The bible calls this being one:

1 Corinthians 6:15–18 ESV

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Sex not only sins against the other person since they too should also only be having this within a marriage, but sex is a sin against your own body.

Sin will always satisfy you for the moment but will continue you to lead you more and more empty.

God knows how are bodies are meant to work. He designed us.

Sex is enjoyable, there is a whole book in the Songs of Solomon that talk just about how great this sort of intimacy is. God didn’t create us to lay eggs like little fishies. This is not something you just check off the box. There is pleasure and it is meant to bring the man and woman closer together in their marriage. The passage we just read is that it is meant for two people to become one person.

Desire God More

There is power in sex, the Bible states it intertwines our souls. Our passion at the end of the day needs to be for Jesus, because He is better than sex.

J. Garrett Kell “You can have the best spouse on the planet and enjoy the most fulfilling sex life imaginable, yet this fact remains: if your heart is not satisfied in God, it will wander to find satisfaction elsewhere. Spouses can be wonderful helpers, but they are sorry saviours. Jesus alone can satisfy something as complex as the human soul”

The world teaches that safe sex is okay, encouraged. If our hearts are not changed, striving for sexual purity is useless. Jesus needs to be your Lord. He is the one you must desire, if you don’t desire Him, why abstain from sex?

Be reminded He came down from His heavenly seat, because we were lost, separated from God. He saved you so that you would have eternal life with Him.

If you haven’t been saved, I encourage you to believe that Jesus is Lord

Romans 10:9–13 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Calling Him Lord though, means you have a new master in whom you obey, serve, and worship. Your life changes and every ounce of you starts to try and be more like Jesus. But you don’t do this alone.

John 14:26 ESV

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit is your helper. Doing this alone is impossible, but through Christ, His Holy Spirit, you are able to be pure sexually.

God has given us several things in our lives that if we go to far, can end up being destructive. Video games are not inherently wrong but too much video games can end up making you feel lethargic, lazy, and often lower your guard down for other sins.

Find the balance in glorifying God through reading and prayer but also in the things you do. Do you thank Him and Praise Him for everything? Find the Joy of Jesus in every aspect of your life.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How is sex like a fire?

2. Why is sex so powerful?

3. What is God better than in your life? Is He better than video games, friendships, and food for you? Can you take joy in everything with Him?

4. Sex is powerful and if you can’t find God to be better than the simple things in life, you will have a hard time finding Him better than sex.