undefiled

Read > 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin (v. 3).

My husband and I have enjoyed ministering to young people for nearly two decades. So as I read the local wedding announcements, I often see the names and faces of former students who used to be in our church’s youth group. One day, while reading a random announcement of a couple I didn’t recognize, I became even more aware of the brokenness of our society. The picture of the happy couple seemed to deny any consequences of their having celebrated their honeymoon 3 months prior to their wedding.

Sadly, sex outside of marriage has become the norm, even within the church. We have our justifications, telling ourselves that sexual sin is okay because we deserve to be happy or that we’re going to get married soon anyway. Thinking we know more than God, we’ve made our own rules and broken His commands. The result continues to be disastrous – especially because forbidden sin feels good.

Our flesh wants all the benefits of sexual pleasure without the boundaries of God’s Word, but Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honour among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled” (NASB). Sexual purity goes beyond the body to the heart (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Are we willing to trust God’s standards because we’re confident of His love? Or will we do things our way because His way seems unfair or too hard?

God designed sex to be something good (Genesis 2:24), and the honour of a man and the beauty of a woman radiates from his or her choice “not to awaken love until the time is right” (Song of Solomon 2:7). The world says whenever, but God says only within marriage. Our actions reveal whether we believe Him or not. – Regina Franklin

More >

·         1 Corinthians 6:13

·         Ephesians 5:1-5

·         Colossians 3:5-6

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In what ways do we try to get around God’s rules about sex? Why must our motivation to avoid sexual impurity be greater than our fear of the consequences?