Many Christians struggle with sexual immorality,
not knowing that God has given us the grace to live
sexually pure lives. Too often we allow the norms
and values of society to dictate our behavior, while
God has called us to a lifestyle that agrees with His
Word. We have been set free from sin and are no
longer subject to our old nature; however, we must
renew our minds and put corresponding action to
our faith.
Understanding what the Word has to say about
sexual sin is the first step to overcoming it. If there
was ever any doubt about whether it is wrong or
not, all we have to do is open up the Bible for the
answer to that question. First Corinthians 6:18-20
says, “ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth
is without the body; but he that committeth
fornication sinneth against his own body. What?
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s.” Fornication involves
any sexual activity with someone you are not
married to. Our bodies do not belong to us but to
God, which means we will be held accountable for
what we did with them.
There are many other scriptures that talk about the
importance of abstaining from fornication and
making sure our lives reflect Christ’s character.
Ephesians 5:3 says that fornication and sexual
impurity should not be named among Believers, and
1 Thessalonians 4:3 says that it is God’s will that
we abstain from fornication. Since we know it is
wrong, the next question is, how do we get out of it?
The spiritual part of the issue has already been
dealt with by Jesus. As Christians, we have been
spiritually liberated from sin; however, we must
maintain our deliverance on a daily basis, which is
our responsibility. By putting these practical keys
into practice, we can walk in the full manifestation
of complete deliverance from sexual immorality until
Jesus returns.
1. Commit to the process of mind renewal. Romans
12:1,2 instructs us to renew our minds so that we
can prove what the acceptable and perfect will of
God is. Abstaining from fornication is the perfect
will of God, so by constantly meditating on the
Scriptures day and night regarding sexual purity,
our thinking will begin to align with God’s Word. As a
result, we will begin to make choices that support
our stance. Mind renewal is not a one-time event
but an ongoing process that we must actively
engage in on a daily basis.
2. Cast down thoughts by speaking the Word.
Second Corinthians 10:4 instructs us to cast down
thoughts and imaginations that go against the Word.
When sexually immoral thoughts and feelings rise
up within you, don’t sit there and receive them.
Open your mouth and declare the Word of God over
your life. Do this as many times as necessary in
order to bring those thoughts into obedience to the
Word.
3. Establish boundaries. One of the biggest changes
we can make in our lives involves the people we
are in relationship with, as well as the things we
look at, listen to, and talk about. If you are serious
about committing to a lifestyle of sexual purity, you
have to disconnect from those people, places, and
things that create an environment that causes you
to be vulnerable to sin. We must set boundaries to
protect our decision to remain sexually pure.
The world would have us believe that living a
sexually pure life is impossible, but with God all
things are possible. It takes a quality decision and a
plan. By implementing the Word of God into your
daily life and making choices that support holiness
in your life, you can experience freedom from
sexual sin.