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| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) *Song of Adoration: Hymnal #100A “Shout to the Lord, All Earth” *Song of Preparation: Hymnal #119A “How Blessed Are Those Upright in Their Way” Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-10 (p. 1162) I Corinthians 7:1-9 (p. 1135) Text: Ephesians 5:1-7 Message: Sexual Purity Song of Preparation: Hymnal #203: 1-3 “According to Thy Gracious Word” *Song of Response: Hymnal #203: 4-5 “According to Thy Gracious Word” Doxology: Hymnal #488: 1-3 “May the Mind of Christ, My Savior” |
Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
There are very few things that impact our day to day life more than sexuality and what that means as a Christian. It is spoken of and illustrated throughout the scriptures. The man after God’s own heart, David, coveted another man’s wife, lusted after her and carried out the devastating sin of adultery and then later murder to cover it up. How could a man like that fall so greatly? Easy.
A recent study in one denomination on why it is difficult to get young men to seek to enter the ministry is because of the fear of moral and sexual failure, especially with the widespread use of pornography. We probably all know stories about the devastating consequences of sexual sin. Maybe we have experienced them in our own life. As a Christian, I have been an accountability partner and mentor to many men, young and old, who have been fighting pornography. What has surprised me, is how prevalent this is among young women as well.
It could be easy to despair, throw up our hands and say, who is sufficient for this? The word comes to us this morning as a help and a comfort, but also as direction and warning. Our theme is Our Lord calls us to walk in sexual purity.
- The Call
- The Warning
- The Struggle
I. The Call
The “therefore” to begin our text connects with the previous verses. We continue to see the call to walk in godliness. The most immediate context is verse 32. It is God’s forgiveness of us which leads to our call to godliness, or as verse 1 puts it to be “imitators of God.” After all, we are “beloved children.” This is our identity. We belong to the Lord. Jesus purchased us with his own blood. The orphans have become children. Just in that one phrase, “beloved children”, the gospel is contained.
We belong to the Lord. Never forget whose you are. In I Corinthians we read that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. In that context in I Cor. 6:19-20, the primary teaching is to keep oneself pure from sexual immorality. We are the Lord’s. Our lives then are to be characterized as what verse 2 calls “walking in love.” The example and continued motivation given is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He shows us what love is. Above all, it was an offering and sacrifice to God. This is Old Testament language used at the end of verse 2. The language is rooted in the system of atoning for sins. Since Jesus gave himself up for us in love, we are to walk in love. Our Christian ethic can be boiled down to one word: love.
Verses 3 and 4 now bring us into the details of the call to walk in sexual purity. There are three terms used in verse 3 which address sexual impurity. The first is called “sexual immorality.” This Greek word “porneia” is where we get the term pornography from. But, this isn’t referring to looking at inappropriate images so much as it is referring to sexual intercourse outside of marriage.
The second term is “impurity.” This term is broad. It refers to all indecent, unclean sexual behavior. In Ephesus, this was prevalent. The temple of Diana, the multi-breasted goddess of fertility, was filled all kinds of cult prostitution. Immoral behavior was prevalent all over the Roman empire of the day.
What about our society. In Western culture over the last hundreds of years, things were not as visually and publicly perverse as they are today. More and more people, in the depravity of their sin identify as LGBTQ and as this is pushed, more will identify that way. It is a mis-directed sexuality that is awakened by a movement. Think of the prevalence and danger of pornography. As parents, it is difficult to buy clothes for girls at times, even young girls. Popular clothing styles, especially for young women, sexualize them, by intentionally drawing the eye to parts of the body that will incite lust. There is a reason why as parents we were thankful to have a high school in Canada where the students wore uniforms…it was difficult to receive a dress code violation. I could list a hundred different things and examples.
The third term used is covetousness. In the context, this seems to refer to a sexual desire for that which is not yours. Think here of the 10th commandment, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” or husband.
These things are out of bounds for those who are beloved children of God. The end of verse 3 mentions “saints.” That is a reference to all who carry the name Christian.
In verse 4, the focus turns to speech that is inappropriate. All three of those terms refer to a dirty mind which expresses itself in dirty conversation. Paul is not forbidding and appropriate joke or mixing humor into a conversation. We do not have to sad-faced and boring. But there is speech which is unbecoming of a Christian. Speech which objectifies the opposite sex. Making the other one the object of sexual desire outside of marriage. Objectifying women. Whether it was Al Bundy of a previous generation or of most music videos today, it is inappropriate. Guard your speech, for in so doing, you will also guard your heart.
You see brothers and sisters, if you are not married, by seeking sexual purity, you are guarding and safeguarding your heart for a future spouse. You are protecting yourself, but also other people sons and daughters. God has designed somethings to take place only within marriage. This speech, touch, and intimacy is God-honoring in marriage, but will tear down outside of marriage. The solution to sexual impurity is thanksgiving for what God has given.
II. The Warning
In verses 5 and 6 we have a warning. This warning is rooted back already in the opening verses of chapter 1:11 (read). The warning is that those who give themselves to sexual immorality have no part in the inheritance. This takes it up another level. I could explain to you 10 reasons scientifically and biblically why pornography addiction will destroy your heart and mind and hurt your marriage or future relationship. I can explain why your sexual discontent could be rooted in the fact that your wife will never look like that woman on a screen or that man on a screen. I could explain that rounding third base with your boyfriend or girlfriend will leave you feeling ashamed, shallow, and objectified, and I could explain the call of the Proverbs to not awaken love too early. But our text takes things way beyond that, for now it touches on eternal life. You will have no part in the inheritance. Read verse 6.
