A Male's Perspective
For most of us, becoming ensnared by sexual sin happened easily and naturally, like slipping off an icy log. Why is that? As we'll see later, our maleness brings us a natural vulnerability to sexual sin. But for now let's explore how the fickle human heart makes us vulnerable as well.
Perhaps you've mustered the hope that you would someday be free from sexual sin and expected to grow out of its as naturally as you grew into it like outgrowing acne. Perhaps you waited with each birthday for your sexual impurity to clear up. It never did. Later you assumed you'd be freed naturally through marriage. But as for many of us that didn't happen either.
Testimony From Fred: Misplaced Confidence
When Mark signed up for my pre-marriage class, he told me, "The whole problem of impurity has been a mess. I've been hooked for years, and I'm counting on marriage to free me, I'll be able to have sex whenever I want it. Satan won't be able to tempt me at all!"
When we got together a few years later, I wasn't surprised to hear that marriage hadn't fixed the problem. "You know, Fred, my wife doesn't desire sex as often as I do," he said. Oh, really? I don't want to seem like a sex addict or anything, but I probably have as many unmet desires now
as I did before marriage.
On top of all that some areas of sexual exploration seem embarrassing or immodest to her. Sometimes she even calls them "kinky." I think she's rather prudish, but what do I say?" In our experience, not much!
What's Going On Here?
When marriage doesn't immediately solve our problem, we cling to the hope that, given enough time, marriage may yet free us. Andy told us, "I once read that a man's sex drive drops in his thirties and forties, while a woman's sex drive reaches its peak during that time. for a while, I thought that Jill and I would meet in some blissful middle ground. It didn't happen."
But freedom from sexual sin rarely comes through marriage or the passage of time. (The phrase "dirty old man" should tell us something about that.) So if you're tired of sexual impurity and of the mediocre, distant relationship with God that results from it, quit waiting for marriage or some hormone drop to save the day.
If you want to change recognize that you're impure because you've diluted God;s standard of sexual purity with your own.
Source: Every Man's Battle Author Stephan Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
Here is how God responded to sexual impurity:
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment