"Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband" 1 Cor 7:1-2.
"Worldly desires, appetites, and feelings prevent true Christianity—the human will is, in a sense, enslaved by fleshly and worldly desires. It is therefore necessary for God to awaken people to a sense of guilt and danger and thus produce an opposite excitement or feeling and desire. This counter-feeling breaks the power of worldly desire and leaves the will free to obey God." Charles G. Finney
“Excessive sexual sin and nakedness is one of the marks of our Western culture and much of the world today. Everything is sensual. Everything must be sexy. We live in a sex-crazed world, and nakedness jumps out at us from everywhere. It is becoming more and more difficult for men and women to keep themselves in a state of moral purity.” Bert Farias
Listen to me my friend, God is not just a God of purpose He is the God of order. In his purposeful agenda, He made male and female. He wired into their nature sexual components that will make sex within them easy and be able to achieve the three major purposes for marriage and sexual activities namely: companionship, recreation and procreation. Then he gave them boundaries and guidelines to enjoy this relationship.
Here are some of them:
1. Avoid male to male, female to female sexual relationship. Sexual activity must be between man and woman only.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” Rom 1:26-27
2. Avoid Homosexuality "Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. Lev 18:24 NLT
3. Avoid prostitution
"Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 1 Cor 6:16
4. Avoid pre- marital sex, known as fornication.
"Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body" 1 Cor. 6:13b
5. Avoid incest.
"'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. Lev 18:9; 10-18
6. Avoid Bestiality
"'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. Lev 18:23
7. Get married. Stay with your spouse.
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Gen 2:24, 1 Cor 7:1-2
8. Avoid Adultery. Once you are married get stuck with your spouse forever.
"'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. Lev 18:20.
9. Avoid Divorce, Separation, and Remarriage.
No divorce. No separation, no remarriage unless death separates you.Mal 2:16; Matt 19:1-10,
10. Don’t watch pornography or related newly invented audio, virtual sexual perversions.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do 'such things 'shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal 5:18-21
Modern day invented sexual immorality are under the phrase "such things". Including those ones that are yet to be invented! For example, watching of pornography, electronic or in print, blue movies, listening to erotic songs, which add no value to your spiritual growth.
11. Avoid Tattoos. “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28).
12. Avoid Lewdness: unashamed indecency, unbridled lust, unrestrained depravity, provocative, seductive, temptatious, seditious dressing and nudity. “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power" (1 Cor. 6:13-14).
Conclusion. As I conclude this piece take this counsel and warning from the Hebrew author.
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Heb 13:4. Take the cue. Paul says "Get married" if you cannot "abstain" like him. God favoured you to give you your vital organs for a legitimate purpose because favour is for a purpose, don't abuse God's grace in your life. If you are married be content with your spouse and if you are not married wait till you get married and honour your body. Lastly, remember going against these guidelines exposes you to dangerous, spiritual, physical, medical, social and even legal consequences. Half a word is for the wise. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:15, 19-20)
Dr Amos Dada is the District Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church Bethel Canada. Convener of International Gathering of Eagles Conference and President, Canadian Institute of Leadership and Development. Www.igoeministry.com; .www.canadaleadership.com and www.cacbethel.com.
