Christ Cures Lust

Matthew 5:27-30
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, May 25, 1997
Copyright © 1997, P. G. Mathew

We have been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and in Matthew 5:20 Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Then he gave six illustrations of this demand for righteousness which must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. In this study we will examine the second illustration, that which deals with the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

We do not hear much today about maintaining sexual purity. Perhaps you heard of the recent incident involving a female B-52 pilot. It was reported and acknowledged that she and a married man committed adultery, which destroyed his marriage. This woman was dismissed from the military for failing to obey orders to end the relationship. Yet even government leaders, when addressing her case, did not consider the adultery itself as a serious problem. Instead, they cited the failure to follow clear orders as the reason for dismissal.

This demonstrates the depths to which our society has sunk. Adultery is no longer a big deal. In fact, many people are advocating that the uniform code of military justice be adjusted so that it conforms to other codes in which adultery, sodomy and other sexual sins are not considered wrong.

Why is there is no anger against this type of destructive lifestyle even from the leaders of our nation? I will tell you why: It has been happening for a long time now. We will discuss that later in this study.

Interpreting the Seventh Commandment

First, though, let us look at Jesus’ teaching about sex and sexual purity as compared with that of the scribes and Pharisees. In Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 the Ten Commandments are listed, and in Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18 we read, “You shall not commit adultery.” This is known as the seventh commandment, which governs not just adultery but all aspects of sexuality.

Now, the Pharisees and the scribes of ancient times said this commandment only referred to the act of adultery in certain cases. So they taught, “This commandment says to not commit adultery with the wife of a fellow Israelite. Do not lie with her, because to do so would infringe upon the rights of her husband. It is allowable to lie with a slave or a Gentile, but if you lie with the wife of your fellow Israelite, that is wrong.”

They interpreted this commandment narrowly just as they interpreted the fifth commandment, “You shall not murder,” by saying it referred only to the act of killing another person intentionally. But in Psalm 119:96, we are told that the commandments of God are boundless and exceeding broad. Thus, in our previous study we learned from Jesus’ interpretation that not only is murder murder, but hatred is also murder.

Jesus also interpreted this commandment about sex, and in this section he was saying that lust is also adultery. In other words, adultery does not just include the outward act; it also includes one’s inner thoughts. The evil in our imagination is adultery. How do we know this interpretation is correct? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus was speaking as God to the citizens of God’s kingdom. He was speaking as perfect man and the one who came to fulfill all the commandments. He was speaking with authority as the only one who alone is able to interpret the law correctly.

So as we consider the commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” we must recognize what Jesus was teaching. Yes, the act of adultery is sinful, but so is the evil imagination from which this act springs. That interpretation is quite different from the interpretation of the scribes and Pharisees. And we are instructed in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:20 that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees.

The Interpretation of Modern Theologians

We must also contrast the interpretation of this commandment by Jesus with that of modern theologians. Have you heard of the new morality that came into vogue in the Sixties? It was espoused by theologians such as Joseph Fletcher, Harvey Cox, and others.

Of course, the new morality is really the old immorality. But this idea of a new morality introduced moral relativism into our society, which is now practiced by many politicians, preachers, and church members. It is this relativism that we saw demonstrated in the incident of the B-52 pilot. How many of our national leaders said anything about the adultery in this situation? I do not know of any. Perhaps they kept silent, being somewhat convicted themselves. We do not know. However, we do know that many in national leadership positions could have said something such as, “I don’t approve of adultery in the military” or “I don’t approve adultery at any time or any place.” Many of these leaders even claim to be Christians. As far as I know, they did not address the issue of adultery.

Modern theologians denied the authority of the Scriptures long ago and declared that no one, not even God, could legislate morality, especially in terms of some commandments spoken from Mount Sinai. These same religious leaders who denied the Scripture brought moral relativism into our society. They introduced the hedonistic Playboy philosophy which says that fun–not God’s word–is absolute, and people must have fun at all costs. As a result, our society has become an indulgent society, one that demands more and more fun. Now parents tell their children, “Have fun,” and the children are having great fun–so much fun that babies are being born to these children.

Situational Ethics

Modern theologians also speak about situational ethics. What does that mean? It means that if one ascribes to moral relativism, he or she can never say something is wrong. It means there is no longer any moral absolute. It means that one no longer believes in the Scripture as God’s word.

But if there is no absolute right and wrong and if there is no absolute standard of God’s word, how can we judge our behavior? These theologians would say, “Well, you have to determine whether something is right or wrong according to the situation. And in the proper situation, adultery is okay. Not only that, in the proper situation murder is okay, lying is okay, cheating is okay, sodomy is okay, and homosexuality is okay. Everything is okay as long as a certain situation exists and you are practicing love in that situation.” Of course, these theologians do not define what these situations are, nor do they define love as the Bible defines it. They refuse to give us clear definitions. For them, everything must be decided subjectively.

