THE SEDUCTION OF SENSUALITY

“With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life. Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7:21-27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Will our life be directed by a mind of wisdom, or will it be driven by carnal passions?  The Holy Spirit can govern and guide us in alignment with Scripture or we can surrender to the baser instincts of the flesh.  It is a daily battle in a fallen world, and we must arm young people with truth so they may resist the downward drag.

Our world is obsessed with sensuality. Advertisers use it to capture our attention in selling everything from hamburgers to automobiles to tropical vacations and more.  Pornographers lure our children into sexual addiction through the internet. Where one once had to sneak into some dark alley and find some purveyor of smut, it is now just a click away.

How many homes are wrecked because of unfaithfulness to marriage?  There have been scores of men and women I have counseled across the years, whose hearts have been broken by a spouse’s unfaithfulness.  It seems daily there is a news story of a teacher seducing a student, or a murder of a spouse carried out by a conspiring man and his mistress.  Then, there are the unplanned pregnancies and the wanton destruction of the babies by abortion.

Sexual sin takes its toll.  Sensual, sinful acts breed disease.  Many will carry a sexually transmitted disease to their grave, and that grave may be opened far sooner than it ought.  We dug it ourselves by our folly.  This is the high cost of low-living.  The pleasure is real, but the price tag is far too expensive. 

LOVE OR LUST?

“Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:15-18)

Sex is not sinful.  God invented it.  He wired us up as sexual beings—male and female.  Indeed, it is for the procreation of the species, but more than that—it is for the pleasure of the spouses.  There is a binding power that goes beyond the physical—extending into the spiritual and emotional realm, when the two become one flesh.

The problem is that this powerful force has become perverted through sin.  What many call, “making love,” is actually fulfilling lust.  It is not about giving to the other person, but getting from them.  Coming together as husband and wife in the commitment of marriage is a wondrous thing, but to do so outside of that covenant relationship is a wicked thing.  The former is delightful and the latter destructive. God’s commandments are not meant to kill our joy, but to kindle it with a holy fire.

Think of it this way.  A fire contained inside a wood stove will heat your house all winter, but let that fire escape confinement and it will burn your house down.  That is the way sexual expression is.  In the arms of your mate, it will keep the relationship warm, but in the arms of an immoral person, it will consume you.  You can look at a fence in two ways.  You can view it as a barrier to keep you from getting something you want, or you can see it as a protection to guard something from harm.  The Lord took sex and put it behind a fence called marriage, and he did it to preserve our joy—not to prevent it.

Adults, let us model faithfulness to marriage.  Let us teach our children  and grandchildren the truth that the world mocks.  Young reader, heed this message.  You will be glad you did.  If we have failed, let us repent and renew our commitment to God’s wisdom.

A PURE WALK IN A PORNOGRAPHIC WORLD

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality....  (I Thessalonians 4:3)

Playboy magazine has decided to stop publishing nude pictures.  The pioneers of porn can no longer profitably produce that which is available for free in the most graphic form to anyone on the internet.  We live in a pornographic world.  Yet, the Bible calls us to a pure walk in this evil environment.  One must stay very close to God not to go astray—but you can.  That is the thrust of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

God is not against sex.  He invented it.  Sex within marriage is wonderful.  God's design is not just for the procreation of the species, but the pleasure of the spouse.  Genesis 2 portrays the beauty of husband and wife, naked and unashamed.  Fire within a stove will keep your house warm, but if it gets out it will burn it down.  The fire of sex can keep a marriage hot, but outside those bounds becomes destructive.  God doesn't want to keep us from pleasure, but from pain.  He does not mean to deny sex, but to delay it until their is a covenant relationship.  

Yet, premarital sex seems the accepted thing.  It is the thought of "test driving a car"--but, people are not vehicles.  It's not just the vice of teens and young adults--senior adults are increasingly shacking up for financial considerations.  

Not only is premarital sex a sin, but so is extramarital sex.  That is adultery.  It is a betrayal of trust.  

