Fidelity and Purity: Embracing God's Gift of Sexuality
Summary
In today's reflection on the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," we delve into the profound significance of fidelity and purity in our lives. This commandment is not merely about avoiding physical infidelity but extends to the purity of our thoughts and intentions. We live in a world that often distorts the beauty of God's gift of sexuality, turning it into a source of temptation and confusion. Jesus described His generation as adulterous, and we find ourselves in a similar situation today, surrounded by influences that challenge our commitment to purity.
The story of Sam and Johnny serves as a poignant illustration of the importance of keeping promises. Just as Johnny learned the value of honoring his word to his friend, we are reminded of the sacred promises we make, particularly in marriage. The seventh commandment calls us to uphold these promises, not only in our actions but also in our thoughts, as Jesus emphasized in Matthew 5.
Understanding our sexuality through a biblical framework is crucial. God has given us the good gift of sexuality, intended to be a beautiful expression of love within the bonds of marriage. However, we all face the pressure of a fallen sexuality, where sin tempts us to misuse this gift. Yet, there is hope in Christ, who redeems every part of our lives, including our sexuality. Through His power, we can overcome the struggles of temptation and learn to forgive, fostering healing and restoration in our relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- The Importance of Keeping Promises: The story of Sam and Johnny highlights the significance of honoring commitments. In marriage, this means upholding the vows made to one another, reflecting the faithfulness God desires from us. Keeping promises strengthens relationships and builds trust, which is foundational to a healthy marriage. [09:43]
- God's Good Gift of Sexuality: Sexuality is a divine gift meant to be enjoyed within the sanctity of marriage. It is a union of body, mind, and spirit, reflecting the completeness God intended. Recognizing this helps us appreciate the beauty and purity of sexual intimacy as God designed it. [12:49]
- The Pressure of a Fallen Sexuality: Sin has distorted our understanding of sexuality, leading to misuse and self-centeredness. Recognizing this fallen nature is the first step toward seeking redemption and aligning our desires with God's purpose. [17:11]
- Christ's Redemption of Our Sexuality: Jesus came to redeem every aspect of our lives, including our sexuality. Through His power, we can overcome ingrained habits and live in purity. This redemption is not just about avoiding sin but embracing a life that honors God in body, mind, and spirit. [20:40]
- The Power of Forgiveness and Overcoming: Forgiveness is crucial in healing relationships affected by infidelity or betrayal. When one partner repents, and the other forgives, it opens the door to restoration and renewed hope. This mutual journey of overcoming and forgiving can strengthen the bond and bring healing. [33:59]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to the Seventh Commandment
- [00:41] - Sensitivity of the Topic
- [01:28] - Adulterous Generation
- [02:39] - Encouragement and Hope
- [03:47] - Children's Story: Sam and Johnny
- [06:43] - The Pain of Broken Promises
- [09:43] - The Meaning of the Seventh Commandment
- [11:00] - Biblical Framework for Sexuality
- [12:49] - The Good Gift of Sexuality
- [16:57] - The Pressure of a Fallen Sexuality
- [20:40] - Christ's Redemption of Our Sexuality
- [23:30] - Struggle to Overcome and Forgive
- [26:42] - Cultivating Love for Christ
- [30:41] - Lifelong Struggle for Purity
- [33:59] - The Power of Forgiveness
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Exodus 20:14
- Matthew 5:27-28
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
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Observation Questions:
1. What does the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," encompass beyond physical infidelity according to the sermon? [10:13]
2. How does the story of Sam and Johnny illustrate the importance of keeping promises, and what lesson does it teach about fidelity? [09:43]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the societal pressures that challenge our commitment to purity? [01:28]
4. How does the sermon describe the biblical framework for understanding our sexuality? [11:28]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 expand the understanding of adultery beyond physical actions? How does this relate to the purity of thoughts? [10:27]
2. How does the sermon interpret the concept of "fallen sexuality," and what are the implications for how we view and use God's gift of sexuality? [17:11]
3. What role does Christ's redemption play in overcoming struggles with sexuality, according to the sermon? [20:40]