The Problem with Situational Ethics

So concerning the seventh commandment modern theologians would say, “You know, you can commit adultery in certain situations as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone and you are acting in love.” But let me assure you, sin always hurts a lot of people. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). There is absolutely no situation in which sin is productive, edifying, and helpful. Sin is always injurious, hurtful, and destructive. Sin destroys the adulterer, the adulterer’s husband, the other man, his wife and all children involved in the situation. Sin introduces insecurity, financial chaos, fragmentation, and crime in society.

Please do not tell me that your sin will not hurt anyone. That is a lie. Modern theologians introduced this lie at the same time that they rejected biblical authority. So in the United States today we notice that most states allow sodomy, adultery, fornication and the like as acceptable behaviors. Now do you understand why politicians do not speak about adultery? They were brought up on this new morality and modern relativism.

What Is Adultery?

But what does the Scripture teach about adultery? In the seventh commandment God said that adultery is sinful. Additionally, in the tenth commandment he said, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” So you see that the idea expressed by Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30, the deeper interpretation of this particular prohibition, was already found in the tenth commandment.

As I said before, the Pharisees understood adultery as just the outward act of adultery with the wife of an Israelite brother. So in Philippians 3 when Paul reminisced about his life as a Pharisee, he said, “concerning the righteousness of the law” he was “faultless.” What he meant was that in his understanding he had never committed adultery, never murdered, never lied, and so on.

But when Paul wrote the seventh chapter of Romans, he was enabled by God to understand the depth, the width, the height, and the length of God’s commandments. And so he wrote, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire” (Rom. 7:7-8). In this passage we see Paul’s understanding was deepening. It is not just the outward act of coveting, but the covetous desire that is foul.

In Luke 18 we read about a Pharisee who went into the temple and prided himself, boasting before God Almighty that he was not an adulterer. Listen to what he says: “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers. . .'” (Luke 18:11). In his mind this Pharisee had kept God’s commandments. What about the rich young ruler? He asked Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life. What did Jesus tell him? Keep the commandments. How did this young man respond? “All these I have kept since I was a boy” (Luke 18:21).

“No!” Jesus said. “No, no, no, no, no, no!” Jesus wants us to realize that God’s definition of sin is not limited to an external act. Adultery is not limited to a physical act committed with another Israelite’s wife. No, adultery includes every evil thought. If any person–single, married, old, young, believer, unbeliever, man, woman–looks at a woman–married or unmarried, Gentile, Israelite, slave or free–with the purpose of lusting after her, that person has already committed adultery in his heart.

That is a new way of looking at sin, isn’t it? A person can sit in a church, listen to preaching and commit adultery all at the same time without ever moving from his or her seat.

Are You An Adulterer?

Sin comes from within us. The apostle Peter probably listened to the Sermon on the Mount and he understood quite clearly what Jesus meant about adultery. So he wrote in 2 Peter 2:14, “With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning.” Peter understood that the roving eye, the stripping eye, were also considered adultery.

We all have this problem of adultery, whether we are rich or poor. Recently an African dictator was deposed and his palace ransacked. What did people find in the palace? American pornography–a lot of it. This man had looted billions of dollars from the United States. What was he buying with the money? American pornography, along with everything else. I wonder what people will find when they loot your house, look under your bed and in your closet.

“Eyes full of adultery,” Peter said. Jesus said if a man looks for the purpose of lusting he has already committed adultery in his heart. This same Christ tells us in another place that our real problem is not our eyes, our hands, or our feet, but our heart. In Matthew 15:19 Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,” and so on.

We all have this problem. In John 8 we read that the Pharisees and teachers of the law caught a woman in the very act of adultery. When they brought her before Jesus Christ, they told him she deserved stoning according to the Law of Moses. They asked Jesus what he thought. Jesus replied, “If any of you is without sin,” meaning those who never committed this sin of adultery in this deep interpretation of that word “let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And all of the woman’s accusers, old and young, left without doing anything. Why? They, like us, are all guilty of committing adultery in this deep sense. Even President Carter publicly said he committed adultery in his head. We all deserve death.

There is only one person who never committed adultery–Jesus Christ. Every other person who ever lived is guilty of committing adultery. How can we know that is true? Because all are sinners. Read Genesis 6:5. That verse tells us the extent of the sinfulness of man. Unlike Pelagius, we believe that as a result of Adam’s sin all have become sinners. Our very nature is sinful and that sin nature manifests itself in various sins. The basic reason for all sinful acts is a sinful heart. Genesis 6:5 tells us this sinfulness reaches to our very imagination so that every inclination of the thoughts of a person’s heart is only evil continually–from childhood, we are told. That is why we can sit in a nice sanctuary and sin with our minds.

The Danger of Being An Adulterer

Unlike the leaders and preachers of this country, Jesus spoke about the serious consequences of committing adultery. What are they? He said that if a person commits adultery, that person’s soul will be cast into hell. In Matthew 5:29 he said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell,” and so on. Jesus affirms that there is a hell and says that if a person is an adulterer in this deep definition, he or she will be thrown into it. So if one is interested in the eternal welfare of his or her soul, don’t commit adultery, Jesus was saying. Why? There is a hell and a heaven. There is also a Judge, Jesus Christ himself, and one of these days we will all have to appear before him.

What, then, is the plain interpretation of this section of Scripture? Avoid adultery at all costs! But that is not an easy task. Why? We have this problem in the very depths of our heart and being. What does the text say? Avoid the trap of adultery. Adultery, meaning lust, is a trap. Be very careful, therefore, every man, woman, young man, young woman. Why? There is a trap. Be very careful and vigilant. Watch out for the trap.

Adultery in the deep sense is a trap. But how many people walk around without any understanding of this trap that is being laid for them? Such people are trapped continually. It is sad, isn’t it? So Jesus is teaching, “Don’t do that. Avoid it at all costs.”

Now my question is, “Do you believe Jesus? Or do you believe Joseph Fletcher, Harvey Cox, and all the other modern theologians, philosophers, and sociologists who continually are telling us, ‘Have a good time’?” Let me tell you my choice: I believe Jesus Christ, who is God, perfect man, the author and interpreter of God’s law, and the one who lived in complete obedience to it. And this same Jesus tells us that there is a hell and a heaven. And in Matthew 18 he urges us, by all means, to enter into life and avoid hell. Jesus continually spoke about heaven and hell.

Do you hear people nowadays speaking about heaven and hell? No. Any discussions of heaven and hell have long since gone away. Heaven went away, hell went away, sin went away, Satan went away, and demons went away. Now we have embraced Hugh Hefner’s philosophy of hedonism: “Have fun!” Parents nowadays ask their children, “Do you want some money? Here it is. Go and have fun. Do you need a place to stay? Well, why don’t you and your girlfriend stay in our own room?” How do we describe such parents? “Oh,” we say, “they are so broad-minded.”

But if it is true that if one’s looking at a woman or a man with the intent of lusting is the same as adultery, then we are all condemned and in big-time trouble. Why? We will all go to hell.

Is There A Cure for Adultery?

So our burning question must be, “What is the cure for this problem of adultery that we all have?” Let me tell you, Jesus Christ is the cure for all of these things. In fact, in Matthew 1:21 we read, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” And in Romans 6 we read that having been set free from sin, we are to now offer the parts of our bodies to righteousness leading to holiness. Our ability to do this is all based on Jesus’ work on our behalf–his death, his resurrection, and his life.

But, first, let me tell you, sex is good. Why? God created it. And if you are thinking, “I would like to get married someday and have children and enjoy sexual relations with my spouse,” that is not sinful thinking. Chastity before marriage and fidelity after marriage. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral,” we read in Hebrews 13:4. So if you are thinking about marriage, sex, family, and children, that is not sin.

False Cures

What is the cure for the problem of adultery? First, let me tell you what will not work. One way in which people have tried to deal with this problem of lust is to practice asceticism. But that is no cure. Many people have tried this, including the priests of the Roman Catholic church. Some have tried extremely hard, even to the point of beating their bodies, to avoid having sexual thoughts. But what are they doing even as they are beating their bodies? Thinking about sex! When you practice asceticism, you are always thinking about what you are avoiding. We read about this in the writings of St. Anthony. He went out into the wilderness to avoid these desires, but in his own writings he says that he was always thinking about it. Why? The problem is in our hearts. A person can be a hermit and live away from everyone else, but he can think about sex and commit adultery in his heart twenty-four hours a day. Asceticism is no answer to this problem.

What about mutilation? Many have thought that mutilation would help them deal with this problem. There was a theologian in the early church named Origen who actually castrated himself. And recently we heard of a group of cult members who also did this type of thing. But is that what Jesus meant when he said, “Cut it off! Throw it away! It is better to limp into heaven rather than to leap with whole body into hell,” speaking about one’s eye or one’s hand? No! Jesus was clearly using hyperbolic language. So I counsel you, don’t take such action. Why? It will not help. The only way to totally cure this problem by mutilation would be to kill yourself, which I also do not counsel you to do. I have much better counsel for you through Jesus Christ.

