Hello everyone to my blog. Especially this particular one which is the part two of Standards Of Sexual Morality. Yesterday, I wrote about the part one and there is a lot to learn from it and I will like you to visit it here so that you will know where this post started from and you will be able to understand this one better.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Standards of Sexual Morality

I stopped at the fifth point of the standards of sexual morality and today i will continue with it from where I stopped.

(6) Biblical terms used for sexual immorality, describing the scope of it's evil and it's corrupting influence, are as follows: (a) Sexual immorality describes a wide variety of sexual activities before or outside of marriage. It is not limited to intercourse or other consummated (i.e., completed) sexual acts. Any intimate sexual activity or play outside the marriage relationship , including touching the intimate parts of another person's body or viewing another's nakedness, is also suggested in this term and is a clear violation of God's moral standard (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. - 1 Corinthians 6:18

(b) Debauchery, or sensuality, means the absence of clear moral principles, especially the lack of sexual self-control, as well as behavior that chooses unwholesome conduct (Romans 13:13; 2Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; 1Peter 4:3). It includes yielding to the drive to indulge in or arouse sinful lust (i.e., inappropriate sexual desire) in others, because to willfully do so is the same as participating in it (2Peter 2:2)

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. - Ephesians 4:19

(c) Exploiting or taking advantage of someone in order to satisfy one's own self-centered desires means to deprive another person of the moral purity that God desires for that person. To arouse in another person sexual desires that cannot be fulfilled in a right and godly way is to take advantage of that person and rob them morally and spiritually (1Thessalonians 4:6)
(d) Lust is having an immoral desire that, if acted upon would be a violation of God's standards and another person's purity (Ephesians 4:19, 22; 1Peter 4:3)

For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. - 2 Peter 2:

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(7) In order to gain spiritual victory in the area of sexual morality and purity, we must learn to deal with temptation. *Temptation can be defined as being enticed or drawn toward something that one should not have experience (at that time or in that way). To be certain, nearly everyone will experience sexual temptation, especially as it becomes increasingly present in so many forms in many societies.We are constantly bombaded with messages intended to entice and appeal to our sexuality. While we cannot always control the thoughts that come into our minds, we can control what we think about. keep in mind that it is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus Himself was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11). But giving in to temptation by allowing our minds to linger on the enticement is sin.
The mistake is typically made when a person recklessly or willfully puts himself or herself in a compromising situation in which temptation is inevitable. In doing so, a person has already compromised God's standards and has set himself or herself up for moral failure. The best way to avoid being trapped by temptation is to avoid situations and sources that could tempt you in the first place

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. - 2 Timothy 2:22

This includes getting rid of anything in your possession that might encourage or stimulate sexual lust, including pictures, magazines, DVDs, music, books and all other types of materials that leads to sexual or lustful temptation. Avoid places that display such materials, as well as TV shows and movies that contain sexual images or inferences. It may also help to avoid large blocks of unoccupied time or time alone. Another helpful strategy is to have a trusted friend who will keep you accountable. Such a person should be a responsible individual (i.e., friend youth leader, pastor, Christian counselor) of the same sex in whom you can confide and who has permission to ask you tough questions about your thoughts and behaviors. you are less likely to engage in questionable or sinful behavior or to keep things hidden if you know that someone will consistently confront you about the choices you make and the thoughts you may struggle with.
Ultimately, we can overcome temptation on a consistent basis only as we follow God's standards in relation to sexual purity, relying on His strength to give us spiritual victory.

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Hope And Healing

For those who have already compromised their sexual purity and are struggling with guilt over past failures, there is hope. While you can never change the past or what has taken place involving other individuals, you can find a fresh start with God. No matter where you have been or what you have done, God's want you to come to Him in faith, trusting that He will forgive you and restore you to a right relationship with Him, Confess your sin to God (1 John 1:9) and accept the fact that the sacrifice Jesus made for you with His own life was enough to pardon any offense you have committed (Hebrew 7:27; 10:2, 10, 12). Then turn from your own way, rid your life of anything that could cause you to compromise with sin, surrender control of your life to Christ and begin pursuing His purposes. If you do this, God will transform your life and renew your mind (Romans 12:2), cleanse your conscience (Hebrews 9:14) and purify your heart (1 John 1:9). He will literally make you a new creature

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

God can even restore appropriate relationships once broken by sexual sin if those individuals involved are right with Him. With God's help, you can put the past in the past and look to the future with full assurance that He has a part for you in His holy kingdom.

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
Shalom.

[NIV Study Edition Bible]

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