THE LIE OF SEXUALITY…

I CORINTHIANS 6:18-20: “Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” NASB

OBSERVATION: What is the lie of sexuality that is being pushed from every corner of society today? What is behind the current cultural wars that have made the month of June a focus to push and promote alternative lifestyles that are not embraced or practiced by the vast majority of our population?

Everyone is aware of the recent backlash against two corporate giants who have chosen to push this agenda against the wishes of the general populace. Anheuser Bush and Target Corporation have both lost billions of dollars as middle America has pushed back at their attempt to force a sexual agenda upon the general population.

To be a Christian, and to take a Biblical stand in this present-day culture is to be labeled a hater, a homophobe, a bigot, and one whose opinion is the cause of all the evil in our society. If everyone would simply understand that love is love and embrace all forms and expressions of sexuality then everyone could live in peace and love would prevail!

This is the great lie of sexuality!

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, makes it very clear that sexual sin is unlike any other sin. It is not greater than any other sin but it has consequences unlike any other sin. When a person violates Biblical principles of sexuality, which is between one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage, they are sinning against themselves and bringing personal harm upon themselves both physically and emotionally.

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

The truth of this statement is found in the rapid spread of incurable sexually transmitted diseases that are transmitted between people who engage in sex outside of the covenant of marriage. This is true for both heterosexuals and homosexuals. One man and one woman, living in a faithful monogamous relationship within the marriage covenant, are protected and immune from these diseases. Yet, those who ignore God’s moral standards, sin against their own bodies and the result is severe physical and emotional hurt.

What is the lie of sexuality?

The lie of sexuality is that moral guidelines are but archaic restrictions from narrow-minded interpretations of the Bible. To be genuinely enlightened is to understand that love is love and that every expression of love between two people is acceptable and to be celebrated. Yet, when there are no standards for morality, who will establish the line of decency? We see this line rapidly moving. When our children are being targeted and recruited to embrace immoral standards we need to sound the alarm!

There is something that is not human behind all of this. Satan and his demonic hosts have pulled out all the stops in pushing this agenda in our culture. The church has sat quietly on the sidelines for much of this battle and many have begun to embrace the lie. What a vast majority don’t understand is that Satan is trying to destroy God’s image from our lives and culture. Paul gives us further insight when he writes,

• “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”

Sexual immorality is a frontal assault on the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we allow this temple, our bodies, to be defiled, we both grieve the Holy Spirit and we become ineffective in our witness. The enemy knows this. One who is engaged in any form of immorality is bound and held captive to their own destruction. There are physical and emotional consequences. A life that is broken in this way is ineffective in being a light to a world that is lost in sin. This is exactly what the enemy of our souls wants!

So how do we take a stand against this onslaught against Biblical moral values? Do we raise our fists in anger? Do we protest and march in the streets? Do we respond in shock and disapproval to those who embrace the immoral standards of the day? Paul points us in a different direction and a different focus.

• “For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

What the world needs today is not another angry mob. We already have too many of these. What the world needs today is a light – a light to shine in the darkness to show that there is a better way. Only Jesus can free us from all forms of sin and bondage – including sexual immorality. When we repent of our sins and put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior His blood cleanses us. Jesus’ death on the cross is the price that has set us free. Salvation is an exchange of ownership and it comes with new responsibilities.

We are no longer our own. We have been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. We have willingly surrendered our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and we now view our bodies as more than something with which to pursue pleasure. Our bodies are to be lights of God’s glory and love. We are to be vessels of the Holy Spirit’s presence that extends the love of God and His truth to those who are bound in sin and lost in darkness.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live in sexual freedom so that we can rescue others and show them the way!

This is vastly different than taking a megaphone while standing on a street corner condemning those who walk by. We must be willing to be moved with compassion toward those who are lost and bound by such strong ties of sin and attacks against their own person. We must not water down the truth of God’s Word but we must be broken for the lost condition of those who are pushing the agenda of sexual immorality. And, we must be willing to lovingly and truthfully call them to Jesus Christ.

The answer is not tolerance. The answer is compassion. Compassion moves us to call men and women to repentance because we know so much is at stake. Those promoting pride are walking toward a personal cliff from which many will be destroyed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There is no salvation apart from the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood calls us to a life of freedom and sexual wholeness. His blood calls us to a life of purpose. His blood calls us to a life of singleness or a life lived within the marriage covenant between one man and one woman.

Lord, break my heart for those who are lost in sexual immorality. Grant me the grace to keep my mind and heart clean from sexual sin so that I can be a light of Your glory and love. Give me wisdom and compassion so that I can call people to repentance and freedom with the love of Jesus Christ. In all things – guide my way!

In Jesus’ Name!