Why doesn’t mutilation solve this problem? Well, suppose you gouged out your right eye, which is the more valuable eye, according to some. You could still see something with your left eye that could cause you to lust. Suppose you took out both eyes. You would still have enough stored up in your head to think about while you are in complete darkness. Why? That is the nature of sin. So please do not gouge out your eyes and cut off your hands.

We Must Understand the Problem

Therefore, we must realize that sex is good, marriage is God-ordained, asceticism is no cure, and mutilation is no solution to this problem. How, then, can we deal with adultery? First, we must understand clearly that the real problem is the sin nature in us. Our minds, our wills, and our emotions are twisted and perverted. Why? The human heart, which is the center of human personality, is twisted, corrupt, perverted. “To the pure all things are pure,” but human beings are not intrinsically pure. Thus, everything we are and do is skewed, corrupted and perverted. The deep reason for our problem is sin.

We Need A New Nature

In Matthew 5:8 Jesus stated, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” But that presents a problem. How can our perverted, twisted, unclean hearts be made pure? The answer is found in the Holy Scriptures. Based on what Jesus Christ did–his life, his death and his resurrection–salvation comes to us. The Spirit of God applies this salvation to everyone who repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first thing the Holy Spirit does is to cause us to be born again. We still have our evil nature, but God plants in us a new, divine nature. And now there is the possibility for what? A good war! Yes, the old nature did not go away, but if you are born again, you have been set free. You have been forgiven, justified, and given a new, divine nature which loves God and thinks after him.

How can you receive this new nature? Cry out to God! If you are a slave to the sin of adultery or any other sin, cry out to God: “God, as a sinner, I can only sin. Have mercy upon me!” A sinner can only sin, isn’t that true? There is a Latin phrase, non posse non peccare, which describes a sinner. It means “not possible not to sin.” In other words, an unregenerate sinner can never get out of adultery. He or she will be committing adultery day in and day out. Why? It is impossible for a sinner to get out of this thing by himself.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! But if you don’t want that, go ahead and be an adulterer. Be foul, be a slave to sin, and go to hell! Who said that would happen to you? Jesus Christ. But God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take you to heaven, and this is the only way to do it. I urge you, therefore, to cry out to God: “God, I have a sinful nature. I can only sin. I am a slave to it. I want to get out of it but I cannot do it. Help me, O God!” God will give you a new nature.

God Gives the Holy Spirit

When you become a Christian, not only is a new nature given to you by the supernatural, miraculous work of the Spirit of the living God, but God himself comes and dwells in you. The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, comes to us. That is why the Bible says repeatedly, “Be filled with the Spirit daily.” The Holy Spirit will come to a believer to nourish and empower his spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit who declares a war against our sin nature, our flesh, as we read in Galatians 5, beginning with verse 16.

God is so gracious! He gives us a divine nature and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and declares war against sin. This Holy Spirit nourishes our spirit and guides, instructs, and tells us how to live. And do you think the Holy Spirit will guide us into sin? Never! The Bible says he guides us into truth. When we sin, it has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. In fact, he is the prime opponent of sin.

Not only that, the Holy Spirit gives us power over sin. We are told about the greatness of this power in Ephesians 1. Now, if you trouble in this area, pay careful attention to this. In Ephesians 1, beginning with verse 17, Paul wrote, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” and then he said, “and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Incomparably great power for us who believe! The same power by which God raised his Son Jesus Christ from the dead is for us who believe!

So the Holy Spirit dwells in us and enables us to wage war against our flesh, empowering us and guiding us. What is the result? We win the war! Why? As John wrote in 1 John 4:4, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” We no longer have to sin! This is called posse non peccare— possible not to sin. We have been set free from the dominion of sin so that we can now live holy lives.

Is this really true? Yes. If it were not so, all of the New Testament epistles would be farces. Why? The epistles exhort us again and again to live holy lives. And we can only do so when God has done something about the rottenness and foulness of our hearts, wills, imaginations and feelings. And God has done something, by giving us new birth, new natures, and the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit.

The Cure: Think!

What, then, is the cure for this problem if you are a Christian? The solution is to think. What do I mean by that? Well, before you became a Christian you could only think evil. You would look and strip and commit adultery in your heart, if not also in your actions. But if you are a Christian, God has changed you in your very imagination, and now you are able to think differently!

What was our problem before? Our imagination. But now we have the wonderful ability to think holy thoughts. Before we were morally and totally unable to think holy thoughts, but now we are made able by God to do so. Before we could not turn off and put off evil thoughts, but now we can.

