WEBVTT 00:00:00.300 --> 00:00:06.960 It is not easy to be pure in thought and in deed, 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:10.000 living in a culture that is as saturated with 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:17.760 sex as ours is. And yet, if we live according 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.839 to the wisdom of the Word of God, as found in 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.179 the book of Proverbs and many other places, we 00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:27.640 will see that it is important for us to guard 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:31.039 our purity. I invite you to open your Bible to 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.859 Proverbs chapter 5 verses 1 through 8. The followers 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:39.579 of Jesus Christ at the close of the 20th century 00:00:39.579 --> 00:00:45.920 face a daily bombardment of our minds and our 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:51.399 senses with images and ideas that are the antithesis 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:57.990 of biblical values. For example, talk shows whether 00:00:57.990 --> 00:01:00.490 on television or radio, seem to have no limits 00:01:00.490 --> 00:01:04.049 to the depths of perversion and depravity which 00:01:04.049 --> 00:01:07.430 they will explore with their guests and usually 00:01:07.430 --> 00:01:12.890 condone. Newspapers and other publications offer 00:01:12.890 --> 00:01:17.290 specialized classified ads where lonely and often 00:01:17.290 --> 00:01:21.890 desperate people advertise themselves in what 00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:24.310 really amounts to little more than a sex market. 00:01:26.730 --> 00:01:30.650 The entertainment industry glamorizes every form 00:01:30.650 --> 00:01:34.670 of human wickedness while at the same time taking 00:01:34.670 --> 00:01:38.709 aim at traditional values with mockery and disdain. 00:01:41.129 --> 00:01:43.909 And some advertisers have decided that sex is 00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:49.010 a good sell. And so they offer their jeans or 00:01:49.010 --> 00:01:52.590 their underwear or perfume or soap or toothpaste 00:01:52.590 --> 00:01:59.810 with sexual titillation. It is not easy to live 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:06.269 godly in this age, but it has never been easy. 00:02:08.050 --> 00:02:10.610 Even in the first century, the apostle wrote 00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:15.030 to Titus, for the grace of God that brings salvation 00:02:15.030 --> 00:02:19.069 has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 00:02:19.069 --> 00:02:26.759 no to ungodliness and worldly passions. and to 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:31.020 live self -controlled, upright, and godly lives 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:37.159 in this present age. Sexual temptation was as 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:40.520 real and as prominent in the first century as 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:45.960 it is as we close in on the 21st century. And 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:48.340 it has been true throughout the ages. Even Martin 00:02:48.340 --> 00:02:52.120 Luther commented about it, saying, we can't do 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:55.979 anything about birds flying over our head but 00:02:55.979 --> 00:02:59.879 we can prevent them building a nest in our hair. 00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:05.000 That was his way of addressing the problem in 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.280 the 16th century. Moral purity is a precious 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.539 possession which the wise person will carefully 00:03:12.539 --> 00:03:19.259 guard. Listen to the words of the Lord. My son, 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:22.099 pay attention to my wisdom. Listen well to my 00:03:22.099 --> 00:03:25.699 words of insight that You may maintain discretion, 00:03:25.699 --> 00:03:29.699 and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:34.699 lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech 00:03:34.699 --> 00:03:39.520 is smoother than oil. But in the end she is bitter 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:44.840 as gall, sharp as a double -edged sword. Her 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.780 feet go down to death, her steps lead straight 00:03:47.780 --> 00:03:51.120 to the grave. She gives no thought to the way 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.719 of life. Her paths are crooked, but she knows 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:58.060 it not. Now then, my sons, listen to me. Do not 00:03:58.060 --> 00:04:02.460 turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:08.280 from her. Do not go near the door of her house. 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:14.979 Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Proverbs address this 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:19.779 matter of moral purity. And as we look at the 00:04:19.779 --> 00:04:23.319 content of the Word of God, we see in the first 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:26.860 place that whether in Proverbs or in other texts, 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:31.899 there is a warning. The warning is simply this, 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:39.100 sin is not what it seems to be. You see, sin 00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:43.100 presents what seems to be an opportunity for 00:04:43.100 --> 00:04:47.279 fun, excitement, and satisfaction of desire. 00:04:49.290 --> 00:04:56.290 And yet its true payoff is guilt, shame, pain, 00:04:57.069 --> 00:05:04.930 emptiness, disease, and death. Sin is not what 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:11.470 it seems to be. And we see that here as the writer 00:05:11.470 --> 00:05:17.379 addresses the problem of an adulteress. And let 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:19.860 me make it clear that while the language of Proverbs 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:23.500 addresses the adulteress, the same can be true 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:29.560 of the adulterer. The point of Proverbs is not 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:33.319 the gender of the person who is in sin, it is 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:39.060 the sin itself. But here it addresses the adulteress 00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:42.000 and it says that her words are sweet and smooth. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.430 Isn't that true? Some get caught up in those 00:05:49.430 --> 00:05:53.509 sweet and smooth words at the office, listening 00:05:53.509 --> 00:06:00.870 to a sad tale of hurt and rejection. They begin 00:06:00.870 --> 00:06:07.889 to feel sorry for this person and to sympathize 00:06:07.889 --> 00:06:13.220 and to listen. And then that genuine sympathy 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:16.600 and care begins to take on a different form as 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:21.899 it continues. Fantasy begins as to how it might 00:06:21.899 --> 00:06:26.819 be different if only the two had met earlier. 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:35.100 And sometimes that kind of fantasy leads to acting 00:06:35.100 --> 00:06:43.329 out the dreams of passion. The words begin sweet 00:06:43.329 --> 00:06:47.750 and smooth, but in the end they are like gall. 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:53.290 They're bitter. They're like a sword. They're 00:06:53.290 --> 00:06:58.709 sharp and they cut. The end result is not what 00:06:58.709 --> 00:07:03.149 was expected at the beginning. It all seemed 00:07:03.149 --> 00:07:09.879 so easy and appropriate and right. And yet, in 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:13.379 the process of time, that evolved into what sin 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:21.720 really is and becomes. One of the children a 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:27.120 while back gave me a piece of candy. And it began 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.879 quite sweet, tasted good, and I thought, well, 00:07:29.939 --> 00:07:33.579 this is not bad at all. It wasn't long before 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:35.959 that outward coating was gone and I got down 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:38.019 to what the real stuff was and I can't believe 00:07:38.019 --> 00:07:43.000 kids like it. Sour, bitter, ugly, nasty candy. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.480 When I was reading these words I thought of that 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:51.300 piece of candy. It begins in the mouth so sweet 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:55.519 and delicious and then becomes something that 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.060 you hadn't expected. Sin is deceitful that way. 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:04.480 It never reveals. its consequences. It allures 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.600 with immediate satisfaction, but inevitably it 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:13.480 brings its victims to terrible loss. The writer 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:16.839 of Hebrews warns about this character of sin 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.399 that we call deceit. See to it, brothers, that 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:23.259 none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:26.379 turns away from the living God, but encourage 00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:29.089 one another daily. as long as it's called today, 00:08:29.430 --> 00:08:33.029 so that none of you may be hardened by sin's 00:08:33.029 --> 00:08:41.370 deceitfulness. Sin is deceptive. Sin is a mocker. 00:08:42.710 --> 00:08:46.029 And the warning of the Word of God over and over 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:54.519 again is sin is not what it seems. Following 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.100 up on that, there is a rationale that is laid 00:08:57.100 --> 00:09:01.259 out for us, especially here in the larger context 00:09:01.259 --> 00:09:05.980 of Proverbs 5. We might summarize it with this 00:09:05.980 --> 00:09:09.240 sentence. The rationale for being careful of 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:14.200 sin is that your future, your welfare, your well 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:21.120 -being is at stake. Yours. There are good reasons 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:24.299 why moral chastity should be guarded by every 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:30.220 one of us. In the first place, immoral behavior 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:36.360 costs. It is not free. It is very expensive. 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:41.220 In verses 8 through 14, we understand some of 00:09:41.220 --> 00:09:45.139 the costs of immoral behavior. In the first place, 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:50.169 in verse 9, one gives his prime to another. He 00:09:50.169 --> 00:09:53.769 gives his best to another where there is no real 00:09:53.769 --> 00:09:59.450 appreciation for it. He says, lest you give your 00:09:59.450 --> 00:10:02.789 best strength to others and your years to one 00:10:02.789 --> 00:10:09.470 who is cruel. You see, in a moral behavior, part 00:10:09.470 --> 00:10:14.350 of a person is disseminated. Part of a person 00:10:14.350 --> 00:10:18.730 is given away to another. And the warning of 00:10:18.730 --> 00:10:22.389 Proverbs is that that inevitably is given to 00:10:22.389 --> 00:10:27.190 someone who is cruel. It leads not to security, 00:10:27.450 --> 00:10:33.090 but to insecurity. It leads not to acceptance, 00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:37.909 but to rejection. And certainly it leads to loss 00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:42.870 of self -respect. Write it down in your heart 00:10:42.870 --> 00:10:45.879 that a transaction of This kind of a transaction 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:51.700 is one of lust and nothing more. And when one 00:10:51.700 --> 00:10:54.360 is involved in immoral behavior, he gives away 00:10:54.360 --> 00:11:00.659 himself, he gives away his prime, she gives away 00:11:00.659 --> 00:11:09.779 her best without appreciation in return. Verse 00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:13.519 10, we see that When one is involved in immoral 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.299 behavior, he risks his future to a stranger. 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:22.460 He says, less strangers feast on your wealth 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:28.460 and your toil enrich another man's house. One 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:31.000 who is involved in immorality is risking his 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:36.480 whole future. He risks his financial future and 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.980 security as well as his reputation and his character. 00:11:42.570 --> 00:11:45.850 The cost of immorality can hardly be calculated 00:11:45.850 --> 00:11:49.009 because of the possible consequences of that 00:11:49.009 --> 00:11:54.549 kind of sin. And yet we hear people casually 00:11:54.549 --> 00:11:57.850 in the world casually say, well I think people 00:11:57.850 --> 00:12:01.990 need to live together. Then they can really know 00:12:01.990 --> 00:12:04.129 if they love each other and it will lead to happier 00:12:04.129 --> 00:12:08.950 marriages. Have you ever heard that? That's promoted 00:12:08.950 --> 00:12:13.990 on Phil Donahue. That's the gospel of Phil. as 00:12:13.990 --> 00:12:18.230 well as other talk show hosts. And yet a study 00:12:18.230 --> 00:12:21.070 was done by two professors, one at the University 00:12:21.070 --> 00:12:24.049 of Chicago and the University of Michigan was 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:30.070 the other. And their conclusion was that cohabiting 00:12:30.070 --> 00:12:34.269 experiences significantly increase young people's 00:12:34.269 --> 00:12:38.070 acceptance of divorce. They concluded that the 00:12:38.070 --> 00:12:40.909 link between living together and divorce runs 00:12:40.909 --> 00:12:44.620 both ways. Increased divorce rates cause more 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:47.320 young people to choose non -marital relationships, 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:51.259 while cohabitation may have a feedback effect 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:54.159 of increasing acceptance and likelihood of divorce. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:58.980 The two professors did not compare divorce rates 00:12:58.980 --> 00:13:01.279 in their study, but cited other studies that 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.320 found that couples who live together before marriage 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:08.460 have divorce rates 50 to 100 percent higher than 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:13.049 those who don't. The article goes on from St. 00:13:13.149 --> 00:13:18.149 Paul Pioneer Press, September 3, 1992, entitled, 00:13:18.389 --> 00:13:22.049 Couples Who Lived Together More Likely to Divorce. 00:13:22.269 --> 00:13:24.950 Living together does not produce a healthy marriage. 00:13:26.590 --> 00:13:30.629 Even studies in the world affirm that, but God's 00:13:30.629 --> 00:13:33.149 Word has declared it for thousands of years. 00:13:36.269 --> 00:13:38.750 Indeed, when you are involved in immoral behavior, 00:13:38.850 --> 00:13:45.580 it risks your future. It doesn't secure it. Then 00:13:45.580 --> 00:13:48.139 verse 11, we see that one who is immoral faces 00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:52.720 the likelihood of disease. At the end of your 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:57.440 life, writes the writer, the author of this chapter, 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:01.100 Solomon, at the end of your life you will find, 00:14:01.299 --> 00:14:05.259 you will groan when your flesh and body are spent. 00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:09.559 What is he talking about? He is talking about 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:12.759 diseases that you pick up in immoral behavior. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.600 Never have these diseases been more of an epidemic 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:21.600 than today. Never. And some of them are coming 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:25.620 back resistant to drugs that have been used to 00:14:25.620 --> 00:14:30.799 cure them in the past. Then of course there is 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.659 AIDS. Now we recognize that AIDS does not only 00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:42.379 come by immoral behavior. But we'd also understand 00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:47.799 that the large percent of it does. And AIDS has 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:52.639 no cure. And we have people who are talking about 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:59.879 safe sex. As though outside of monogamous marriage 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:04.179 there was such a thing. The facts of the matter 00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:07.240 are that safe sex outside of monogamous marriage 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:11.950 is a joke. It is a fantasy that is created by 00:15:11.950 --> 00:15:19.429 a culture that rejects moral absolutes. It is 00:15:19.429 --> 00:15:22.289 created by a culture that is determined to persist 00:15:22.289 --> 00:15:26.070 in decadent behavior. And so it's created what 00:15:26.070 --> 00:15:29.909 it calls safe sex. That is being taught to your 00:15:29.909 --> 00:15:32.730 young people and mine in our public school system. 00:15:33.110 --> 00:15:35.049 Because that's the curriculum that's been written. 00:15:36.230 --> 00:15:39.860 Oh, abstinence is mentioned. But because it's 00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:43.440 so unlikely, says the curriculum, therefore here's 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:51.679 what safe sex is. It's a lie. One who is involved 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:54.840 in immoral behavior faces the likelihood of disease 00:15:54.840 --> 00:16:01.639 and ending his life early because of it. And 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.399 then we see in verses 12 to 14 that one who is 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.820 involved in immoral behavior ends his life with 00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:14.110 ruin. and regrets. You will say, how I hate a 00:16:14.110 --> 00:16:17.190 discipline, how my heart spurned correction. 00:16:17.870 --> 00:16:21.230 I would not obey my teachers or listen to my 00:16:21.230 --> 00:16:25.190 instructors. I have come to the brink of utter 00:16:25.190 --> 00:16:30.529 ruin in the midst of the whole assembly." What 00:16:30.529 --> 00:16:33.269 he's doing is he's quoting what one says at the 00:16:33.269 --> 00:16:37.899 end of his immoral life. He regrets, he says, 00:16:37.940 --> 00:16:43.700 I wouldn't listen. They tried to tell me. And 00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:47.720 now here in public, so everybody knows, I end 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:55.559 my life in utter ruin. The one who lives immorally 00:16:55.559 --> 00:17:00.700 lives a life of regret and beginning early on 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:03.539 and culminating with death, he says, if only, 00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:10.259 if only. The hour of pleasure results in a lifetime 00:17:10.259 --> 00:17:14.980 of regret. Immoral behavior costs its followers. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:20.200 It costs them their prime, their future, their 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.599 health, their life's fulfillment. What a price 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:31.880 to pay! Poverty, disgrace, and disease followed 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:36.450 by death. And yet there are many who are willing 00:17:36.450 --> 00:17:41.809 to lay down the price. The rationale for living 00:17:41.809 --> 00:17:44.990 chastely and purely is that your welfare is at 00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:48.589 stake, and God lays out the fact that immoral 00:17:48.589 --> 00:17:53.710 behavior costs. Why be morally pure? Because 00:17:53.710 --> 00:18:00.589 your future is at stake. Immoral behavior not 00:18:00.589 --> 00:18:04.450 only costs, we see that immoral behavior captivates. 00:18:05.579 --> 00:18:12.019 Look at verse 15. Drink water from your own cistern, 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:15.920 running water from your own well. Should your 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:18.960 springs overflow in the streets, your streams 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:22.660 of water in the public squares, let them be yours 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:26.420 alone, never to be shared with strangers. May 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:29.000 your fountain be blessed and may you rejoice 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:33.289 in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful 00:18:33.289 --> 00:18:37.089 deer, may her breast satisfy you always. May 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:42.130 you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, 00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:46.430 my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom 00:18:46.430 --> 00:18:50.670 of another man's wife? Verse 22. The evil deeds 00:18:50.670 --> 00:18:54.869 of a wicked man ensnare him. The cords of his 00:18:54.869 --> 00:19:00.119 sin hold him fast. He will die. for lack of discipline, 00:19:00.420 --> 00:19:05.900 led astray by his own great folly. Immoral behavior 00:19:05.900 --> 00:19:09.920 captivates. Now in contrast to that, the writer 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:14.359 points out the bliss of marital love. And he 00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:16.759 says that in the intimacy and the privacy of 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:19.460 the marriage relationship, there is a wonderful 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:25.000 freedom. He uses several pictures to describe 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.400 that in verses 15 and following. What he says 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:34.960 is to find satisfaction, fulfillment and contentment 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:40.539 in your spouse. Be captivated by your spouse's 00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:44.599 love. Do not allow anyone else to share what 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:49.720 is private. To share what is especially yours 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:54.180 that you give to each other. These are oriental 00:19:54.180 --> 00:19:58.420 images and they describe for us the wholesome 00:19:58.420 --> 00:20:03.440 alternative to immorality. They describe to us 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:08.759 the joys of sexuality as God has designed it. 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:18.640 It is wonderful. But he frankly points out as 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.519 well the guilt and the immorality, the embarrassment 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:27.029 that this adulterous kind of behavior brings. 00:20:27.109 --> 00:20:30.890 He says it is a bondage. It is a prison for the 00:20:30.890 --> 00:20:36.890 soul. It enslaves to habits of passion and lust. 00:20:38.390 --> 00:20:40.910 And so what is the rationale he points out? Why 00:20:40.910 --> 00:20:45.650 be morally pure? Because that alone, you see, 00:20:45.829 --> 00:20:49.829 provides true freedom and joy which God wants 00:20:49.829 --> 00:20:55.609 us to experience in our sexuality. Is God trying 00:20:55.609 --> 00:21:00.390 to keep us from fun? That's been the devil's 00:21:00.390 --> 00:21:02.990 lie since Genesis chapter 3 in the Garden of 00:21:02.990 --> 00:21:05.730 Eden. Eve, you don't know what you're missing 00:21:05.730 --> 00:21:12.309 out on. And that is exactly what Satan is seeking 00:21:12.309 --> 00:21:15.190 to sell to people today in the matter of sexuality. 00:21:16.779 --> 00:21:19.859 You see, God knows where true fulfillment and 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:23.259 joy can be found, and He tells us He has designed 00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:28.240 for us to know that, to experience it, to enjoy 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:34.920 it to its fullest. But He warns us about going 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:40.640 outside the bonds of marriage to find it. Your 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.990 moral behavior costs. It captivates. And finally, 00:21:46.309 --> 00:21:52.150 it condemns. Verse 21, For a man's ways are in 00:21:52.150 --> 00:21:58.869 full view of the Lord, and he examines all his 00:21:58.869 --> 00:22:03.069 paths. You see, there is nothing that happens 00:22:03.069 --> 00:22:07.250 in secret from God. You can close the doors. 00:22:08.450 --> 00:22:13.130 You can pull the blinds. You cannot close out 00:22:13.130 --> 00:22:20.599 God. God sees everything and knows it. He is 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:25.339 never looking the other way. In Romans 2 verse 00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:31.839 16, it says, God will judge men's secrets. There 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:36.380 are those today living in secret, hiding in the 00:22:36.380 --> 00:22:42.059 closet, and thinking that no one will ever know 00:22:42.059 --> 00:22:48.329 how wrong they are. God knows. And one day God 00:22:48.329 --> 00:22:52.789 will call to account those who have lived immorally. 00:22:55.309 --> 00:22:57.990 For example, we have these words in Ephesians 00:22:57.990 --> 00:23:04.269 chapter 5. Paul writes to the believers in the 00:23:04.269 --> 00:23:07.509 church at Ephesus and he says, but among you 00:23:07.509 --> 00:23:13.789 there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality. 00:23:14.029 --> 00:23:19.289 Did you hear that? He says among God's people 00:23:19.289 --> 00:23:23.990 there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality 00:23:23.990 --> 00:23:33.190 or of any kind of impurity or of greed because 00:23:33.190 --> 00:23:38.230 these are improper for God's holy people. Nor 00:23:38.230 --> 00:23:45.349 should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse 00:23:45.349 --> 00:23:50.369 joking. Does he have to make it any more clear? 00:23:53.150 --> 00:24:00.690 Which are out of place, for this you can be sure, 00:24:01.529 --> 00:24:06.170 no immoral, impure, or greedy person has any 00:24:06.170 --> 00:24:09.109 inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 00:24:09.470 --> 00:24:12.829 Let no one deceive you with empty words. For 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:15.750 because of such things, God's wrath comes on 00:24:15.750 --> 00:24:18.690 those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not 00:24:18.690 --> 00:24:23.109 be partners with them. For you were once darkness, 00:24:23.349 --> 00:24:27.289 but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children 00:24:27.289 --> 00:24:33.190 of light." Immoral behavior brings condemnation 00:24:33.190 --> 00:24:38.410 from God. It causes one to come under His wrath. 00:24:40.089 --> 00:24:44.539 Why be morally pure? Because God is the final 00:24:44.539 --> 00:24:49.160 judge and He will not ignore the slightest infraction 00:24:49.160 --> 00:24:56.220 of His righteous law. But someone says, I don't 00:24:56.220 --> 00:25:00.099 respect that law. I don't believe in it. I don't 00:25:00.099 --> 00:25:03.380 give heed to it. It makes no difference whatsoever. 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:06.460 God has established it and you will give account. 00:25:08.460 --> 00:25:22.180 All of us will. It's a hard message. It is not 00:25:22.180 --> 00:25:26.779 easy to live a pure life in a sex -saturated 00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:32.099 society. What if someone has already fallen? 00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:36.599 What if a man or woman has already given himself 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:44.259 or herself to immoral behavior? Is God's wrath 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:51.079 inevitable? The answer to that is, happily, no 00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:56.460 it's not. There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ. 00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:02.279 There is cleansing in the blood of the Lord Jesus 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:07.579 Christ. From the most gross and perverse of sexual 00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:14.720 sins, God saved some of the Corinthians. They 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:20.019 were washed. They were cleansed. They were sanctified 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:24.500 by Jesus Christ. And He is still doing the same 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:27.940 for those today who come to Him in repentance, 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:33.160 confession, and faith. Now the fact is that the 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:36.160 consequences that arise from immorality may still 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:40.059 have to be faced. God's forgiveness does not 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:44.019 automatically erase the consequences that can 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:49.059 come because of immoral behavior. But he can 00:26:49.059 --> 00:26:53.420 and