4. How does the sermon suggest forgiveness can lead to healing in relationships affected by infidelity or betrayal? [33:59]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a promise you have made in your life. How can you ensure you are honoring it, especially in challenging situations? [09:43]
2. In what ways can you cultivate a biblical understanding of sexuality in your life, and how might this change your perspective on relationships? [11:28]
3. Identify a specific area where you feel societal pressure regarding purity. How can you seek support or accountability to remain faithful to your values? [01:28]
4. Consider a past struggle with temptation. How can you apply the sermon’s teachings on Christ’s redemption to find strength and hope in overcoming it? [20:40]
5. Think of a relationship in your life that may need healing. What steps can you take towards forgiveness and restoration, and how can you invite Christ into this process? [33:59]
6. How can you actively work on aligning your thoughts with God's purpose, especially in areas where you feel tempted? What practical steps can you take this week? [10:43]
7. Reflect on the concept of "the power of a new affection" mentioned in the sermon. How can you cultivate a deeper love for Christ that helps you overcome old habits? [26:17]
Devotional
Day 1: The Sacredness of Promises
The story of Sam and Johnny serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of keeping promises. In marriage, this means upholding the vows made to one another, reflecting the faithfulness God desires from us. Keeping promises strengthens relationships and builds trust, which is foundational to a healthy marriage. The seventh commandment calls us to honor these commitments, not only in our actions but also in our thoughts, as Jesus emphasized in Matthew 5. By doing so, we mirror the faithfulness of God in our own lives and relationships. [09:43]
"Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." (Matthew 5:37, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a promise you have made recently. How can you ensure that you honor this commitment today, reflecting God's faithfulness in your actions and thoughts?
Day 2: Embracing God's Design for Sexuality
Sexuality is a divine gift meant to be enjoyed within the sanctity of marriage. It is a union of body, mind, and spirit, reflecting the completeness God intended. Recognizing this helps us appreciate the beauty and purity of sexual intimacy as God designed it. In a world that often distorts this gift, understanding our sexuality through a biblical framework is crucial. It allows us to see it as a beautiful expression of love within the bonds of marriage, aligning our desires with God's purpose. [12:49]
"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, ESV)
Reflection: How can you celebrate and honor the gift of sexuality in your life today, in a way that aligns with God's design and purpose?
Day 3: Recognizing the Distortion of Sin
Sin has distorted our understanding of sexuality, leading to misuse and self-centeredness. Recognizing this fallen nature is the first step toward seeking redemption and aligning our desires with God's purpose. The pressure of a fallen sexuality can be overwhelming, but acknowledging this struggle is crucial. It opens the door to seeking Christ's redemption and aligning our lives with His will, allowing us to overcome the temptations that lead us away from God's design. [17:11]
"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world." (1 John 2:16, ESV)
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where sin has distorted your understanding of sexuality. How can you begin to seek God's redemption in this area today?
Day 4: Experiencing Christ's Redemption
Jesus came to redeem every aspect of our lives, including our sexuality. Through His power, we can overcome ingrained habits and live in purity. This redemption is not just about avoiding sin but embracing a life that honors God in body, mind, and spirit. By allowing Christ to redeem our sexuality, we can experience true freedom and joy, living in a way that reflects His love and grace. [20:40]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)
Reflection: What is one habit or thought pattern you need Christ to redeem in your life? How can you invite His transformative power into this area today?
Day 5: The Healing Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is crucial in healing relationships affected by infidelity or betrayal. When one partner repents, and the other forgives, it opens the door to restoration and renewed hope. This mutual journey of overcoming and forgiving can strengthen the bond and bring healing. Embracing forgiveness allows us to move forward, fostering healing and restoration in our relationships, and reflecting the grace and mercy of Christ. [33:59]
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32, ESV)
Reflection: Is there someone you need to forgive or seek forgiveness from today? How can you take a step towards healing and restoration in that relationship?