Turn Off Evil and Turn On Good

So I urge you to turn off everything that nourishes evil thought. Turn off the television. Turn off novels. Movies, music, videos, Internet–turn them off! Turn off everything that nourishes evil thought. The great Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones advises us in his study of this passage to get rid of novels. Why? This evil imagination we have in us feasts on such fare. He even tells us to stop reading divorce reports in the newspapers. Why? They also stimulate our thought life in the wrong way.

Turn off! Put off! If you are a Christian, you will be able to do this because you have been given a new nature. If you cannot do this, I would say that you are not born again, and you must cry out to God for salvation.

Romans 13:14 tells us to make no provision for the flesh, meaning our sin nature. Instead, what are we to do? Starve it! Why? Our sin nature, our flesh, will never completely die in this life, but we can seriously debilitate it, and we must do so if we are to deal with this problem. We must starve our sin nature and feed our spirit. We must put off and turn off the world with its passions and desires, and put on and turn on anything that will cause our minds to think holy thoughts. We must do everything that will encourage us to think God’s thoughts after him.

Ephesians 5:10-11 tells us, “Find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” We are to find out what pleases the Lord and do it. What about our thought life? In Philippians 4:8 we read, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Turn off and turn on! Put off and put on! Do not think evil–think God’s thoughts, if you ever want to be lifted out of the sinkhole of sin and brought into freedom. (PGM) We must avoid evil at all costs. Don’t go into the coal mines, in other words, and expect to come out okay. Don’t go near fire, and think you won’t be burned. Avoid it!

Romans 12:1 tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Learn to Kill

What else should we do to deal with this problem? Learn to kill. Did you know that Christians are called to be killers? Yes, but not of people. Christians must learn to kill sin.

How many of us want to be a killer of sin? We don’t, do we? In general, we would rather dillydally and avoid dealing with sin. But in Colossians 3:5 Paul tells us what to do: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature,” and then Paul defines what that is: “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” This is serious business. We are supposed to kill these things, not maim them. And in verse 6 Paul gives the reason: “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Hell is coming. We cannot dillydally on this issue.

Romans 8:13 tells us to do the same thing, and in that verse we are also told the power by which we can do it: “But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Therefore, we can allow no compromise, no dialog, with sin.

Be A Samuel

In 1 Samuel 15 we have an illustration of this idea of putting sin to death. In that chapter Samuel told King Saul to destroy the Amalekites, to wipe them out completely. And Saul did kill some Amalekites. But he was careful to save Agag, the king. Let me tell you, a Saul will never kill an Agag. Why? Saul was not born again.

In 1 Samuel 15:32 Agag, in all his kingly glory, came to Saul and Samuel. I am sure he came confidently, knowing that he could easily coexist for a long time with Saul. Why? Saul had already demonstrated that he did not love God. But what happened to Agag? He was put to death. Who killed him? Samuel!

Why did Samuel kill Agag? He was born again. Samuel was a child of God whose nature had been changed and he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He heard the word of God to destroy Amalek, so he said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites” and killed him.

Let me say it again: If you are born again, you will put to death the misdeeds of your body. If you are not, you will not do it. You will dillydally and compromise. You will say, “It is okay.” You might even discuss the beneficial effects of sin, saying, “Oh, sin is not so bad. It helps you to loosen up.” It is amazing that people can see beautiful things in the sewer and rationalize their behavior. Saul did this and then told Samuel, “I did everything you said.” So if you are a Saul, you will not put sin to death because you have no hatred for it. Samuel hated sin and dealt with it. My counsel to you is to be a Samuel.

Honor God with Your Body

I want to give you more counsel because I know that we all are plagued by this type of sin. It is a serious problem, and that is why I am giving you this counsel in a detailed manner.

We must realize that God wants our eyes, minds, wills, hands, feet, and properties used in a way that glorifies him. In Romans 6:13 we read, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness. . .” When you think about evil things, you are offering your mind as an instrument of wickedness. When you view evil things, you are offering your eyes as instruments of wickedness. When you use your money to buy pornography, you are offering your substance as an instrument of wickedness. But Paul says not to offer the parts of your body to sin. This is possible only for person who is born of God and who has been set free from the dominion of sin.

Then Paul says, “Rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life”–notice the radical transformation–“and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” He says the same thing in Romans 6:18. And in Romans 12:1 Paul writes, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” Why should we do this? God redeemed our bodies and they belong to him. We are thieves if we put any part of God’s property–any part of our body–into unlawful use.

In 1 Corinthians 6:18 we read, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” Then Paul continues, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God,” serve God, obey God “with your body.” That is our purpose. We are thieves if we put our bodies to unholy use. To do so would be taking someone else’s property and misusing it.