he will forgive the guilt and the shame of 00:26:53.420 --> 00:27:01.980 immorality If you are a Christian and you have 00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:09.000 failed God in this area of your life God is able 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:13.700 to restore you to God is not more gracious to 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:17.980 the unsaved than he is to his own children He 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:22.099 will wash and cleanse and forgive you and give 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:26.160 you a new start. You must determine in your heart 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.779 that by the grace of God you will live virtuously 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:35.440 from this point on. It does no good to despair 00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:38.200 over your past. Acknowledge it and confess it 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:41.299 for what it is and ask God for that new beginning 00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:45.160 today and let Him give it to you. And live purely 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:53.839 from this point on. You see your welfare is at 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:58.700 stake. And God loves you so much that He has 00:27:58.700 --> 00:28:02.079 commanded you to keep yourself pure from sexual 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:08.279 sins. Enjoy your sexuality. God has given that 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:11.380 to you as a gift. It is good. It is holy. It 00:28:11.380 --> 00:28:16.079 is wonderful. Use the way that God says to use 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:22.579 it. He says keep yourself pure. From sin which 00:28:22.579 --> 00:28:26.519 usurps and makes ugly what he's given for good 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.900 He says in Hebrews 13 for keep your marriage 00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:39.000 bed pure How do you guard yourself from moral 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:45.900 impurity Let me suggest three things to you in 00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:48.680 Conclusion this morning first of all be alert 00:28:50.250 --> 00:28:55.009 In Proverbs chapter 7 verse 1, he reiterates, 00:28:55.450 --> 00:28:58.609 my son, keep my words and store up my commands 00:28:58.609 --> 00:29:01.190 within you. Keep my commands and you will live. 00:29:01.910 --> 00:29:04.970 Guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 00:29:05.109 --> 00:29:08.609 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the 00:29:08.609 --> 00:29:11.269 tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, you are 00:29:11.269 --> 00:29:15.529 my sister. And call understanding your kinsmen. 00:29:15.950 --> 00:29:19.920 They will keep you from the adulteress. from 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:23.779 the wayward wife with her seductive words. Be 00:29:23.779 --> 00:29:28.619 alert. The point is here, don't play with sin. 00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:36.599 Don't think that sin is a toy. It is not. Recognize 00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:41.220 it for what it truly is. Don't redefine sin and 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:45.019 try to deceive yourself that it's okay in this 00:29:45.019 --> 00:29:49.259 instance. Do not play the fool. Don't be seduced. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:53.039 Remember the costs. Remember what you risk. Be 00:29:53.039 --> 00:30:06.900 alert. Secondly, build walls. Not only be alert, 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:12.400 but build walls. In this sex saturated society, 00:30:12.619 --> 00:30:16.670 walls are essential. They will keep you from 00:30:16.670 --> 00:30:20.690 becoming prey to sexual sin. Let me suggest several 00:30:20.690 --> 00:30:25.509 walls. First, keeping away from sin's borders. 00:30:29.009 --> 00:30:32.130 There are some people who walk just as close 00:30:32.130 --> 00:30:35.789 to sin as they can without actually stepping 00:30:35.789 --> 00:30:41.670 over the border. Stay away from sin's borders. 00:30:43.349 --> 00:30:46.859 You go too close to the bars and that animal 00:30:46.859 --> 00:30:51.019 on the other side will grab you and bring you 00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:58.599 through. Stay away from sin's borders. Be careful 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:04.220 of the kind of movies that you go to watch. And 00:31:04.220 --> 00:31:06.440 don't lie to yourself and say, well, I didn't 00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:08.480 really know that that was in there until I got 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:10.319 there and then it was too late. Have you ever 00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:14.099 walked out of a movie? Don't be afraid to excuse 00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:17.480 yourself and leave if you didn't know something 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:24.220 was in there. Stay away from pornography. Gentlemen, 00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:32.079 this is a massive problem for us. The majority 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:35.200 of the men in our church, if it is like any other 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:38.700 church in this country, fight the battle of pornography. 00:31:42.410 --> 00:31:48.829 Stay away from it. With pornography you are greasing 00:31:48.829 --> 00:31:53.869 the slide into hell, the hell of sexual sin. 00:32:00.089 --> 00:32:03.849 Stay away from places and people and situations 00:32:03.849 --> 00:32:08.710 where you know lusts await you. Stay away from 00:32:08.710 --> 00:32:14.660 sin's borders. Secondly, put this wall into place. 