Our Weekly Devotionals

Part 7: sexual purity

N.B. Like part 4, about music, which was especially anointed by the Lord, these two messages on sexual purity including on homosexuality is also another of the critical messages the Lord has given for these series, so read it all please.

 

The life and times of “Wickie Dickie”

 

I recently celebrated 6 years of holy matrimony. I don’t take this lightly because I was also celebrating 6 years of remaining sexually faithful to my wife. It is a big deal because before I got saved and married shortly after that, I was a fornicator, a liar, and a lover of pleasure.

 

How did it happen that I “Wickie Dickie” a former professional DJ could walk in daily holiness before my God?

 

How could it be that for example on Fridays I am home reading my Bible and praying when previously Fridays would find me dirty dancing in a night club, swiping for “prey” on Tinder or like Shaggy, “Mr Boombastic” saying “It wasn’t me” or cooing to a cocktail waitress: “How ya doing?”

 

I could never have learnt the practice of being faithful if it wasn’t for the son of God who loved me and visited me, a former “player”. He changed my life so radically he not only forgave me and thus I got saved and baptised, he also called me to serve him in holiness as a pastor and now while I wait for the kingdom of my God, I have received a mandate to tell all to: “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2.

 

I thank God that these 6 years I have remained standing despite the tremendous pressures and temptations, but his grace has not been in vain, the years the Lord Jesus has taught me how to maintain holiness including - through sexual purity.

 

Sexual purity is one of the most crucial marks of holy living for sexual sin desecrates God’s holy temple - our bodies (1 Cor 6:19-20) and so if somehow the tempter can get you to defile your own body, he knows it will be hard for you to be set apart - for God inhabits a holy temple in heaven where there is no sin and being jealous, he expects the same here for you can’t drink from the cup of God and of demons without facing the repercussions.

 

We must therefore be pure sexually if we are to get the basics of holy living right.

 

What are some of the things you can therefore learn?

 

4 practical tips to help you develop sexual purity

 

I have covered some of these in bits and pieces in other parts of these series, but I will quickly summarise those related to sexual purity here.

 

#1. Develop self-control of your body. I regularly fast, in line with an original instruction of the Lord from my early days. He gave it to me to cleanse me from the previous pattern. If you want to deal with serious sins, such as sexual immorality, some do not go except by prayer and fasting. In addition to the cleaning work the Lord does while you fast, fasting teaches you to subdue your flesh - which means learning to deal with the temptation of not eating during fasting can be transferred to the self-control to remain faithful to your God when a Jezebel comes your way. It can also help you deal with other weaknesses of the flesh say anger and greed, so develop a regular habit of denying yourself unto the Lord.

#2. Exercise discipline over the content you take in. You will notice that in previous parts I told you to watch over what you take in, for example movies, porn, social media, music, and irrelevant conversations including WhatsApp groups. A lot of this content is sexually provocative and so if you want to start maintaining sexual purity, eliminate these “sexual triggers.” Discipline over your content includes that rule I told you of where I covenant with my eyes to never look a second time at a passing woman (who is not my wife).

#3. Stay away from unnecessary places. There is a friend of mine who knew me to be “a man of the light.” I literally told him that as night falls, I must go home. It is a known fact that as darkness comes, sin especially sexual sin abounds - “night clubs” “ladies of the night” are examples. Additionally, during the night there is often alcohol which impairs sound judgment. Staying away from these things minimises the temptation of sexual immorality. What are you doing awake at 3.00 am when no one is innocent? Watching CNN in a bar?

#4. Learn the Billy Graham rule. The late famous Evangelist who preached to billions, including, it is said 2.5 billion in one radio/TV broadcast was relatively scandal free up to when he died at the age of 99. How did he achieve this where many a famous “man of God” falls? I learnt early on that he and his 4 ministry partner friends covenanted among themselves certain 4 “Modesto Manifesto” rules. One of those rules was that they were NEVER alone in the company of a woman who wasn’t their wife. This rule protected them from sexual temptation and is consistent with scripture where Paul told Timothy: “Flee youthful lusts.” 2 Timothy 2:22. I once applied this rule to a young friend who wanted to seek my private advice and wisdom. I told her we must have a chaperone, she had to come with her boyfriend!

As you will notice, the 4 tips above largely eliminate most situations involving sexual temptations and thus once minimised that leaves you with only few circumstances when you must stand in the day of the spiritual battle over your faithfulness. That is pretty good right? You don’t want to be fighting every little temptation left right and centre. Save your strength for the big day.

 

On such a day, take comfort, you will overcome and God will provide an “escape route” for the Bible says:

 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

 

The sword of the Spirit - which is the word of God, is the ultimate weapon which you use on your journey to escape temptation, and these series and the practical tips I am sharing are a supplement but don’t take away knowledge of the word of God, for there are many who are ignorant of the full scope of sexual sin, simply because they don’t know the word.

 

Some for example don’t know that cohabiting is a sin and others nowadays, don’t even know that homosexuality is a sin.

 

Which thus brings me to the hot topic of homosexuality.

 

To be continued…

 

Till next time.

Lots of love – your brother in the Lord and a servant of the Lord Jesus.