125 Freedom: Overcoming Sexual Sin Key Verses: Matthew 5:27-29 - You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. v.28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. v.29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. Hebrews 13:4 - Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Objective: We live in a sexually saturated society where many people believe that they can act on their sexual impulses without any consequences. This is one of the enormous lies of our generation. Millions of people today act out every sexual whim and they wonder why their lives are falling apart. In this lesson, we want to discover the truth about sex and learn how to safeguard ourselves against the devastation of sexual sin. 1) God created sex. a) Sex with God. i) God created Adam and Eve and united them as the first couple. Therefore, God established, presided over, and celebrated the first wedding. God s original design for sex and marriage was established by God in the creation of the first couple.
126 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. - Genesis 2:24 (1) The last part of the verse and they shall become one flesh makes a reference to the intimate physical union of the couple, the sexual aspect. (2) This does not include shame. On the contrary, it reflects the freedom to know each other without inhibitions. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. - Genesis 2:25 (3) God sees sex as something that is natural and He is pleased with it when his followers enjoy this gift within the parameters He has established. b) Three Designed Purposes for Sex i) : The Advancement of God s Kingdom (1) God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:27-28 - So God created man in his own image male and female he created them. v.28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (2) Children are the heritage of the Lord. Psalm 127:3-5 - Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. v.4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one s youth. v.5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!... (a) The Fruit of the Womb (b) A Reward from God (c) Warriors in God s Army
127 : Intimacy in Marriage (1) There is a physical and spiritual union that can only be experienced through the sex life of a godly married couple. (2) This is why we have the warning in Scripture of uniting sexually with someone other than our God-called spouse. 1 Corinthians 6:15, 16 - Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! v.16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, The two will become one flesh. i : The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 - Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. v.19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, v.20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1) How a believer handles himself sexually either brings glory to God or disgrace to His name. (2) Every time we use any of our gifts for its intended purpose, God is glorified. (3) Physical lovemaking in marriage is as much a part of what it means to honor God with your body as refusing to go to bed with a prostitute! 2) The world abuses sex. a) The world s mindset regarding sex is contrary to God s plan and purpose for human sexuality.
128 i) Colossians 2:8 NLT - Don t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 1 Peter 2:11 NLT - Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. b) Three worldly Deceptions Regarding Sex: i) Sex is purely. As we have already pointed out in Scripture, sex is not just physical. It is not just an instinct for humans, but is deeply emotional and spiritual because God designed sex that way. Sexual intimacy creates memories that we carry for the rest of our lives. Sex is no. (1) Sex is a big deal. Sex outside of marriage is sin. (2) Sexual sin has consequences: sexual addictions, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, unwanted emotional attachments, broken marriages i Sex outside of marriage is. There are four forms of sex outside of marriage condemned in the Bible. (1) Sex With an Unmarried Person of the Opposite Sex Fornication, Prostitution, Incest - In most of your Bibles, this will be translated as sexual immorality. God says that it is wrong. (Leviticus 18:6; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 12:16; 13:4; Revelation 21:8 and 22:15.)
129 (2) Sex With a Married Person Who is Not Your Spouse Adultery (Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4) (3) Sex With a Person of the Same Sex - Homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; 1 Kings 14:24; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9) (4) Sex With Animals - Bestiality (Leviticus 18:23; 20:15-16; Deuteronomy 27:21) 3) Godly people refuse to be defiled by sexual sin. Hebrews 13:4 - Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. a) The Bible never talks about sex without also thinking about marriage. b) The worldly media and the anti-bible populace characterize Christians as prudes, religious fanatics, who are repressed and try to restrict everyone else s fun. And yet, the Bible often speaks bluntly and openly about the pleasure of sex with the safe boundaries of marriage. i) Proverbs 5:15-19 NIV - Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. v.16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? v.17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. v.18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. v.19 A loving doe, a graceful deer may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. The Song of Solomon is a beautiful poetic book that talks about the love, romance and, sexual fulfillment in the safe confines of godly marriage. c) Practical Steps to Safeguard Against Sexual Sin:
130 i) Strengthen your relationship with God. (1) Falling into sexual sin usually begins with small concessions that open the door to temptation. This is why Jesus warned us about lust and fantasy in the mind. Matthew 5:27-28 - You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery v.28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (a) For men, sexual sin usually begins with a covetous look. (b) For women, it most often begins with what she hears. It is dangerous when a woman permits flattery or pretty words to entice a desire for more. (2) The best way to avoid falling is by strengthening one s prayer life and dependence on God s Word. Prepare yourself to confront temptation. Temptation can often come in the least expected moment and in the most unusual form. For this reason, it is wise to take precautions so that it won t take you by surprise. Five Safeguards Against Adultery: (1) Don t start anything inappropriate. (a) Guard your. Don t let your gaze linger. Don t look lustfully. (bounce your eyes) (b) Guard your. Don t speak flirtatiously or using inappropriate flattery. Don t share intimate desires or disappointments with someone of the opposite sex. (c) Guard your. Refuse to listen to inappropriate comments made by
131 flirtatious people. (d) Guard your. Be careful not to cause temptation through touch. (2) Listen to your spouse. If you are married, your partner will often discern if a relationship seems inappropriate. (3) on the other person! If someone begins to quietly come on to you, expose it! Tell your partner that very day. Don t wait until tomorrow to see if it happens again; tell your spouse before you go to bed. Your spouse is supposed to be the most important person in your life. Let them help you deal with the problem. (4) Don t spend time alone with a person of the opposite sex. Proverbs 6:27-29 - Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? v.28 Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? v.29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. (5) Drink from your own. Proverbs 5:15 NLT - Drink water from your own well share your love only with your wife. (a) Be satisfied with the love of your spouse. (b) Both partners should work to keep romance, affection, and sex a high priority in the marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 NLT - But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. v.3 The husband should fulfill his wife s sexual needs, and
132 the wife should fulfill her husband s needs. v.4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. v.5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. You are an Overcomer For sin will have no dominion over you - Romans 6:14
133 1. One of the three designed purposes of sex is oneness in marriage. If you are married, how is that working for you? What steps could you take this week to increase intimacy with your spouse in oneness? 2. Which of the three worldly deceptions did you have the most problem with prior to becoming a believer in Jesus? How has your thinking on this belief changed? 3. Which of the practical steps to safeguard against sexual sin do you need to put into practice going forward? 4. Talk through the five safeguards against adultery. Pastor taught that the Song of Solomon is a beautiful poetic book in the Old Testament that talks about the love, romance, and sexual fulfillment in the safe confines of godly marriage. Consider reading that short book with your spouse over the course of the next week and discuss how it could apply to your own marital relationship.