Flee!

Next, I want to give you a four-letter word that will help you in this fight against sexual sin. What is it? Flee! Flee! Do you understand what it means to flee? It is as if Sodom is about to be destroyed and the angel is telling Lot and his family to leave: “Flee!” he tells them. “Come on, flee! Why? Danger and death is imminent. Destruction is coming. Flee!”

Now, Satan will not tell us to flee sin. No, Satan will tell us how nice it is to sin. He will tell us how good sin will feel. What about the new morality? Will it advise us to flee sin? No. Why? Because the new morality is really immorality and destruction. But what does the Holy Spirit say throughout the Bible in reference to this type of sin? “Flee! Get out! Come on, get out! Run for your life!”

In 1 Corinthians 6:18 we read, “Flee from sexual immorality,” and in 2 Timothy 2:22 Paul counsels Timothy, “Flee the evil desires of youth.” Young people, old people, and everybody else–flee! I myself have counseled many people to flee, but some didn’t do it. They went straight into it. But I am praying that God will give them repentance.

In Genesis 39 we see the classic example of fleeing. As Joseph worked in Potiphar’s house, he was tempted daily by Potiphar’s wife. What did Joseph do? He fled! Genesis 39:12 says he ran out of the house to get away from this woman. He was trying to save himself from destruction.

In contrast, consider Judges 16. There we read about Samson, who was attracted to the prostitute Delilah. Did Samson flee like Joseph? No. What happened? Samson fell squarely into Delilah’s trap.

Avoid Bad Company

What other steps can we take to enjoy a life of sexual purity? First, we must avoid bad company. First Corinthians 15:33 says, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Avoid it! Cut it off! Or read 2 Corinthians 6, beginning with verse 14: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” What is the answer? Nothing! Paul continues, “What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” These are rhetorical questions. What is the answer? Nothing! “What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” Nothing! “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” None! And finally in verse 17 Paul says, “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

As Christians, we have an obligation toward unbelievers in this world, but we can best render that obligation when we are separate from the world. We are light of the world. We are not helping the world by being in company with it. Therefore, avoid bad company. If you are born of God, you will do just that. If you find it difficult to do this, you may not be born again. A born-again person will cut it off.

Take Radical Action

Next, we must take radical action in this war against sin. What is the meaning of this statement: “Cut off your right hand, gouge out your right eye, and throw them away from you!” I have already made the point that this is hyperbolic language. But what does it mean? It means radical action must be taken. Radical comes from the Latin word radix, meaning root. In other words, fundamental, decisive, quick, definitive action must be taken. Costly action must be taken. No matter what the cost–and we know how valuable our right eye and right hand are to us–if something has become a trap that causes us to sin, we must radically, decisively, and quickly get rid of it. That is what this statement of Jesus means. We must find out what causes us to sin and deal with it surgically, quickly, decisively, and definitively. Save yourself at all costs! That is the idea.

Be Busy for God

Third, we must work. In 2 Samuel 11:1,2 we notice that David did not go out to war in the springtime when kings were expected to do so. What was David doing? He was being lazy and self-indulgent rather than working for the Lord. Let me assure you, when we are lazy and self-indulgent, we get trapped in all kinds of sin. Therefore, be busy! In 1 Corinthians 15:58 we read, “Always give yourselves to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Praise God when we are busy! It is to our advantage to work–to be engaged in divine tasks, to go to work and come home, to pray, to read the word of God, and to witness. When we live for God and are so engaged in the tasks of God, we will not have time to be seduced by Satan. Learn this lesson from David.

Be Disciplined

Fourth, we must exercise self-discipline. In Job 31:1 Job says, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” What mastery and discipline on the part of Job!

What happened to David? He was not working when he should and he was sleeping at the wrong time. But when he got up, what did he do? He looked, he coveted, and he took. Contrast David with Job, who long before said what? “I made a covenant with my eyes.”

May we all make such a covenant with our eyes not to look at a girl or a boy or a man or a woman lustfully. May we covenant not to look at pornography or anything that will lead us to the actual committing of sin. As I said, it all works in the imagination before it is worked out. An outward sin is the fruit of the root of an evil imagination.

Dress Modestly

What else should we do to live a life of sexual purity? Dress modestly. Parents, teach your children to dress modestly, and dress modestly yourselves. Do not become a stumbling block or a trap for other people. Always clothe yourselves in godliness and modest dress.

