Sanctification and Sexuality, Part 2

A Stark Reality

If this message sounds depressing, stick it out until the end…there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel

We worked this passage over last week with Paul’s concern about the believers’ walk, their sanctification and finally, a warning against sexual immorality

We left of on the topic of complacency, as it relates to immorality

…and the complacency of fools will destroy them

from Proverbs 1:32b

A thought from a modern scholar:

“I think if Christians from an earlier time could come and visit us and our churches, there would be two things that would surprise them most. First, they would be absolutely amazed by our phenomenal prosperity. . . . Second, I think they would be amazed by how comfortable we have become with sensuality.”

Kevin DeYoung, The Art of Turning (10Publishing, 2017), 33.

…sensuality relates to sexual stimulation

Miriam Webster relates it to being “worldly, especially irreligious?

Sensual stimulation is all around us; sexual immorality has invaded the church

Much of the church is complacent…and so we “preach to the choir”

That’s what Paul was concerned about…would the Thessalonian church become complacent and slip back into old—pre-conversion—behaviors of immorality?

So, we examine the same passage for some of the degradation, damage and danger of immorality

…things Paul knew would come with the immorality

We’ll work a bit more on the problems relating to immorality, in all its sub-groups

Degradation

Review:

Sexual sin calls a halt to the sanctification process…takes people away from God

They run from other believers; run from church

Other sins do it as well—no matter the sin; the solution is not to run away

…but to run to God…and repent

Sin of all kind seems a good excuse to violate

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We cannot stir up, be stirred up or encourage, or be encouraged by, anyone when we’re running from God or staying away from His people

(George Haynor and his rock)

A believer who is actively working on his/her sanctification is—should be—looking for opportunities to be built up and to build up others

To run away incites cynicism, distrust of people, self-centeredness, depression…often beginning a downward spiral

AND...

Once the sexual revolution hit, the special nature of a marriage—the joy of the singular sexual union of one man and one woman was replaced by recreational sex

Nothing special left—why bother with marriage

No reason for self-control, v.4

No honor in purity or holiness—indeed, those who chose to remain pure are often mocked

…even by close friends and family members

Sadly, even professing Christians have fallen into the trap

…why bother????

Even Christian marriages…and Christian families…suffer

Not even talking about denominations that ordain homosexual clergy, marry homosexuals...

Talking into membership, or accepting behavior among members who are active in some immoral act

Just to clarify...

Any sinner is welcome to come in the door to be taught, brought to confession and repentance…a saving faith in Christ

There should be no accepting or encouraging of sin,

“God made me this way” is heresy at its highest form

He made male and female, set up the institution of marriage; He made no mistakes—man makes the mistake in understanding…that’s rebellion…that’s sin

Damage

Illustration from FIREPROOF the movie: salt and pepper shakers super-glued together; they can be separated, but not without some damage

(we’ll not even discuss the health risks of multiple sex partners)

When a sexual relationship is begun, its termination results in some damage

The partners become “one flesh”

Paul discusses the horror of a believer, bearing the Holy Spirit, joining his body with a prostitute

1 Corinthians 6:15 ESV

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!

…not even discussing the termination of a marriage…just a relationship

This is the wronging of a brother…in the context it’s brother or sister

Just a couple thoughts

If a man and woman arrive innocent at their marriage

There is never guilt—unless someone has been given very bad teaching

There is never a comparison ( Do I measure up to the last partner? This one doesn’t measure up....)

Manilow’s song: Even now…I swear I think of you

Realities: treat every girl you date like she’ll end up the wife of your best friend....

Non-Biblical sexual behavior defrauds both the partner and any future spouse of that partner

It may sound like I’m preaching to men; but women are often the aggressors as well; nothing new here: Proverbs gives us the picture of the adulteress lurking in the dark waiting for a simple victim

Danger

No matter who was damaged, by whom and how badly...

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Ultimately, the sin is against God

David gives us that after his sin with Bathsheba—adultery, defrauding one of his “mighty men”…and then killing him

Psalm 51:4 ESV

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

When we sin, we are in danger of God taking action--

Psalm 39:11 ESV

When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

Repent and put the sin behind us ASAP

[He is] an avenger in all these things

Here we must be cautious

Sexual sin is sin…for both the non-believers and the believers

The non-believer will be called to account for his sin, and receive eternal punishment

The believer’s sin is paid for—but God will do whatever He must to pull the believer out of it

If we are new creatures in Christ, we should not be stuck in the behavior of the unsaved

Even though the sin is paid for/covered by the blood, there may be baggage

That’s Paul’s point here

WITFM?

The good news here is that for all sin, even the most heinous, there is grace

God forgives…even the egregious sin of David…even the most horrid sins we may commit/have commited

Forgiveness is available for all sins—”little sins” and those done without thinking

...”big sins” done with full knowledge and intent

For the non-believer, it all begins with a decision

…go your own way, see how that works for you, face both the temporal and eternal consequences of your sin

Or repent, turn from your way and go God’s way

…be released from the eternal consequences of sin, released from the enslavement of sin, receive the Holy Spirit and be empowered to live about the power of sin

Learn the Word—the commands of God—and avoid sins in the future

For the believer

Stay in tune with God

Learn, worship, fellowship…don’t become complacent