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Introduction
As we read through scripture, there are topics that don’t come up very often in scripture.
However, there are other topics that over and over again, like money and sexual immorality, and we have to ask why.
The reason why these topics are all over scripture is because we struggle with them.
Throughout history, humanity has struggled with wealth and possessions.
Similarly, throughout history, humanity has struggled with sexual immorality.
We sometimes think that we have a monopoly on immorality, but it is seen throughout history.
We see it in Genesis 4. When God instituted marriage, he said, “man will leave his father and mother and join his wife.”
But in Genesis 4, we see Lamech take two wives.
In Genesis 19, Lot offers his daughters to immoral men, and later in the chapter his daughters are immoral with him.
In Genesis 29, behold it was Leah.
In Genesis 38, Judah seeks the services of a harlot.
In Genesis 39, Joseph has to fend off an immoral woman.
In the very first book of the Bible, we see that sexual immorality is one of humanity’s big problems, and it continues through the Bible story.
Sexual immorality was a big problem in the past, and it is a big problem today.
If you think about it, we are an oversexualized culture.
We define ourselves by our sexuality.
(I identify as a homo/heterosexual).
There is an ease of access to sexual immorality today.
We’ll talk about this more, but sexual immorality is sometimes considered a good thing in our culture.
We are an oversexualized culture, and this is impacting everyone.
So, this is what we are going to talk about in this lesson.
We are going to look at three different contexts in the New Testament and discuss the dangers of sexual sin.
It Warps Our Thinking (Romans 1)
We tend to think that discipleship is all about a change of behavior, and while this is true, it’s not the whole truth.
There are atheists who live moral lives, but they aren’t disciples.
Romans 12:2.
Discipleship requires a renewal of the mind.
This is what makes sexual sin so dangerous.
It warps our thinking.
Romans 1:18-32.
Paul begins with idolatry.
Romans 1:18-23.
This is important because idolatry is the result of a warped worldview.
These people have become so blind that they ignore the evidence about God and serve their own creation.
They deny reality and create God’s for themselves.
Romans 1:24-25.
Paul moves to sexual immorality, and it’s evident that sexual immorality is the same thing as idolatry.
It’s a warped worldview where we serve ourselves instead of serving God.
Romans 1:26-27.
Here, we see a progression.
They’ve moved from natural relations to unnatural ones.
Romans 1:28-32.
Here, we see what their sexual immorality has led to.
“God delivered them over to a corrupt mind.”
Their minds are so warped that they can’t even see what’s good and right anymore.
Paul is talking about the gentile world in general, but it’s almost like he has a window into our world today.
Paul is describing a world in which people are so engulfed in immorality, that they can’t see anymore.
Doesn’t this sound like our world?
Think about the extreme sexual perversion that we have in our culture today.
Haven’t you ever asked, “how can they not see that this is wrong?”
It’s because it warps our thinking.
We’ve come to the point where our culture calls good evil, and evil good.
The point is that sexual immorality is dangerous.
It influences the mind.
We see the effects of this in the world around us
Think about what this oversexualized culture does to young women.
They start to think that in order to be loved and accepted they have to sexualize themselves.
Think about what this does to young men.
They get involved in this and it’s so hard to pull them out, and this affects their view of woman, their view of their spouse, and their relationship with God.
2 Samuel 11:25-27.
It Defiles Our Bodies (1 Corinthians 6)
As we read through the New Testament, it’s clear that our bodies are important because our bodies will be raised from the dead.
Hebrews 10:19-22.
In the context, the author of Hebrews looks back to the Old Testament Day of Atonement when the High Priest would have confidence in entering the Most Holy Place after purifying and preparing his body.
In the same way, we prepare for eternity when our bodies are washed in the waters of baptism.
The point is our bodies are important.
Sexual immorality is so dangerous because it defiles our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:13-15 (NIV).
The Corinthians believed that their bodies were not important.
That their bodies would just be destroyed through death.
Paul corrects them in saying that our bodies are important.
In the same way that Jesus’ body came out of the grave, our bodies will come out of the grave as well.
So, what we do with our bodies are important.
When we look at pornography, we are defiling our bodies.
When we sexualize our bodies, we are defiling them.
When we sleep with people that we shouldn’t, we are defiling our bodies.
If we are supposed to make one another holy through our marriages, can you see how sexual before marriage starts us off on the wrong foot?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
It Grieves God’s Spirit (Ephesians 4-5)
In our Bible reading, we’ve been reminded of all the blessings that we’ve received from God in Christ.
Ephesians 1:4 – We were made holy and blameless
Ephesians 1:5 – We were adopted as sons
Ephesians 1:7 – We have redemption through the blood.
The point is that God has given us the greatest gift that can be given.
We were trapped in the worst kind of slavery, slavery to sin and death, but God has freed us and made us into a new man.
So, this is what Paul tells us.
Ephesians 4:30.
Paul’s point is that we shouldn’t undo the work that God has done.
Paul is actually quoting from an Old Testament passage.
Isaiah 63:7-9.
God has high hopes for his new people who he just saved from Egypt/slavery.
Isaiah 63:10.
But they tried to undo his work and go back to Egypt/slavery.
So, Paul’s point of us is that we need to make sure that we don’t undo God’s work by breaking the unity of the spirit and trying to “go back to Egypt.”
This is another reason why sexual immorality is so dangerous.
It grieves God’s spirit.
As I said earlier, God has redeemed us and made us into a new man.
When we commit sexual immorality, we are defiling our bodies and putting the old man back on.
We are undoing God’s redeeming work.
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