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?

Immoral

Immoral: not moral: wicked, bad – Merriam-Webster Online (Kids Definition)

I went I normally go for definitions when learning, Merriam-Webster. This morning as I was looking up the word “immoral” that I have begun to study, I found that the definition is using the a form of the word to define the word. The definition that is presented to begin with is the same as with the above in the “Kids Definition”, “not moral”. Yet, that does not really speak to what immorality is. So, I worked my way down to the “Kids Definition” to find the definition that spoke to me as someone who does not know, and the “wicked, bad” really summed it up.

“⁹Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV)

I have looked at immorality from a more, as is noted in the above verses, sexual context. We look to sexual perversion as the driver of immoral behavior, whether it is homosexuality, or some other act outside of what the LORD meant for intimacy between a husband and wife. These are what are considered immoral acts in the Christian community. But look further into the verses above and then into the definition of immoral and find a broader context. Immoral is “wicked, bad” and in the verses, we see “idolaters, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers”. All of these, where not tied directly to immoral, are still “wicked, bad”.

I look to sin as the identifier of immoral. And in ALL sin we are conducting immoral or wicked, bad things outside what the LORD intended for us. God intended us to be perfect as He is, after all, we were created in the image of God. It was not until we sinned for the first time were we considered outside of God’s plan for us. And think about that sin, it was not of a sexual context, it was covetousness and greed and theft and deception that led to “The Fall”. We fell from grace for what the world would consider a meaningless act of eating a piece of fruit. Yet, it was that act outside of the will of God that led to our sin fall from the grace of God.

It is not always the grand things that lead to destruction. It is any thing that is outside the will of God. Even the eating of a piece of fruit can be “wicked, bad” when it was strictly forbidden by the Father. We are sinners thanks to the acts of Adam and Eve, and we will not escape immorality until we are are resurrected to be with God. Immoral is “wicked, bad” that are displayed for the world, or more accurately witnessed in us by the Father.

What is your view of immoral? Do you see it from the lens related to sexual acts and perversions? What if you were to see immoral as defined by Merriam-Webster Online for kids as simply “wicked, bad”?

Influenced by Your Company

I hear on a regular basis the saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. This is so true in our lives that we become that which we spend our time next to. Paul indicates this to the Corinthians as he is speaking about the resurrection of the dead.

“³³Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)

I began a study on morals and immorality this morning and this is where I was led to kick things off. Paul understood that we are influenced by those we are around. We have to be fully aware of the company we keep to know of that influence.

But, you say, Jesus spent time with tax collectors and others who were known to be of questionable character. Yes, He did. But look back at the verse above, He was not deceived. Jesus knew exactly who He was engaged with and in that time loved them and gave them the gospel and was not influenced by them.

But, you say, I know that some of the folks in my circle are of questionable character and I am loving them and giving them the gospel. Yes, you may be. But, you are not Jesus and just like Adam and Eve, will eventually fall for the deception as they did.

So then, how are we to spread the gospel if we are not to be engaged with those who need it? Well, we are not to be deceived by the company we keep. It is right and just to spread the gospel to those of questionable character. But it is not right and just to stay engaged with them as our circle of “friends”. We must surround ourselves with those of like beliefs and actions. We are to be in fellowship of those who can and will build us up. We are to awake to the deception that will come from those of questionable character and turn to Christ and those who are also in Him.

“³⁴Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.” – 1 Corinthians 15:34 (ESV)

We get our morality from Christ and not from those of questionable character. If/when we spend too much time with those of questionable character, we WILL follow them and fall away from the morality that comes from Christ. We are influenced by those we are close to and therefore we should be close to those of Christian character and examples of Christ.

Who are in your circle? Are you deceiving yourself to believe that you are not influence by them? What if those in your circle where those of Christian character and example of Christ?

Husband of One Wife

“²Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” – 1 Timothy 3:2-3 (ESV)

Here we go. There is debate on the views expressed here with regard to the “one wife” requirement. Where the rest of the requirements are pretty clear and decisive, that one can and is a bit confusing. After looking into it through the commentary in my ESV Bible, I see that there are a few different views. (1) Not unfaithful in marriage, (2) not a polygamist, and (3) never had more than one wife. All of these are certainly views that could be referenced in some context, but one thing holds true that I see, only “one wife” at a time.

It is not lost on my about the context of the verses being surrounding the “overseer” of the church. But I would state that regardless of the position of the man, the characteristics are those that are good and right for the Christian man, and the role of husband from God and we should adhere to that role.

