Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 1 Title: BEING FAITHFUL THROUGH SEXUAL TEMPTATION Series: Foundations of Faithfulness Text: (Gen 39:9c) Sexual temptation today is everywhere. It use to be that if you wanted to get involved in that kind of thing you really had to go and search for it. This is no longer the case. Television and the commercials have become raunchier and raunchier. Computers have made it easy to access pornography. Cities like Las Vegas advertise that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, giving the idea that you can be unfaithful and not have to worry about the consequences. However, God said in (Num 32:23)...and be sure your sin will find you out. As a result of the abundance of sexually explicit material, there has been a rise in sexual abuse and rape. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. College age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. In 2007 there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault. Every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. 73% of rape victims know their attacker. 60% of sexual assault cases are never reported. 1 Because of unfaithfulness in the marriage there has been an increase in the number of divorces. It is estimated that between 40 percent and 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce in the United States. In some countries, divorce rates for first marriages exceed 50 percent. Second and third marriages in the United States have even higher divorce rates. According to statistics, second marriages fail at a rate of 60-67 percent, and third marriages fail at a rate of 73-74 percent. 2 With as much sexual temptation that s around today, can a Christian really be faithful to the Lord? The obvious answer to this is YES! We must remember what God said... (1 Cor 10:13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Let s take a look at some steps that will help us remain faithful through sexual temptation. 1 http://www.rainn.org/statistics 2 http://ezinearticles.com/?statistics-of-divorce&id=1468444
Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 2 STEP 1 START BELIEVING THE BIBLE! 1. We need to believe the warnings Solomon gave to his son. a. Those who give in to sexual appetites are void of understanding (Pro 7:7). (Pro 6:32) b. Those who give in to sexual appetites will pay a great price (Pro 6:25-35) (7:22-23, 26-27). c. Those who give in to sexual appetites try to hide it from others, but they can never hide it from God (Pro 7:9). (Jer 23:24) Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD. d. Those who give in to sexual appetites have given in to the lies it promises (Pro 7:13-21). 2. We need to believe the Bible when it warns us that no one is exempt from this (Pro 6:27-28). (1 Cor 10:11-12) Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. a. No matter your age, you are not exempt. I know of an 80 year old man who molested his 9 year old granddaughter. b. No matter your gender, you are not exempt. In the military I sat in a room full of 15 young female soldiers who embarrassed me so badly with their talk of sex that I had to leave. c. No matter your occupation, you are not exempt. Kings have fallen victim to this Solomon and David. On the island of Majuro we had a radio station that played a 5 minute lesson from a preacher of a very large church. I got an email one day to take the program off the air because the preacher was caught looking at pornography on his computer in the church. By-the-way, I have a Christian based filter called clean internet that controls my desktop and laptop computers, and you should too. No one is exempt from this.
Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 3 STEP 2 START CORRECTING IT! 1. Being faithful through sexual temptation begins when we understand that sexual sin is against God and our own flesh. (Gen 39:9)...thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Mat 5:27-28) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Jas 1:14-15) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (Rom 6:23a) For the wages of sin is death... (1Co 6:18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 2. Being faithful through sexual temptation begins in the heart & mind. a. Joseph had made up his mind that he would not sin sexually long before the temptation ever occurred. (Gen 39:7c-8a)...and she said, Lie with me. But he refused... b. If you are going to stay pure and faithful to God, you better make up your mind that you are going to stay pure and be faithful to God. (Pro 23:7a) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... (Isa 26:3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 3. Being faithful through sexual temptation comes when you don t provide for the flesh. a. David placed himself in a position where the flesh could be easily fulfilled. Notice the steps of his sinful progression in (2 Sam 11:1-4).
Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 4 (1) HE STAYED when he should have gone (v. 1). (2) HE STROLLED to a place he should not have gone (v. 2). (3) HE SENT for what he could not have (v. 3). (4) HE SINNED with another man s wife and against God (v. 4). (5) HE SLEW an innocent man (v. 15). b. If you allow your heart and mind to stray, you ll find yourself strolling to places you shouldn t be and sending for things you ought not to have, resulting in your sinning against God and allowing the devil to slay your Christian testimony. (1) If you have a computer, get a Christian based filter. If you still can t control it, get rid of it. (2) Get rid of the movie channels and stop watching movies and shows that will cause you to lust. (3) Stop listening to music that will cause you to think about sex and make you lust. (4) Don t be alone with someone else s spouse. (5) Be careful how you compliment someone else s spouse. (6) Be careful how you talk about your spouse with other people. (7) Men, keep your eyes focused on the face of a woman, and turn your head if she s not being modest. (8) Ladies, be careful how you dress, and be careful how move with what you have on. What s modest standing still and upright might not be when you move into another position. (9) Remember you men are responsible for what you think, and you women are responsible for putting the temptation in front of them to think wrongly. 4. Being faithful through sexual temptation comes when you begin acting like a Christian. (Rom 13:14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ... a. Joseph didn t give in to sexual temptation because he was in love with Christ. b. Joseph resisted the sexual temptation daily (Gen 39:10) because he daily put on Christ. (1) Joseph was so heavenly minded that he was earthly good. (2) Every day his highest priority was pleasing God, not self. (Rom 8:8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 5 (3) Joseph was able to resist sexual temptation because he not only refused to sin, but he also refused to be around the temptation (Gen 39:10)...or to be with her. c. Joseph remained pure because he knew what to resist and what to embrace. Paul gives us three steps to remember that will help anyone overcome sexual temptation. (2 Tim 2:22) Flee also youthful lust: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. (1) FLEE Paul instructed young Timothy to flee those youthful passions that would destroy him and to think properly about women. (1 Tim 5:2) The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. Men, you start thinking of the elder women as you do your mother, and the younger women as you would your sister, and if that s not enough think on them with all purity, you ll overcome sexual temptation! (2) FOLLOW Timothy wasn t just supposed to flee, he was also to follow. He was to make it a practice in his life to live righteously, faithfully, lovingly and peaceably with all people. Someone who is always dwelling on sexual matters can t do this because they treat the opposite sex as an object to fulfil their own lusts. (3) FIND Get some Christian friends that are following God out of a pure heart. They will help you remain pure. (Pro 27:17) Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (James 4:4)...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Being Faithful Through Sexual Temptation: p. 6 CONCLUSION The world in which we live is so dominated by the sexual lusts that you would think it impossible for a Christian to remain pure. However, this is not true! It is possible or God wouldn t have commanded us to be pure. (1 Tim 5:22) Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. Look at (1 Cor 6:9). Here Paul warns us that we should not deceive ourselves, if we have an habitual practice of sexual sin and there s no Holy Spirit guilt, we are not going to heaven. The Christian that falls into sexual sin is laden with guilt by the Holy Spirit, repents of it and tries to refrain from ever doing it again. But the one who is driven with the passions of the flesh, with no guilt, never had the Holy Spirit to begin with and is still bound for hell. Christian, you can live a pure life with the Lord s help, but you must ask for God s forgiveness and begin working on living a pure life by using some of these steps that the Bible gives us to overcome a sinful habit. Sinner, if you are driven with sexual appetites and you experience no guilt, you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior for the forgiveness of your sins and begin to allow Him to clean up your mind and life. Rural Point Baptist Church: 7/15/2009 Wed. night series Foundations of Faithfulness