Tag: Dwelling Place

Immoral, Sin Against Self

Again, as usual, the LORD has learned me something. I ask for God’s guidance in my daily Bible Study and He is always there. Today is no different in my study of the word “immoral”.

“18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

As stated, my approach to Bible Study is choosing a word in the concordance of my Bible and going verse be verse as identified and allowing God to teach me. I do not go in with a specific agenda, other than the word itself and I allow God to lead me to what He would have me learn. This morning The LORD led me to learn about being immoral and sinning against my self.

When you see the title of the passage from this morning, “Flee Sexual Immorality”, you would think that it is indeed subject of learning. Where to some extent that is true, this morning, God would have me learn of being immoral and sinning against my self. You see, the verse above does speak of sexually immorality, yet it speaks of it in such a way that we are sinning against our own selves even as we sin against God.

Think of sinning in general. Steal something and you harm someone else. Kill someone and you harm someone else. Serve another god and you harm God. All of these sins are harmful to others and have perceived upside to you. Except for sexual sin and immorality. With this one, it is us who are harmed. Yes, maybe there is some pleasure and gratification in the moment, but what about after that moment. There are so many other things that happen, possible pregnancy, disease, lying, hiding and a whole host of other things that come with it. We may be sinning and may be immoral in our actions, but it is deeper in that we are acting against ourselves.

“19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

And just what is our self. Our self is “a temple of the Holy Spirit”. We are the place where God dwells and lives. We belong to God and in that we are to keep our bodies clean and pure. With sexual immorality, we are sinning against our self and therefore desecrating the temple of the LORD.

I personally do not want to desecrate the temple of the LORD. Where I will sin, because I am a sinner and will always be. I ask the LORD daily to guard me against conscious sin. Where, as noted above, sin is harmful to others and certainly disappointing to the LORD, it is the sexual immorality where it really stings. It stings because it is against my self and the temple of the LORD. I have to work at avoiding sin, and especially sexual immorality to not desecrate my self and more importantly the dwelling place of the LORD.

What is your view of sexual immorality? Are you seeing it just as any other sin? What if you saw it as noted here as desecration of your self and more importantly, the temple of the LORD?

Find a Church Home (They are Plentiful)

Have you found a church home? It is a challenge sometimes I know. Lori and I were members of a church for many years in our childhood home. We then moved to another city and it took a few months to find the right church home. We then moved again and it took another while to find the right church home. And then we moved to another a few years later. So the process can take some time, but notice that we did not stop looking for the right church home for us.

“1How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD of hosts!

2My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.”

— Psalm 84:1-2 (ESV)

The psalm above speaks to the loveliness of the dwelling place of the LORD. We are to seek it out and find joy there. This is not just one singular location. The “dwelling place” of the LORD is where He is and not a single specific place. Remember that the LORD is omnipresent and is everywhere. He is where you need Him to be. So the “dwelling place” is where we can find Him and “sing for joy” to Him.

“3Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my King and my God.

4Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise!”

— Psalm 84:3-4 (ESV)

And now, where do we find our church home? I cannot say where, physically that is for you. As noted earlier, Lori and I moved a few times and it took time to find the church home for us. But, I will say that if/when we go back to those places, we have a church home to attend. Places where we know we will find a place to “sing for joy” to the LORD.

Looking at the above verses three and four, even sparrows and swallows find a home or nest to raise their young. I think to around my house here. On the front and back porch, we have nests that have been built by some barn swallows. These nests, during the spring and summer times are full with swallows as they have a raise their young. Multiple nests in one location that are not lacking as a home for some. Lori and I like to think that these are the same swallows coming back year after year to a home where they feel comfortable to raise their young.

Churches are the same where you are. There are churches everywhere in your area. I am willing to bet that there is a church home for you in one of them. It may take you some time to find the right one where you find your loving connection to the LORD. But, I will say, you must keep attending and looking for the “dwelling place” of the LORD for you to feel His presence. If not in the first place you go, then go to another, and another, and another. You “sing for joy” in every place and know that the LORD will be there with you.

At some point you will find the “dwelling place” of the LORD that is right for you. And you will find yourself and others singing and worshiping the LORD there always. And even if you move to another area, you will know that you can always return to the church home where you felt comfort to “sing for Joy” to the LORD and know that He is there with you. Don’t give up and keep looking for your church home.

Where is your church home? Do you have one? What if you were to keep searching, knowing that there is a church home for you in your area that is the “dwelling place” of the LORD and you can “sing for joy” to Him?