00:32:15.539 --> 00:32:18.460 Decide before temptations come what you will 00:32:18.460 --> 00:32:24.319 say and what you will do. Just imagine yourself 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:27.140 in any situation and determine ahead of time, 00:32:27.579 --> 00:32:30.119 if this ever happens to me, this is what I'm 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:32.599 going to say and this is what I'm going to do. 00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:39.460 Maybe it's in a parked car. and a request is 00:32:39.460 --> 00:32:43.299 made of you or certain actions take place, you 00:32:43.299 --> 00:32:45.359 know ahead of time exactly what you're going 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:47.859 to do and how you're going to respond to that 00:32:47.859 --> 00:32:54.220 person who says he loves you. Put the wall in 00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:57.640 place. I believe that Joseph had already thought 00:32:57.640 --> 00:33:01.079 out ahead of time what he was going to do in 00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:05.900 case Potiphar's wife went too far. And on the 00:33:05.900 --> 00:33:09.339 day that she did, He ran just exactly like he 00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:14.940 had planned. Flee youthful lusts, Paul writes 00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:20.480 to Timothy. It may be in an office relationship. 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:26.180 And you can see right now where that conversation 00:33:26.180 --> 00:33:30.839 that you had last week could lead you. Plan right 00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:32.900 now what you're going to say tomorrow to bring 00:33:32.900 --> 00:33:36.619 an end to that sympathetic relationship that 00:33:36.619 --> 00:33:40.869 you have. begun to establish. Put up the wall. 00:33:43.789 --> 00:33:46.029 The third wall is to hide God's Word in your 00:33:46.029 --> 00:33:49.950 heart as a prevention. Thy word have I hid in 00:33:49.950 --> 00:33:54.589 my heart that I might not sin against thee. Lustful 00:33:54.589 --> 00:33:58.230 thoughts cannot take deep roots and produce fruit 00:33:58.230 --> 00:34:02.170 in a person who is hiding God's Word on a regular 00:34:02.170 --> 00:34:05.579 basis in his heart. Temptation can come, but 00:34:05.579 --> 00:34:09.280 there will be no rootage because the Word of 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:14.099 God will keep rooting it out so it cannot take 00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:19.300 root. Another wall, establish accountability 00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:25.360 with a trusted friend. You find someone that 00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:29.780 loves you and trusts you of the same sex. and 00:34:29.780 --> 00:34:31.880 establish accountability with that person or 00:34:31.880 --> 00:34:35.460 that group of two or three or five. That's a 00:34:35.460 --> 00:34:40.559 wall. And learn to ask yourselves the hard questions 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:44.760 about what you've been reading, who you've been 00:34:44.760 --> 00:34:48.380 talking with, where you've gone, what your private 00:34:48.380 --> 00:34:54.539 habits are. That is a wall that will help protect 00:34:54.539 --> 00:34:58.659 you from sexual immorality. But I've left the 00:34:58.659 --> 00:35:01.599 one that I think is most important to the last. 00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:06.679 And that is the wall of growing a strong marriage 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:15.119 with your God -given partner. Grow a strong marriage. 00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:21.539 Almost always. I won't say always because I can't 00:35:21.539 --> 00:35:25.059 prove that. But I think I could come up with 00:35:25.059 --> 00:35:28.539 evidence, if pressed, to say that almost always 00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:32.519 when there is a failure in a marriage and one 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:39.059 of the spouses gives in to adultery, that failure 00:35:39.059 --> 00:35:45.119 can be traced back to the marriage and to the 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:47.679 fact that that marriage somewhere had lost its 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:53.409 zip. Let me tell you something. You keep building 00:35:53.409 --> 00:35:59.489 your marriage. You keep it fun. You keep it exciting. 00:35:59.690 --> 00:36:03.050 Both of you work on it together. Make it a project 00:36:03.050 --> 00:36:06.030 so that your marriage never gets to the point 00:36:06.030 --> 00:36:10.809 that a partner is open to temptation in an unusual 00:36:10.809 --> 00:36:15.469 way. Satisfy one another. Learn one another. 00:36:16.289 --> 00:36:22.030 Enjoy one another. You say, well I'm single, 00:36:22.070 --> 00:36:25.130 I'm not married yet. It's a good reason to get 00:36:25.130 --> 00:36:32.210 married, guys. Some of you are so afraid of marriage, 00:36:33.110 --> 00:36:37.889 and yet you're burning with lust. Do you understand 00:36:37.889 --> 00:36:41.610 that marriage is God's gift to you? You say, 00:36:41.650 --> 00:36:43.769 well I haven't found the perfect person yet. 00:36:44.170 --> 00:36:47.010 Well thank God, because if you had, she would 00:36:47.010 --> 00:36:51.829 marry an imperfect person. There are not two 00:36:51.829 --> 00:36:54.010 perfect people who find each other. There are 00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:57.170 two imperfect people who fall in love and learn 00:36:57.170 --> 00:37:00.769 to love each other deeply despite the imperfections. 00:37:02.349 --> 00:37:04.429 Now, I recognize there's a such thing as the 00:37:04.429 --> 00:37:08.329 gift of singleness. And some people have that. 00:37:09.650 --> 00:37:14.530 And some people don't. You need to consider what 00:37:14.530 --> 00:37:19.639 God's wonderful gift to you is. And develop that 00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:23.079 married soul that 50 years into it you are happier 00:37:23.079 --> 00:37:25.679 and more content and more satisfied with each 00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:28.320 other than you were the day you were married. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:37.980 I have to go on. The third suggestion is how 00:37:37.980 --> 00:37:41.039 to guard your moral purity. Be alert, build walls. 00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:44.820 Number three, bear fruit. Because you see one 00:37:44.820 --> 00:37:48.480 aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is self -control 00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:52.460 and it touches on this matter of your sexuality. 00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:57.280 Bring the struggles of your flesh to the cross 00:37:57.280 --> 00:38:03.800 and there die to that flesh and yield yourself 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:07.159 to the Holy Spirit and let him bring forth the 00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:13.710 fruit of self -control in your life. I want to 00:38:13.710 --> 00:38:18.469 close with this story written by someone who 00:38:18.469 --> 00:38:25.409 knew the meaning of sexual sin and who out of 00:38:25.409 --> 00:38:31.289 his own experience wrote several chapters of 00:38:31.289 --> 00:38:39.519 the book of Proverbs. His name is Solomon. I 00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:41.519 was looking out the window of my house one day 00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:45.360 and saw a simple -minded lad, a young man, lacking 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:49.179 common sense, walking at twilight down the street 00:38:49.179 --> 00:38:52.300 to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute. 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.280 She approached him saucy and pert and dressed 00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:59.880 seductively. She was the brash, coarse type, 00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:03.199 often seen in the streets and markets, soliciting 00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:06.480 at every corner for men to be her lovers. She 00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:08.960 put her arms around him and kissed him, and with 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:11.920 a saucy look, she said, I was just coming to 00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:15.079 look for you, and here you are. Come home with 00:39:15.079 --> 00:39:17.219 me, and I'll fix you a wonderful dinner, and 00:39:17.219 --> 00:39:20.880 after that, well, my bed is spread with lovely 00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:23.619 colored sheets of finest linen imported from 00:39:23.619 --> 00:39:26.980 Egypt, perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:29.900 Come on, let's take our fill of love until the 00:39:29.900 --> 00:39:33.000 morning, for my husband is away on a long trip. 00:39:33.289 --> 00:39:35.869 He has taken a wallet full of money with him 00:39:35.869 --> 00:39:39.989 and won't return for several days. So she seduced 00:39:39.989 --> 00:39:42.869 him with her pretty speech, her coaxing and her 00:39:42.869 --> 00:39:46.849 wheedling, until he yielded to her. He couldn't 00:39:46.849 --> 00:39:50.670 resist her flattery. He followed her as an ox 00:39:50.670 --> 00:39:55.130 going to the butcher, or as a stag that is trapped, 00:39:56.010 --> 00:39:58.190 waiting to be killed with an arrow through its 00:39:58.190 --> 00:40:01.929 heart. He was as a bird flying into a snare, 00:40:02.130 --> 00:40:05.010 not knowing the fate awaiting it there. Listen 00:40:05.010 --> 00:40:08.530 to me, young men, and not only listen, but obey. 00:40:09.510 --> 00:40:12.030 Don't let your desires get out of hand. Don't 00:40:12.030 --> 00:40:15.429 let yourself think about her. Don't go near her. 00:40:15.530 --> 00:40:18.650 Stay away from where she walks, lest she tempt 00:40:18.650 --> 00:40:22.190 you and seduce you. For she has been the ruin 00:40:22.190 --> 00:40:26.309 of multitudes. A vast host of men have been her 00:40:26.309 --> 00:40:30.079 victims. If you want to find the road to hell, 00:40:31.000 --> 00:40:42.079 look for her house. Let's pray. This is a heavy 00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:47.920 message. And it's one that all of us in some 00:40:47.920 --> 00:40:53.880 way can relate to. I hope that right there where 00:40:53.880 --> 00:40:55.739 you're seated, you'll let the Spirit of God do 00:40:55.739 --> 00:40:59.019 what He needs to do this morning, and that you 00:40:59.019 --> 00:41:02.139 will surrender yourself to Christ's Lordship 00:41:02.139 --> 00:41:09.000 and ask Him to make you clean and pure and to 00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:14.500 keep you that way. I pray that you will guard 00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:21.039 your purity. Your own welfare is at stake. Your 00:41:21.039 --> 00:41:28.070 life, your future, your health. Sin is never 00:41:28.070 --> 00:41:32.610 what it seems to be if you've begun to walk down 00:41:32.610 --> 00:41:37.210 that road toward the house that Solomon warns 00:41:37.210 --> 00:41:43.210 about. Listen to where he says it leads and turn 00:41:43.210 --> 00:41:48.690 around and get back where you belong and build 00:41:48.690 --> 00:41:55.199 those walls in your life. Father, we live in 00:41:55.199 --> 00:42:00.239 an ungodly and wicked generation, and yet it 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:03.780 is not terribly unlike previous generations and 00:42:03.780 --> 00:42:06.139 particularly that one in which the church was 00:42:06.139 --> 00:42:13.820 planted 2 ,000 years ago. It is filled with passion 00:42:13.820 --> 00:42:24.849 and lust that is perverted, degraded, and then 00:42:24.849 --> 00:42:33.230 approved and explained and defined a way. Father, 00:42:33.309 --> 00:42:36.929 I pray that we who are your people will not allow 00:42:36.929 --> 00:42:41.510 a hint of it to be in our lives. May we live 00:42:41.510 --> 00:42:46.449 as children of the light. Wash us this morning 00:42:46.449 --> 00:42:52.110 from our sin. Cleanse us from our iniquity. Open 00:42:52.110 --> 00:42:58.730 our eyes to our foolishness, and may we walk 00:42:58.730 --> 00:43:04.730 the path that is far from the borders of sexual 00:43:04.730 --> 00:43:10.309 sin. In Jesus' name, amen.