Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex. Message Translation
Throughout this month in our church, we are going to pay some extra attention to issues pertaining to love, marriage, relationships et cetera. We are doing this because we are a family church. We give attention to issues affecting families and that is because if we fail to fix the families, the church will suffer and that also means the country will be affected.
So, every Sunday from today, all singles will be having separate sessions at the headquarters church of Diplomats Assembly in Port Harcourt, by 8.30am, while all married couples will have their session by 10am. The idea is to be able to have quality time to talk about peculiar issues that affect the various categories of people.
The singles will get to hear about what they need to do to find a partner and how they can be found, among other subjects.
Married couples will also get to hear about the nitty gritty of the marriage covenant, among other issues. So, find your way to Diplomats Assembly church in Port Harcourt to be a part of any of the sessions.
Truth is that marriage is a covenant institution which must be held in the high place of honour among both married and single people. Today’s scripture particularly emphasizes the need for married people to respect and protect the sacredness of their marriages as well as the need for the unmarried people to be properly instructed about God’s position regarding sexuality and sexual sanctity.
Whether you are married or single, it is important to understand God’s position on this very important subject. God’s intention is that sexual intimacy be experienced by married couples and within the confines of their marriage. God designed sexual intimacy to be strictly between married couples. There are many temptations at war against this sacred act that it becomes important for everyone to pay attention to God’s position on it.
As with every other issue of life, the knowledge of God’s stance on sex is the key to ensuring that all our relationships are patterned after the will of God. Sex is a very sacred act. Indulging in it with somebody you are not married to is a sin in the sight of God and will cost you dearly. While the act may appear like fun, the consequences are dire, with far reaching effects.
To participate in sex with someone who you are not married to is tantamount to opening up your life to dishonor and shame. The following are some of the excuses that people give to justify illicit sex; ‘but we are engaged to marry, we are just waiting for him to pay the bride price’. Being engaged for marriage is not the same thing as being married. If you indulge in sex because you are engaged for marriage, it is still a sin. Others say ‘well the guys want to ‘test before they buy.’ If you are a lady and you give in to sex before marriage just because you don’t want to lose a guy, be aware that you would be laying a wrong foundation, which will adversely affect you in future. I Corinthians 6:18
For married couples, it is important to understand that just like the eyes never get tired of seein, and the ears of hearing, your desire for sexual intimacy may never seem to be satisfied by your married partner. This kind of situation does not present a license for adulterous living; rather self control is what is required in order to preserve the sanctity of your marriage as well as your life.
It is dishonourable for you to slip into compromise by getting involved with someone other than your spouse. If you are currently involved sexually with someone who is not your spouse, you need do something immediately to end it as it has the tendency of destroying you and all you have worked for. Find a spiritually matured Christian to confide in about the situation and take practical steps to end the relationship officially. One of the steps to take is to make a decision never to get comfortable with the opposite sex alone in lonely places and at odd hours. Do not create avenues for temptations. Flee all appearances of temptations. Proverbs 6:32
God is the author of marriage and he also created sex. As the creator of sex, He has revealed (through the pages of the Bible) the right use of sex. The devil is the corrupter, all sexual temptations which most people face today proceed from the devil. The devil has corrupted the right use of sex in marriage and lured many innocent people into the path which leads to destruction. Proverbs14:12
If you are single and you are a Christian, you need to know that the Bible defines having sex before you are married as fornication. The Hebrew word translated fornication in theBbible means ‘to be an harlot or to play the harlot’. Whether male or female, if you are unmarried and you indulge in sex, you are making yourself an harlot and living unfaithfully to God. Thayers Greek dictionary defines the word translated fornication in the Greek as ‘illicit sexual intercourse which includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality and lesbianism’. This sin among all other sins defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit which is your body. II Corinthians 6:18-20,
II Timothy 2:22.
God wants believers to guard against these things. The first step to preserving the marriage institution is to recognize God’s will about it. You cannot stop doing anything you have not perceived as wrong in the sight of God. God’s will is for sex to be kept solely between a married man and his wife. So if you find yourself involved in sex with someone who is not your spouse you need to make a decision to stop today. Ask the Lord to forgive you and put an end to that relationship.
Last Line: Have you ever wondered what it means to give your life to Christ and be saved? Are you born again? God sent Jesus to die for all your sins so that you will not have to be punished for the same. To be saved means to simply accept Christ Jesus as your substitutionary sacrifice for your sins and to make him lord over your life. Surrender your life to Christ today by asking Jesus to forgive you your sins; ask Him to come into your life and to make you a new person. If you are facing challenges and require counseling/prayers do not hesitate to contact me. I will be willing to assist as much as I can.