“²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

See that the first marriage of Adam and Eve was between the man and woman. See the word “wife” and notice that it is singular and that they become “one flesh”. Out of the two of them, they become one. Not out of the multiples, but distinctly the two of them. Therefore, it is only “one wife” as noted by Paul in his letter to Timothy. We should not look at this as a quality to be an “overseer” of the Church, but as a follower of Christ and a good man and husband.

The debate as to what is meant by “husband of one wife” is just that, a debate. The thing we should remember is that we are devoted to our wife and be with her fully and completely as Christ does with the Church. We are not to be distracted by multiple things at once. We are to focus on the one who completes us as one flesh and be devoted to her only. We are to be the “husband of one wife”.

What does “husband of one wife” look like to you? Are you with the one in front of you at the moment? What if you were to devote yourself to the one who completes you as one flesh so as not to be distracted by others and can love her to the fullest as Christ does with the Church?

Husband, be Worthy of Respect

“³³However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)

There are a few things in the above verse to point out. First, husbands are to love their wives. Second, wives are to respect their husbands. Third, and not really stated, husbands are to be worthy of respect. I know, it may not say that third one in the verse itself, but it is certainly implied. If not in the verse itself, throughout the passage of Ephesians 5:22-33 titled in my ESV Bible, “Wives and Husbands”.

God has a plan and role for each of us. And in marriage, the role of the wife and the husband is defined. And where those roles are defined, those roles do not give edicts of demand. The role of husband and wife are to be in the spirit and example of Christ. I am the head of my wife and house, but as the example of Christ who loves and protects her as Christ does the church. My wife is to submit to me, but as the example of the church to Christ and look for love and protection from me as it does from Christ.

Here is where I see the third one from above. I am to love and cherish and protect my wife even to death if that be the case. I am to demonstrate my love for her and she should know if it all at all times. I am to provide for her and our home. In return, my wife should submit to my authority in her life and the life of our house and home. She is to respect me, yes because it is said and defined in the role, but also because she sees that I have done my part in my role and am worthy of her respect. She sees that I provide for her. She sees that I protect her. She sees that I love her. She sees that I love her and in return she submits and respects me knowing that she needs only to love God and seek his provision and that she will receive that from me as her husband.

Husbands, be the man of God you were meant to be and be worthy of respect from your wife.

What is your view of respect from your wife? Have you or do you earn it? What if it is not about earning it but more about being worthy of it through your actions of love, provision, and protection for your wife?

Husband, Be Head of Wife and House

Yes, husbands are to be the head of his wife and of the house.

“²³For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” – Ephesians 5:23 (ESV)

I know that in today’s society, it may be controversial to think this way. There is a belief that everyone should be ruler over their own selves. Individuality has infiltrated the home and there is no allegiance to the ruler of the house and everyone feels they should stand on their own.

The things is that if you are standing fully on your own, you are alone. We were meant to be one flesh with the other. Each in the marriage has a role and each are vital to the health and well being of the marriage. When we are individuals then we miss out of the joys of the marriage and the relationship that is meant to be. You see we cannot be devoted to our spouse if we are focused on ourselves.

“²⁵Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” – Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)

Husbands, we are called to be the head of our wives and our house. We are the leaders in both respects. We are called to give our all to our wives, not just part of us. We give ourselves up for them. We are not taking away the individual that is our wife, we are giving her a space to thrive where she is. We are loving her and giving her a place to not have to worry with what and how to do. We are giving her the opportunity to be safe and be loved and be all that she was meant to be, wife and mother and teacher and caregiver. We take away the burden of provider and protector. We are the leaders of our family and our house.

I believe that part of the problem in our world today is that husbands are absent from their roles. We have become complacent allow our wives to take on too much of the work. We exist to just be a figure in the marriage and not the leader of it. We are not the head of our wives and houses, we are members of the marriage and house. We are just another person in the family and hold no real value.

I know that in my house, Lori is my wife and mom to the boys and daughter to her mother and daughter in law to my mother. But she is also a teacher in the school. For 20 years she was mom to the boys and wife top me. She worked outside the home as a teacher (the next best thing to being a stay at home mom by the way). Now that the boys are out of the house, she has taken on additional roles that give her joy. But, even as she has expanded herself outside the home, she is still my wife and mom to the boys and will do any and everything to ensure that role is first in all that she does.