Do All to the Glory of God

Next, live by the ideal of 1 Corinthians 10:31. This idea is very important in dealing with sexual impurity or any other sin. What is it? “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” When we are considering a course of action, we must ask this question: “How does this glorify my God who loved me and sent his Son to die for me on the cross? Why do I want to know? Because sin is serious business. Christ had to die to atone for my sins. How, then, will this course of action bring honor to God?” Listen to the answer from the Holy Spirit. If there is no answer, forget about that action. There should be this clear guidance: “Yes, that is perfectly good and will bring glory to God.” Don’t rationalize your actions.

Be Sober and Vigilant

What else should we do? Be sober and vigilant. Sobriety means having a correct understanding of reality, which you can have only when you are immersed in the word of God. When we listen to Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles, they are speaking about heaven, hell, and judgment–things transcendent and eternal. But when we listen to the television or read magazines and papers, we don’t get any kind of reality.

That is why we should turn those things off, read the word of God and pray seriously until we are brought to God-consciousness and understand what reality is. We must understand that this world is passing away and that Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead. We must understand there will be a new heaven and a new earth. We must think about reality, because every other kind of living is not real, sober, vigilant living.

Think of Your Soul

We must also think of our souls. We rarely speak about the soul. Oh, we are always speaking about eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, planting and harvesting, buying and selling. Isn’t that true? In general, people are not speaking about their souls.

But each one of us has a soul. Do you remember what Jesus said? “What does it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your soul in hell?” Our soul is more important than eating and drinking, and that soul is going either to hell or to heaven. This is serious business. So we must subordinate everything for the health of our souls. Think about your soul. Ask yourself, “Did I cultivate my soul today? Did I nourish my soul today? How is the health of my soul?”

Get Married

In reference to sexual purity, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7, “It is better to marry than to burn.” That does not mean that marriage is the total solution to the problem of lust, but it is a large part of it. It is not the whole solution as we see in David’s case. He had at least six wives, but being married didn’t keep him from committing serious and grievous sin. However, overall, what Paul says is true: It is better to marry than to burn.

If you are a Christian, you must marry in the Lord. Do you know what that means? Many people do not. It means that you must marry a person who is born of God, who has repented of his or her sins, who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, who trembles at the word of God and who comes under complete government of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord of the universe. That is of vital significance. Christians should not marry people who merely say they are Christians. To merely say one is a Christian does not mean a thing. Marriage is an honorable institution established by God himself, and we must marry in the Lord.

And if you are married, read 1 Corinthians 7. There we read that you must not defraud your spouse. This is a sane counsel from Paul. Therefore, proper expression of sexuality within the context of marriage is demanded by the Scripture and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deny Yourself

We must learn to deny ourselves. Jesus told his disciples to deny themselves, take up the cross daily, and follow him. What does it mean to deny yourself? It means to say no, not only to things that are wrong but also to things that are also legitimate. In the Old Testament people were required to deny themselves one time a year by fasting on the Day of Atonement. I am sure they wanted to eat that day. I am sure they felt pain, but they would say to themselves, “No, no, no, no! God demands that I fast today. I cannot!” Like them, we must be disciplined, say “No,” and make it stick.

We are not by nature a disciplined people. May God help us to discipline ourselves. How? With fasting and praying. Fasting is also a New Testament concept, and in Acts 13 and 14 we see Paul and Barnabas fasting. If fasting is good for Barnabas and Paul, it is good for us.

We must also deny ourselves in the area of possessions. Don’t buy everything you want. Tell yourself, “No, I don’t need that thing. I can live without it.” How many people are in big-time financial trouble because they have no discipline? I myself drove a used car for fifteen years and saved a lot of money. I have financial freedom because I exercised discipline. We must always remember that who we are is not determined by what we possess. We must think about the health of our souls and exercise discipline.

Receive Grace

To live sexually pure lives, we must have grace from God. Praise God, there is grace available to us! In Ephesians 1:8 Paul writes that God has lavished his grace upon us, which speaks of an abundance of grace. And James 4:6 tells us God gives even more grace: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” In Hebrews 2:16-18 we learn that Jesus helps us who are being tempted. He is not in the business of helping angels, as it says in verse 16, but Abraham’s descendants. And as believers, we are Abraham’s descendants. He will help us when we are tempted. This is God’s grace coming to us.

In Hebrews 4:16 there is an invitation given: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence. . .” What is the purpose? “So that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” I spoke recently with a young girl who was experiencing great temptation. She was saying, “Oh, it is tough. It is such a struggle. It is hard.” I said, “Yes, but what did Jesus say? ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ And in 1 John 5:3 we read, ‘His commands are not burdensome.'” Then I told her, “You see, you have to go to the throne of grace boldly and receive mercy and find grace. Why? Then, when the need comes, you will be adequately furnished with grace by which to overcome temptation.”