Let’s think this through. We have already seen in Ephesians that we are not saved because of our works. How then could we be lost because of our sexual impurity. It is because of this…it is idolatry. You don’t suffer the eternal wrath because you had sexual intercourse with a prostitute, you go to hell because you worship a false God. Sexual immorality will consume you. Instead of God and his glory, sensuality becomes the god. What is the goal of the stereotypical frat guy on a Friday night? That becomes life’s focus. The same principle is at play, but people not in university tend to hide it a little better. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. This is the struggle.
III. The Struggle
The warning is real and powerful. Romans 1:18-32 explains sexual sin as the great step in the depravity of society. It is a lie. The flesh can never give what it promises. The gift of sex is a blessing within marriage, not outside of it. But, the world around us tells us the lie again and again. It is pushed in our face. Last week I turned the NHL All Star game on and Tate McRae (if you’ve never heard of her, you aren’t missing anything) was singing during the intermission. After about 30 seconds of that I turned it off. It was disgusting. As these little kids sit in the stands to watch their favorite hockey players, we see women in lingerie dancing, twerking, and groping like it’s no bid deal. This gets pushed at us at every turn. The society tells our daughters this is cool, it teaches our sons that women are objects, as men watch, their wives wonder what their husbands think, and mothers know they are fighting an uphill battle.
When sexual sin starts to be tolerated at Christian schools, there is extreme danger at the door. Beware young people. Young men, treat women with respect and dignity. Stand up for the young woman who is being talked about as a piece of meat among the guys in the locker room. What if that was your sister, would you defend her? What if, more importantly, that is a child of God who is so because of the blood of Jesus. Young men, you are responsible for yourself. In some Muslim countries, when a rape of a Western tourist happens, the men blame it on the woman who didn’t dress in bed sheets and cover her face and head. That is wrong, as if men are uncontrollable animals. Men, protect your hearts. Realize that lust is like a low flame on a gas stove. If you add more fuel, the flame gets higher. If you throw water on a grease fire you might burn down the whole house.
The Bible does give us help regarding sexual temptation. What we are taught in the bible is that when temptation arises: Flee it! Like Joseph running for his life and soul out of potiphar’s house, flee it. Run, don’t walk.
Young women, you are children of God. Seek to honor him in your lifestyle. Realize that men are different than women. The boys in your class are far more visually oriented that you are. So what this means, is that if you want to show your belly or lower back, if you want to wear a short dress or skirt or shorts or a low cut shirt, you will get attention. But it will not be the attention you ultimately want. If you want to take off your WWJD bracelet and your purity ring and go out and live like the world on the weekend, fine. But, don’t claim to be a beloved child of God. If you want to walk in the darkness, then don’t claim to be in the light.
For men and women, the greatest danger we have is a smartphone. That’s a whole other sermon.
I’m going to close by applying this further to three people. First to those who are married. The Bible is full of direction for husbands and wives regarding intimacy. It is better to marry than to burn with passion (I Cor. 7). God gives us a place to find joy, fulfillment, intimacy, and protection and that is in the marriage bed (I Cor. 7:3-4). Later in Ephesians 5 it will work through some of the ways of fulfillment and intimacy in marriage, but the focus here is on sexuality. Richard Philipps says on this text, “The way for you to be sexually pure is to cultivate an active and joyful sex life with your spouse.” Marriage doesn’t boil down to this one thing, but is a God-give gift and protection for marriage.
Now to single adults. The reason that sexual purity can be such a challenge for single adults is that they are not married. Unless God has given you, what is called the gift of singleness (I Cor. 7:7), which pretty much amounts to a lack of a sex drive, then you ought to marry. The age of marriage is getting older and older. This isn’t good. There is a nearly no way to date someone for years in your 20’s without having sex with each other. It is nearly impossible to be engaged to someone indefinitely or for a couple years without sexual impurity. It is unnatural, frankly. The desire of intimacy is good and God-given, but it is reserved for marriage. I have been asked, at what age should you let your children date or court? The first thing that comes to my mind is let them when they are ready to get married. To let them earlier is dangerous. So beware. If I’m going to a shooting range, I will let my sons shoot a pistol. But I’m not gonna let them play with the gun in my truck on the way to the range. That is a good way for an accident to happen. And like impurity, you cannot take it back. Marriage is such and important decision, but maybe marriage needs to happen sooner than what a couple had previously planned.
Finally, to those who have fallen into sexual sin. You cannot take it back and a sermon like this might make you feel uncomfortable. Maybe you are struggling with it right now. Maybe you are addicted to porn. You need help with addiction. The book Finally Free by Heath Lambert has been a blessing to many. Maybe you are in a romantic relationship that has already gone too far sexually. Is there an answer for you? Yes, there is. It is Jesus. Take your sin to the cross and find forgiveness there. Re-commit yourself to have Jesus be the object of your most important relationship. Forgiveness is free. Then turn from your sin in concrete ways. When Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery he told her something very important. He said, “I forgive you, go and sin no more.” Fill your life then with Jesus and his word and in prayer. Ask God for help with temptation. You can always start fresh with Jesus.
Each one of us stands before Ephesians 5 as sinners. It is easy to point a finger to the perverted world around us. But examine your own heart and confess your sins to the Lord. Commit yourself to his way and find at the Lord’s Supper this morning that great reminder, you sins are covered in the blood of Jesus. May God guide us in his truth and help us to walk in sexual purity. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Steven Swets, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Steven Swets
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