Dealing With Sexual Sin

Last week I presented a three part workshop titled "Dealing With Sexual Sin" at the Ohio Christian Education Association (OCEA) 2010 Christian Ministries Conference held at The Chapel in Akron, Ohio, March 18 - 20.

The apostle Paul tells the church at Corinth, "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid , lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Cor 11:2-3) To the church at Ephesus he said, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless." (Eph 5:25-27)

This means the Father's servants (pastors, leaders, teachers) are charged with the responsibility to watch over and nurture the Church, the Bride of Christ, to keep her pure. The word for pure in the Greek means chaste, pure, free from defilements or impurities. In a more restricted sense, it refers not only to chastity, but also to virginity. So the goal is that the Church might be presented as a chaste virgin when the trumpet sounds and the Groom comes to claim her.

The Church for too long has ignored or mishandled the subject of sex and sexual immorality that the world is having more influence on the Church than the Church is having on the world.

Not surprisingly, this topic struck a nerve and some raw emotions emerged during the sessions. Some people were educated, some were disturbed, others offered hope and encouragement to fellow class members. Praise God for the victory of several who received the truth of Scripture and were set free from the bondage of sexual sin!!

As my class and I study the book of Isaiah, we have seen clearly the close relationship between idolatry and sexual sin. As I studied for the workshops, this truth was reinforced again and again throughout the Bible in both Old and New Testaments. Because sexual matters are not appropriately addressed by pastors and teachers in the local church and many church members are not true students of the Word, there are many who make their own determination of sexual sin. Consequently, it is difficult for them when they hear the truth and the initial response is to make every attempt to justify immoral behavior rather than confess, repent and be cleansed and set free.

There's a lot of work to be done to get the Bride of Christ ready and make sure her gown is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And since we don't know when the wedding is actually going to take place, there's no time to waste. We'd better be about our Father's business right now.