Think about these things. That is why we need to have serious devotional lives in which we pray, read, and seek God daily. When we do that, we will live grace-rich lives. Never think that you have to live a grace-poor life. No! God has lavished upon us his free grace, and he delights to give us more grace. But to receive grace, we must be humble, needy and dependent on God. God delights to give us abundant grace–not only to live a life of sexual purity, but also for every other aspect of our lives.

Seek Good Company

Next, not only should we avoid bad company in order to live a sexually pure life, but we should actively seek godly, spiritual company. We should fellowship with wise, God-fearing people–people who are on fire for God, people who will cause us to think transcendently, people who will lift us up into the heavenlies with their speech.

In this context, I encourage all of us to seek discipleship with mature Christians. This is very important. Rather than being a rolling stone, not being accountable to anyone, you can relate to someone and be trained, discipled, helped, and encouraged in your growth in Christ. Some people do not like discipleship because it means close relationship and someone might tell you something you do not want to hear. But it is a blessing when someone loves you enough to say, “Brother, that is not the way to go. Sister, that is not the way to live. That is not the way of wisdom, the way of Scripture. That is not the way of the Holy Spirit. It won’t help you, brother, sister.” If there is someone who loves you enough to come and say such things, take advantage of that.

Fall in Love with Jesus

The next–and most important–thing we must do is to fall in love with Jesus. Christianity is not just keeping this rule and that law, doing this and that. Those elements are involved, but more than that, Christianity means falling in love with Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. It is loving the one who died on the cross for us!

In Genesis we read that Enoch walked with God. In the same way, we are invited to love God and walk closely with him. Christianity is not dry theology and a lot of dos and don’ts. No, Christianity is a relationship with God, who is a person. Love him! Speak to him! Walk with him! Fellowship with him! Pray to him!

In Romans 13:10 we read, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” If we love Jesus Christ, we will control our eyes, our imagination, and our thoughts. Why? Because an evil imagination grieves the Holy Spirit. Why? Christ died on the cross for our sins. We must have a deep understanding of sin and of what God did to deal with it.

This is serious business. Satan will come to us and say, “Oh, it is okay to sin. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. Have a little fun just this one time. It’s okay.” But if we believe Satan, we will be subscribing to the hedonistic philosophy of the world and grieving the Holy Spirit. Will we then be any different from the other people of the world?

We must look to Jesus and fix our eyes on him who is the author and finisher of our faith. Job said, “I made a covenant with my eyes that I will not look lustfully upon a girl.” God says that we should fix our eyes on his Son, Jesus Christ, and know him. And how can we see him the most clearly? By studying his holy word. The whole Bible speaks about Jesus Christ.

Keep Going

Finally, we must always keep this in mind: If we stumble and fall, we should repent of our sin and forsake it. But then what should we do? Get going. Do you understand that? Repent, forsake, and get going. Why? Because Satan wants us to wallow in our sin and continue in it.

Whenever we sin we must tell Satan, “Satan, I have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, I know that I have grieved God but now I have repented. And God’s word says that if I confess my sin, he is faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Therefore, I am trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ that is shed for me.” So I counsel you, when you sin, you must repent quickly, forsake your sin, receive forgiveness and get going–with a good conscience!

Holiness Leads to Life

Jesus said that hedonism and self-indulgence will only take us to Gehenna, to hell. But holiness leads to life, to the kingdom of God, to heaven itself, which Jesus has already entered, having gone through the heavens (Heb. 4:14). Hebrews 12:14 tells us, “Make every effort. . .to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” We must seek to live holy lives.

Do not be deceived by the new morality of hedonism that is taught in the public schools, in the universities and everywhere else. Such moral relativism is pervasive in our society. But let us listen to Jesus, who said,”Ego de lego humin –But I say to you. . .” I will not listen to anyone who gives me psychological and sociological nonsense, but I will listen to Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord of the universe, who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Listen to him, avoid sin, and enter into life!

Conclusion

What is salvation? Salvation means freedom–freedom to hate sin and freedom to love Jesus Christ. Posse non peccare –the ability to not sin–is the freedom that every Christian enjoys now on earth. And when we get to heaven, what will be our state? Non posse peccare –we will not be able to sin. We cannot sin in heaven, in other words. The very presence of sin will be dealt with and perfection will come. What a glorious future!

But let me assure you, here and now Christians have the tremendous freedom to say no to Satan and sin. Even now we have been set free from the dominion of sin and have the ability to pursue righteousness and holiness.

I counsel you, then, to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ and practice these things. Whether you are young or old, if you practice them, all of a sudden you will have boldness and confidence, and the gospel will come out of your mouth with great conviction. May God help us to practice sexual purity beginning today. Amen.