We further are forbidden to yield to “passion of lust” (v.5).  Other translations render this “passionate desire”; “concupiscence”; “lustful desire”  The Greek word is epithymia and it means surrender to sensuality and sexual obsession. That fuels the billion dollar porn industry—no longer just for lecherous old men, but epidemic even among women.  The rise of child pornography, sexual violence, homosexuality, and all kinds of perversion is due to this surrender to sensuality (see Rom.1:24-32).  Lust has an insatiable appetite—never appeased.

Another evil is expressed as to “take advantage of and defraud” (v.6).  Other translations render it: “overstepping the rights of and wronging” ; “transgress and wrong” ; “take advantage of and exploit.”   It is a composite of two Greek terms meaning to raise desires that cannot be legitimately fulfilled and taking that which is not yours.  Those desires are raised by provocative dress, sexual innuendo, and physical contact that may stop short of intercourse, but nevertheless is immoral.  You don’t have to go all the way to go too far!  We show portions of our anatomy that should only be seen by our spouse and touch portions of the body meant only for our mate.  

The positive dimension of this is a call to sanctification and holiness.  This means to be set apart for God.  It calls for consecration (v.1-3a).  We are to present our body to God.  We belong to Him.  He created us and redeemed us, so that we are doubly His.  This consecration should lead to control (v.4).   It is possible or God wouldn’t command it.  We may argue, “I’m only human.” Not if you’re a child of God!  You are a partaker of the Divine nature now!  An additional help is to meditate on the consequences of sexual sin (v.6-8),  This is not something to take lightly.  God does not.  Forgiveness is possible, but let us not use grace as an excuse for disobedience!

STAYING CLEAN IN A SEXUALIZED CULTURE

 

How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”  (Genesis 39:9b)

Sex is used to sell everything from hamburgers to video games.  You cannot access the internet or go to a movie without encountering temptation.  Wherever you turn, you will see more flesh than you should and hear more lurid conversation than you ought.  Ours is a sex-saturated society.  Yet, God calls His people to holiness.  How is this possible?  The story of Joseph helps us understand how to stay clean in a sexualized culture.

We note THE DANGER THAT HE FACED (Gen.39:1-7).  Joseph was a red-blooded young man with all the sexual desire any man his age possesses.  God has wired us up that way.  He has also, however, established marriage to be the place where that joyful experience is celebrated.  Sin—in whatever form—is exceeding the boundaries God has established.  Temptation came to Joseph as he goes through his normal course of life.  The challenge to our purity will arise, the issue is how we will respond to it.

There was THE DECISION THAT HE FORTIFIED (v.8-9).  Joseph had developed moral convictions.  His prompt reaction shows he had thought this matter through and was prepared for the crisis.  He knew God’s demands, and was determined to follow them.  With each decision made to stand, that commitment was fortified.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  (Rom.12:2)  We are either being conformed to the world or transformed by the Word.

So came THE DEFILEMENT THAT HE FLED (v.10-12).  You don’t have to go looking for temptation—it will come seeking you.  It did for Joseph.  His temptation was not an occasional matter, but a continual challenge.  Then came the moment when he had no choice but to run—the fire was too hot!  We cannot get away from all temptation in the world we live in, but there comes the point in which we must, “Flee sexual immorality.” (1 Cor.6:18a).  It may mean installing internet monitoring software, getting an accountability partner, not traveling out of town alone, or something else, but linger long enough near the edge of that polluted stream, and you will one day dive in!

Still, there was THE DIFFICULTY THAT HE FACED (v.13-20).  We have heard the expression, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” and this story illustrates it.  If we decide to stand for God, don’t assume that means you are free from trouble.  The world will seek the downfall of the godly.  If they can’t find a legitimate means of attack, then they will spread false accusation.  Satan will then whisper, “See, what serving God gets you!”  As Joseph was isolated in a prison cell, those who seek holiness will feel very much alone—on an island in an ocean of pleasure-seekers.

Yet, there was THE DELIGHT THAT HE FOUND (v.21-23).  God blessed Him despite his circumstances.  The Lord still had a wonderful plan for his future.  Had he yielded to sin, he would have disqualified himself.  Instead, God favored his faithful servant.  Trust Him!  He will help you stay clean in a sexualized culture—and in the end it is rewarded.