When your life is out of alignment with God’s Word, you will almost certainly experience painful consequences. Many have experienced the life-shattering results of making poor decisions about their sexual morality. Improper relationships, pornography, and sexual confusion are common in our world today, and they have destroyed many lives. Let best-selling author Tony Evans show you how to break free from sexual sin.
The Urban Alternative (Tony Evans)
Day 1
Scriptures: Genesis 2:25, Hebrews 13:4
All around us we can see the disastrous results of sexual immorality. Yet despite these consequences of sexual immorality, our culture promotes it like it is the best thing since sliced bread. We are a sex-saturated society. The internet, television, music, conversations, and books are obsessed with it.
Sexual sin is wreaking havoc on our nation and world. Not just by what it does to the human psyche and the resulting negative impact on true intimacy, but also by the diseases which have run rampant due to sexual immorality.
And while your own sexual history may not have produced such serious consequences, most of us can look back and say with regret, “I wish I hadn’t done that.”
We need to remember that sex was created by heaven, not Hollywood. It was God’s idea, and the Bible tells us that God called it “good” (Genesis 1:31). Sex is good. In its proper context, sex is very good. But Satan is an expert at taking what has been created by God for good and perverting it into something very bad. Therefore, we desperately need God’s guidance about sex.
What kind of consequences have you experienced from your own poor choices about sex or those of someone else?
Day 2
Scriptures: Proverbs 5, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Our desire for sexual intimacy is rooted in our spiritual connection to God’s covenant. Initially, sexual relations serve as a way to inaugurate and set in motion the marriage covenant, which is sealed and confirmed by the first marital sexual encounter.
Our culture has taken something that was given to us as an enjoyable gift for marriage and has removed its covenant aspect. When the purpose of the activity is removed, the activity itself becomes meaningless and without boundaries.
In a fireplace, a fire is a beautiful thing. It warms the room. But when the sparks fly and are allowed to go anywhere and everywhere, they will burn down the entire house. God created a fireplace for sex, and He called it marriage. But we have allowed the sparks of sex to go outside of the fireplace. As a result, we are experiencing a destructive burning in our lives and relationships.
Scripture addresses a whole plethora of sexual deviations in Leviticus 18. This chapter covers areas such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, and more. It goes over all the ways in which humanity has lost sight of God’s intent and design in sexual relations. The entirety of Proverbs 5 warns against adultery, outlining the damage that it does. In Job 31:9-12, we read about the realm of destruction sexual immorality brings to oneself and others. And Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 that the proof that we are growing spiritually is when we are controlling sexual desire and it is no longer controlling us.
You know how much you are progressing spiritually by how well you are able to manage your sexual desires. So, make it a priority to be obedient to God in this area of your life.
Are there areas of sexual morality where you struggle? Are you ready to give these over to God and practice obedience to His Word?
Day 3
Scriptures: Hebrews 4:16, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
The consequences for sexual sin have been reversed at the cross of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, far too many of us condemn ourselves or others to such a degree that we elongate the consequences or deepen their cuts by living in a state of shame, guilt, or blame.
But, in Christ, there is no condemnation. He has also dealt with shame, guilt, and blame. They are not of Christ. You are to allow the grace of Jesus to motivate you to live a life of holiness. Grace does not mean you are to cover up your sin as you continue to do it. But when you choose to repent and turn from sin, Jesus is there to help you to your feet and to set you on the path of moral purity. The consequences of sexual sin have been reversed at the cross of Jesus.
Let grace guide you. Choosing to remain in a state of shame, guilt, regret, or bitterness over sexual immorality will only compound the consequences. Sexual immorality then becomes the first snowball that creates an avalanche of negative results due to the emotional, spiritual, and physical responses to the sin. But when you allow yourself to forgive yourself, or forgive someone else who may have mistreated you, or forgive your parents who may have divorced due to sexual sin, or whatever the case may be—you let go of condemnation.
Letting go of condemnation allows you to grab hold of grace. It is grace that will enable you to deny future ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly. It is grace that can set you on the right path of hope, peace, and love.
Will you trust that God’s grace has covered your guilt and shame?