As her husband, I too have a role in the house and it is up to me to be in that role. I am her to provide and protect her. I am her to lead her and love her. I am here to be the one she turns to when they are not as she expects or believes them to be. I am her other half. I am head of the house and more importantly head of my wife.

What is your role as husband? Are you there as a figure only? What if you were to embrace the fact that you are provider, protector, and head of your wife and house?

Betrothed to Christ

“²For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 11:2 (ESV)

I am the husband of one wife, Lori. She is mine and I am hers. Together we are walking this world as one. But, I/we are betrothed to another, CHRIST! Paul, in the above verse indicates that we, as the church are to be wed with Christ. He is our husband to be. What does that mean to me/us?

If the betrothal process, the father gives the daughter over to the would be husband and does so with some guarantees. There is the guarantee of devotion to the husband. There is guarantee of dowry to the husband. There is guarantee of purity to the husband. All of these are expected as part of the marriage process.

Now think of Paul’s betrothal of us as the wife of Christ. Paul has given over the church as devoted to Christ. He has promised over the gifts of the church to Christ and His work. And there is the expected purity of the church to the Christ and Christ alone. Just as the actual wife to husband, these are all expectations and come with a great deal of responsibility.

Devotion is to the one and one only. Giving of all of ourselves to Christ and putting aside all other allegiances for the name of Christ. Gifts are given in the name of Christ to ensure that His work can continue in this world. As much as we may dislike the idea, there are needs for the monetary in the carrying out of spreading the gospel. Purity is expected in that we give ourselves to Christ and are washed clean thanks to His offer of salvation. He gets all of us in our new selves to shape into that which is/will be for Him and Him alone.

There you have it, our betrothal to Christ. We are to be devoted to Him, provide gifts to Him for the work needed in this world, and we are to be pure, washed clean for Him.

As you read further in the passage of 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, we see some of the obstacles that will befall us in this world as we are given to Christ. Where these are there, and we need to read and study them to stay away from them, this morning is about our betrothal to Christ and what we give in the process. I have been chosen to the bride of Christ and I take it seriously. I have to remember that I am to be devoted to Him, I give my gifts to Him, and I have been made pure and should work to remain that way for Him. I have been betrothed to Christ and I am to love Him and Him alone.

What is your view of your relationship to Christ? Are you only on the receiving end? What if you see it as being betrothed and with that comes devotion, gifts, and purity to Him and Him alone?

Husbands, Focus on the LORD

It is easier said than done. As husbands we have lots of anxieties.

“³³But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, ³⁴and his interests are divided.” – 1 Corinthians 7:33-34a (ESV)

Paul, in speaking to the Corinthians is noting for them that as married men, we are occupied with pleasing our wives. We want them to be well taken care of and sacrifice ourselves for them to be cared for. I was recently given a card by my wife and sons that read in part, “Thank you for always putting your family first.” So we are devoted to them and their well being and worry becomes normalized with them.

I am not saying that we should not be married or find a way out of marriage by any means, and neither does Paul. But, we should turn our focus on the LORD and avoid the anxieties that plague us as men.

“³⁶If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. ³⁷But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. ³⁸So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.” – 1 Corinthians 7:36-38 (ESV)

Paul points out that it is good and right if we just stay where we are and focus on the LORD. If that means staying unmarried, even to our betrothed, or being married. We are best to stay in that situation and turn our focus on the LORD and remove our anxieties. We are to remember the LORD and not the things of the world. We have to get our lives in balance with the LORD.

I spend my mornings reading and studying God’s Word. I am intentional about it. It is a wonderful amount of time each day and it really does get me moving in the right direction. And then I move to the things of the world, my wife, my boys, my household, my work, and all other things. But, I have started my day with the LORD and He remains with me the rest of the day guiding me away from the world’s anxieties.

We are not to give up on what the LORD has planned for us. He planned for me and Lori to be together and He blessed us with Bryson and Aarron. I do not wish for a different life at all. I am elated to have what the LORD has given to me. It is up to me to embrace where I am and turn my focus to the LORD daily and allow Him to deal with all that is in the world for me. He will point me where He wants me next, I only need to focus on Him.

Where is your focus? Are you focused on the things of this world and not necessarily on the LORD? What if you were to accept where you are and turn your focus on the LORD and allow Him to deal with the world and point your where He would have you?

