Saturday, January 14, 2012

In a culture that looks at self as ultimate.


You’re in a culture that looks at self as the ultimate, where God is missing as the highest priority, and pleasure is thought of as the highest experience, it is no wonder that sexuality has become such a dominant force. Sex provides a powerful pathway to instant physical pleasure. It will provide a powerful form of false worship. It is impossible to arrive at a balanced view of sexuality without abandoning a philosophy that leaves God out and makes human satisfaction your primary focus.

First, sex is a key way that you expresses worship. Romans 1:18-27 portrays sex as a principal way in which you reveal who or what is really ruling your life. Sexual sin is by its very nature idolatrous-that is, it is a place where you refuse to live for God's glory, where you exchange worship and service of the Creator for worship and service of the created thing (v. 25). Sexual sin is driven by the sinful desires of the heart rather than a desire to live by God's principles for His pleasure. It is a place where you would exchange the protection and freedom of God's truth for a host of self-serving lies.

Sex is presented in Scripture as a principal way you express your submission to or rebellion against God. You either submit your heart and body to God's higher agenda, or else use your heart and body to get what is pleasurable when and where you wish.
You need to see that life is worship. From this perspective, you are either living actively in a covenant with God, hoping in His promises and obeying His commands, relying on His grace, and desiring His glory OR you are living in an idol covenant where some aspect of you as his creation has replaced the Creator and personal pleasure and the glory of self has been enthroned.

Second, sex is a key way you express your identity (1 Cor. 6:12-20). The question is, 'Will you live out your identity as a creature of God or will you live as your own god with no higher agenda than your own satisfaction?' In 1 Corinthians 6 The Holy Spirit’s says: 'If you are ever going to remain sexually pure, you must understand who you are as a child of God, and you must make choices that flow from that identity.'

You are a servant of Christ. 'Everything is permissible for you but do not be mastered by anything.' Christ has freed you from the bondage from the cravings of the sinful nature, not for self-directed liberty but to the wonderful freedom found only as you accept your voluntary service to Him. Your sexual life will express either a joyful submission to Christ or a union to another master.

You are an eternal being. Your identity as a believer reminds you that this life is not all there is. Neither the sufferings nor the pleasures of this present moment are worthy to be compared with the glory that is to come.

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