Rejecting God With Our Body Language
Rejecting God With Our Body Language
Rejecting Purity = Rejecting God
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
1. Intro: Sioux initiation. Body language word play: Sioux desires manhood. Do we desire God? Cut or strengthen your cord?
2. Scripture, Thessalonians 4:3-6
3. What does God want?
A. Sanctification
Ø God’s will is that we intentionally set ourselves apart for him, be made holy, solely dedicated to God.
B. Abstinence from immorality
Ø Part of becoming holy is abstaining from immorality.
Ø Porneia is illicit or unlawful sexual intercourse.
Ø More helpful than asking which things are illicit is to ask which ones are licit, or legitimate because the list is much shorter.
Ø For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Ge 2:24-25
Ø God’s not walling us off from the joys of sex. Rather God’s building a protective wall around marriage so we can enjoy lasting marital joy.
Ø Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Heb 13:4
4. How do we pursue that?
A. Guiding Principal #1; holiness & honor
Ø We learn to submit our bodies to self-control with holiness & God’s honor as the guiding principle.
Ø Don’t use propriety as the guiding principle. How close to sin, instead of how close to God.
B. Guiding Principal #2; not passionate lust
Ø We can’t be directed by lust (desire, craving, longing) that’s driven by passion. In this case our feelings have become our god, and we do his bidding. “Whatever feels good, do it.”
Ø Anything that I do with my body out of passionate lust instead of holiness in wrong.
Ø Mental lust was adultery Jesus said. “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27–28)
Ø We’ll never abstain from immorality if we feed t/lustful passions we’re not to act upon. We can’t advance our sanctification while we negligently or purposefully strengthen our passionate lust. (media, eyes, events)
Ø Frozen blood animal traps.
Ø Like Joseph, we must flee sexual immorality.
Ø Learn to know yourself well enough to know how to maintain control over your flesh.
Ø Masturbation? Is it lust free, holy & honorable?
Ø This seems overwhelming, but our Savior lived to 33 as a healthy male.
Ø Also, lust’s power grows with lack of investment in real love. Easy replaces profound & satisfying.
Ø That desire is natural/biological doesn’t exempt it from submission to God. Eating yields to fasting & is limited by gluttony. Self-preservation vs. martyrdom.
Ø Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified t/sinful nature with its passions & desires. Ga 5:24
C. Guiding Principal #3; considering others
Ø Sexual immorality wrongs the partner… by involving him or her in behavior contrary to God’s will… The initiator… takes advantage of his partner… by fanning the fire of passion till self-control is lost. Walvoord & Zuck
Ø Fan no fires then. Seducing them into the act? Out! What about discouraging them from fleeing by making out, or provocative talk or dress?
5. Why should we pursue that?
A. Judgment
Ø God will judge for all variations of sexual sin.
Ø While it’s true that God loves & forgives us, it’s also true that we harvest sorrow when we sow to the flesh. Wiersbe, W. W. (Gal. 6:7–8) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Ø There may be loss of marital love & intimacy, divorce, loss of respect, loss of blessing, loss in the afterlife, STD’s, troubles or death from God’s judgment on immorality.
B. Called to holiness, not impurity
Ø It is not just holiness as opposed to selfish lust, but also holiness as opposed it impurity.
Ø Partway, halfway or most of the way is the wrong way to manage our vessels.
Ø God calls us to purity. We are not drifting thru life while avoiding misdeeds. We’re called to holiness; a goal of complete set-apart-ness.
Ø The power for this life is in Christ. We must abide in Christ. How? Time & focus. When does it pay off? When we learn to find our joy, peace, love patience, etc. from him (directly, or through community).
Ø QT’s central. No amount of support mechanisms can replace that foundational relationship.
C. Rejecting purity is rejecting God
Ø To reject these things is to reject being set-apart for God which is to reject God. Why so?
Ø These interpretations and exposition are mine, but the command is God’s. To reject it is to reject His Lordship and Himself, as he is Lord.
Ø Being a follower of Jesus is to be the bride of Christ. Rejecting holiness is to refuse to be set apart for Christ and to choose at times to be given over to something or someone other than our beloved. It’s to be adulterous to our beloved!