Husbands, Stay with Your Wife

This seems like the right thing to do as isn’t that how it was set up in your marriage vows, “til death do us part”. I have come to see that divorce or leaving a spouse seems to be just as common as marriage itself (not really, but seems so). According to The Pew Research Center, around 34% of U.S. marriages end in divorce. The reasons for divorce are different, but think of that percentage, 3 out of ten marriages end in divorce. That is a pretty high number in my book.

“¹⁰To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. ¹²To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. ¹³If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.” – 1 Corinthians 7:10-13 (ESV)

According to God’s Word, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, husband and wife should stay married. Wives should not separate or divorce from their husbands and likewise the husband should not divorce their wives. Notice that in these four verses there is no exception, in fact Paul does say in verse 11, that there should be reconciliation.

I am speaking to my fellow husbands here. We are to love our wife and stay with them. Even when things seem bleakest between you, there is always room for reconciliation. We have to look backward to see the good. We chose to marry our wife for what we saw in them before. They are still the same as they were, we have likely stopped looking at or for that in them. Look intently for that again to rekindle that which was there at the time of our marriage to our wife.

“¹⁵But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.” – 1 Corinthians 7:15 (ESV)

Now, is there cause for separating/divorcing our wife or husband, yes. But even in those times, there is still room for salvation and reconciliation. But, if it is so that the wife is still unbelieving, even throughout and after evangelizing to/with them and they choose to leave, let them go and get back to your focus on the LORD and what He has for you.

Notice that Paul gives a single verse to mention a reason for separation or divorce. Will there be tough times and challenges that befall our marriage, yes. The thing is that with God in our lives and at the center of our marriage, all things can be overcome. Look back to your marriage vows, we agreed to devote ourselves to our spouse and love them through it all. That devotion does not stop when things get a little rougher than we expected them to be. Husbands, stay with you wife through it all and allow God to work.

What does the marriage life look like? Are you in it as long as things are going good? What if you look back at your vows and see that you agreed to stay with your wife (or husband) through it all, so allow God to work in your marriage?

Give Sexual Relations to One Another

This morning I continue to study the word “husband” and have been led to the passage titled “Principles for Marriage” in 1 Corinthians. There is a lot here for both husband and wife, the verses of focus this morning are below which relates to sexual relations in the marriage.

“²But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ³The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” – 1 Corinthians 7:2-4 (ESV)

Here we see that it is right and just to have sexual relations with your spouse. We see that this is the way to avoid the temptations that arise of sexual relations outside of the marriage. We see that neither husband nor wife have full single authority over there own bodies. But, the one thing I believe that I miss on the regular is that we are to “give” to one another sexual relations.

I hear regularly, whether in person or in society, that husbands and wives go without or hold out sexual relations with one another. This is not biblical at all. Just reviewing the verses above, husbands and wives are to have sexual relations, and not just for the purpose of procreation. They are to have sexual relations to guard one another against sexual immorality. They also provide pleasure to one another and strengthen their relationship.

I go back to the idea missed on the regular by me to “give” sexual relations to the one another. I am going to focus on my husband’s duty of giving with the understanding that the wife has a similar if not exact duty of giving as well. You see, I promised to give myself to Lori over 29 years ago when we stood at the alter to be joined as husband and wife. My life and body are no longer my own as she has a stake in everything that is me. I have a duty to ensure that Lori is taken care of in all areas, physical, emotional, social, as well as sexual. It is my responsibility to provide for her in all ways. I do not withhold emotional support so why would I withhold sexual support.

It is natural for men and women to have sexual desires as God made us for one another. I have given myself to be with Lori as one and that means that what she needs I should provide. When she needs food, it is my duty to provide food. When she needs a hug, it is my duty to provide a hug. When she needs a roof over her head, it is my duty to provide a roof. And, when she needs sexual relations it is my duty to provide her those sexual relations. Lori should not have to look outside our marriage for anything she needs.

Notice the wording and the process. When something is needed by our wife, we are to provide or “give” to her that which is needed. We are not in the business of taking from her. We are in the business of giving to her. Lori should be giving to me just as I am to give to her, but again, neither of us are to take from one another. Yes, the duty is there, but there is no cause for the forceful taking of anything. All should be freely offered to one another, and that goes for sexual relations just as much as anything else. We are “give” to one another everything including sexual relations.

What is your view of sexual relations in your marriage? Are you out there demanding and taking from your spouse? What if you were to instead “give” yourself to one another through duty to one another?