Quotes
"Jesus described his generation you remember as being an adulterous generation remember Jesus used that phrase a wicked and adulterous generation that's how he described his own times an adulterous generation of course is a generation that has become confused in attitude and disordered in behavior in the whole area of sex and there is no doubt whatsoever that we live in an adulterous generation." [00:54:25]
"Johnny said Sam I want you to come to my party we're gonna have a sleepover then it's going to be fishing it's just gonna be the two of us it's on Friday and it's gonna be awesome well Johnny was really excited because Sam was his best friend and Johnny really liked going to Sam's house for a sleepover it'll be great he said to Sam you will definitely come said Sam because you're the only person I've invited to the party." [04:37:52]
"Johnny told me he was coming to my party he said to his mum he said he was my best friend he promised he'd come and then after a while Sam got angry I don't care if Johnny doesn't come to my party he said I hate him and he's never going to be my best friend again well Johnny wasn't very happy when he went home either he had been invited to two parties and he knew he had to make up his mind he promised to go to Sam's he wanted to go to Luke's what was he going to do so he decided to ask his dad." [06:39:41]
"Johnny smiled to himself he felt good in sight and he was so glad that it kept his promise now that's what the seventh commandment is all about it's about keeping your promise and at the simplest level that we can understand as children the importance of keeping a promise even when we're young that story is also a very profound parable in all of its dimensions for our adult understanding of the seventh commandment and all that it says to us." [09:37:26]
"God has given us the good gift of our sexuality God has given us the good gift of our sexuality and I want to emphasize that phrase the good gift it was in the beginning that God created them male and female this was God's idea this is wonderful think of what that means the first sexual thought in the universe was in the mind of God and the first sexual thought in the universe was absolutely pure." [11:30:54]
"Now I say this because this is very important especially for those who may have been brought up with a negative view of these things we read this morning earlier from the book of Hebrews that says that the marriage bed is to be kept pure and the reason of course that it is to be kept pure is that it is pure and some need the help from the scriptures of really seeing that God has made this wonderful and beautiful and pure gift within the bonds of marriage." [12:43:20]
"The entrance of sin into the world has affected every area of Our Lives the effects vary but all of us live with the effects of a fallen sexuality that means that we're tempted to take God's good gift and to use it wrongly to use it not as a means of expressing love within marriage but of a means of finding release or of fulfillment the proper place of sexual Union the Bible makes clear is within a loving and a lifelong marriage a partnership of one man and one woman." [16:57:12]
"Christ has come to redeem our sexuality Christ has come to redeem every part of your life Christianity is not just about the saving of your soul it is about the redeeming of your life that is why the New Testament speaks about every dimension of our life Paul says may the God of Peace sanctify you through and through your whole Spirit soul and body be kept blameless until the coming of Jesus." [20:34:15]
"Now forgiving isn't easy but your forgiveness your love your support can play a huge part in the healing of these wounds it is often the case within the life of the church that sexual issues are dealt with primarily on a man's Retreat it seems to be where we debate these issues and there's nothing wrong with that it's a good thing to do we should do it but I have become increasingly convinced that the best Hope For Real Change with married folks in this area is when a husband and a wife face these issues together." [31:27:50]
"Repentance is something to be embraced remember the story of The Prodigal Son he begins this long journey home in a spirit of true repentance and all the way on that long journey he must have been wondering in his mind how am I going to be received how am I going to be received how's it going to be when I get home and the most wonderful thing the single most wonderful thing in this story that we all know so well is that the father goes out to meet the son see God meets us in our repentance." [33:20:29]
"If he can learn to overcome you can learn to forgive there are two struggles here and think about it the healing of the one can be the healing of the other either way around and when one partnered in a marriage is ready to make a break with patterns of the past and the other is ready to meet that repentance and to walk together the rest of the way home there is great hope for the future you can overcome you can forgive and what God has joined together let no man separate." [34:32:26]
"Father seal your word into our hearts that we may receive it and respond to it with faith for Jesus sake amen." [34:48:59]
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