A CALL TO SEXUAL PURITY
THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM REVEALS TO US GOD’S WILL
June 18, 2015WALKING IN SEXUAL PURITY- Part 2
July 16, 2015Series: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 6-7, 9, 11
1 Corinthians 5: 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. .9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people …11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
The Situation: Sin in the house.
As we studied earlier the church had issues with who is greatest and whom to follow but now there is another issue. It is the issue of unhealthy relationships, and sexual sin in the church. The church had left this sin to go on and it was affecting them their testimony but it was also causing many other believers to join in. Compromise was eating up the church
WHAT IS SEXUAL PURITY
We are going to talk about purity of the heart because sexual sin goes beyond the physical act.
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
· Purity of heart is to will one thing, namely, God’s truth and God’s value in everything we do. The aim of the pure heart is to align itself with the truth of God and magnify the worth of God.
· Purity of heart is no deception, no double-mindedness, no divided allegiance.
· A pure heart is a heart that has nothing to do with falsehood. It is painstakingly truthful and free from deceitfulness.
SOME AREAS OF SEXUAL IMPURITY
§ Fornication
Sex was intended for people who are legally married. When two unmarried people sleep together they are committing fornication and the Bible calls it SIN.
When two people who are not married allow themselves to act intimately they always put themselves in situations that can lead them to fornication. Touching, kissing and such acts. This is only meant for married people.
§ Adultery
This is where a married person develops a relationship with another person, this person may be married or not.
§ Incest.
This man seems to have either married or slept with his father’s wife. Sexual relations outside marriage is sin but incest goes beyond what is sinful to what is culturally a Taboo. Incest in cultures like our own here was so frowned upon that we had cultural norms that prevented it.
§ Homosexuality
This is sex between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. This is becoming a big issue in today’s society and the western world has actually legalized it. This is probably one of the worst forms of depravity in today’s society.
§ Polygamy
God’s original intention was one man and one woman.
§ Pornography
Modern society has exposed us to obscenity in our society and this comes, through TV, Movies, magazines, the internet.
THE ROOT IS THE HEART
Jesus is concerned about the attitudes of our hearts more than external conformity.
When the heart is sick we shall naturally act sinfully. Sin is first conceived in our hearts, pondered upon and then it is acted out practically.
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27–28)
What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart . . For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man. (Matthew 15:18–19)
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit . . . For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:33–34)
JOHN PIPER: “So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified.”
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, “but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
ADMONITION:
· BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU LOOK AT.
· WHAT YOU LOOK AT, AFFECTS THE WAY YOU THINK,
· THE WAY YOU THINK PURIFYS YOUR HEART IT IS POSITIVE
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THE WAY YOU THINK CONTAMINATES YOUR HEART IF IT IS NEGATIVE.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people……….11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
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The issue in the Corinthian church was affecting the whole church. Our behaviors do not only stop with us they affect other people.
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Sin contaminates, contaminated people are dangerous.
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Sin is contagious it is like flu, it can easily catch those who are near us.
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Paul admonishes us to break association with those who call themselves Christians but they live like non-believers.
YEAST
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed
CHRISTIANS WHO DO LIVE LIKE XTIANS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN NON-XTIANS.
When you declare that you are saved, you better live like one. There are things I am not supposed to do, places I must not go to.
There are people that you must break away from.
A person who does not build you, you don’t need him or her.
THE GRAVITY OF AN IMPURE LIFESTYLE
1 Corinthians 6:9
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1. SOCIAL OR COMMUNITY IMPACT
2. IT HURTS THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO US.
3. IT AFFECTS OUR TESTIMONY AS GOD’S PEOPLE
4. IT HURTS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
5. IT AFFECTS OUR ETERNAL STATE WITH GOD.
WE ARE GOD’S TEMPLE
1 COR 3: 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
CALLED TO BE DIFFERENT
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Exodus 15:
11 “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?
Who is like you
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
The Holy God decided to live within us by His Spirit. The vessel where he lives must be as Holy and He demands.
But How?
ANSWER: FALLING IN LOVE WITH JESUS
Falling in Love with Jesus takes our focus from what emotionally fills to what makes him happy.
A passion for God will kill all other passions. A passion for God will drive you to His Word. A passion for God will lead you to your needs.
When you love God you will love what he loves and will hate what he hates.
