1 Corinthians 6:12-20
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
You are designed to become one with only one other person.
But when you participate in sex outside of marriage you forfeit the opportunity to become uniquely one physically with you future spouse. With every premarital sexual impure encounter you decrease the significance of sex with your future husband or wife. Every time you take that road you’re destroying it.
But when you participate in sex outside of marriage you forfeit the opportunity to become uniquely one physically with you future spouse. With every premarital sexual impure encounter you decrease the significance of sex with your future husband or wife. Every time you take that road you’re destroying it.
Are the temporary pleasures you get from premarital sex or impurity worth the long-term complications it will cause?
If we have a brain in our head, if we can wipe away the hormones and temporary pleasures, we’d be honest and say “no way is it worth it”
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor - not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Is God against sex? Does God want to make our lives miserable?
No, God loves you and wants what’s best for you. He wants your sexual experience to be the best it can possibly be. And he knows more about sex than anyone does, He created it!
Sex is not for mature people, for ready people, or in-love people – it’s for married people.
Because it’s not just physical but relational.
Guys:
You can be like those guys in the locker room anytime. If you’re holding on to your purity for your wife, know that they can never offer what you can to your wife one day by being pure.
YOU CAN BE LIKE THEM ANYDAY, THEY CAN NEVER BE LIKE YOU EVER AGAIN!
So be focused on becoming a Godly man, because that’s what kind of girl you want to spend your life with and that what type of man she’s looking for!
I said last week that you need to redirect your attention to developing relational skills.
Guys we are horrible at this. We can’t pay attention, we just want to run and play.
Learn how to honor and respect women already in your life – mom, sister, grandmother, etc.
Great sex is the by-product of a great relationship. That doesn’t just magically come to you at the altar; you have to learn relational skills.
Girls:
When you’ve been used and a sexual relationship ends, you feel insecure, used, dirty, and angry.
They usually quickly rebound into another unhealthy relationship, because sex is relational not physical.
You always have to keep that in mind.
So what about Purity?
A lot of people say it’s no big deal. Just use condoms, birth control, and there won’t be a problem.
Let me just say condoms can’t erase a memory, remove guilt, restore a reputation, or repair self-esteem. That’s why God would have you wait.
So how do we stay pure? How do I have a great relationship? (We’ll cover this in detail next week)
Guys:
The way you are wired you are turned on by site: “You’re Visual”
You have to starve your eyes of impurities: movies, pictures, internet, conversations, etc.
Have the strength to turn your heads. Girls you too.
Don’t just starve your mind. Replace those thoughts by seeking after God. Renew your mind.
Psalms 119:9-11
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.
I have tried hard to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I may not sin against you.
Just remember that the girl you have a crush on or that you’re dating now is one day someone’s future wife.
Just remember that the girl you have a crush on or that you’re dating now is one day someone’s future wife.
So where do you draw the line on dating?
Picture this: Your wife is out their right now making decisions about dating and relationships also – Where do you want her drawing the line? If she’s holding another guys hand you get upset and want to break his face.
Think about how important purity is in a dating relationship.
Guys stop being so pushy towards a physical relationship, get your hands off what isn’t yours!
Girls: You have to help the guys.
You’re saying you want a godly man but you also say that they have their minds in the gutter(Which is true most of the time)
But that’s where some of you are going to buy your clothes.
But that’s where some of you are going to buy your clothes.
Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter or guys just need to be stronger and turn away and stop looking. Yeah guys need to be stronger, but if you care about your brothers in Christ and about yours and their purity and future marriage then it does matter what your wear.
Girls the guys struggle with this and it ripping at their hearts.
“If your shorts are letting it all hang out or showing too much leg, or your shirt is low cut or you’re wearing pants you had to put on with pliers, or shorts that might as well be underwear – guys are not going to come up and say “Wow, you must really love Jesus, I bet she is a godly girl with high standards”
No they are saying “I bet she’s easy.” “I would love to get alone with her.” “She could be my next story to tell the guys.”
Girls I’m not saying to become nuns and wear turtle necks; just be modest and run it through your minds what guys will see and think. These are your brothers in Christ.
You can present yourself beautiful, stylish, cute and modest too. I’ve seen you dress modest before and be beautiful. I’ve also seen the opposite.
Girls keep your body as a secret for your husband. Your husband will appreciate it more than anyone.
So we’ve been talking about the importance of Purity and there’s probably some saying...
“I’ve already messed up and taken the wrong roads. Purity sounds good but it sounds like my marriage is going to be miserable and hopeless. And if that’s the case I might as well keep doing what I’m doing.”
Just because you went “too far” is no reason to give up the fight and give into temptation because one day you will meet the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with and you will have 1 of 3 stories to tell:
1. When I was a teenager I messed up sexually. I got carried away with the person I was dating. I figured that since I did it once it really didn’t matter if I did it again. So I was sexual with several other people along the way to meeting you.
2. When I was a teenager I messed up sexually. But on April 26 2012 , after hearing my youth leader teach on intimacy, I decided that God knew what he was talking about. I decided that from that point on I would wait. I decided to make a stand and set new standards when it came to my dating life and I have stuck with them. Since that day I have saved myself for you.
3. When I was a teenager I realized that God knows more about sex than anyone. Since he created sex for marriage, I decided to wait. I have saved myself for you.
Whatever your story might be let me say this.
God can help you pick up the pieces of your heart, take control of your life and set you back on your feet. He wants to forgive you, heal you and help you pave the way for intimacy in your future marriage. You may think that’s not possible but know this: God is rich in mercy and grace and that He is a forgiving and loving God. He wants to make you a clean, pure or even a recycled virgin. He wants to start from the inside/out, from the heart out.
I promise you it’s not too late to make a stand on where you want your dating life to go or even what you want your marriage to look like.
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