Recovering from Sexual Sin

Well, yesterday I talked about sex and how it is an incredible gift from God. The world has abandoned this idea though. Our world likes to treat sex like an activity, a football game, and not what God designed it to be, intimacy, a special gift.

Sexual sin is not the worse sin, but it is a sin with unique consequences and I don't have to tell you how sexual sin has hurt so many people, maybe even you. What do you do though to recover from the consequences of sexual sin? Can you?

Here is what I see the Bible saying about this.

First, God does forgive sexual immorality, completely. When Jesus died on the cross he took on all of your sin. Not only that he took on all of God's wrath for your sin as well. He suffered in your place. And not only that, when you accept him as your Lord and Savior he gives you his righteousness, his holiness. Your sin is blotted from all eternity. It really is quite the deal!

If God forgives me why do I still suffer the consequences? You may have asked God to erase the consequences and God could do that if he chose too, but I have found many times he doesn't. Look at the life of King David in the Bible. He committed adultrey and then to cover it up he had the lady's husband murdered in battle. David had a child with this woman, Bathsheba, and God told David this child would die as a consequence of his sexual sin. David prayed and begged God to spare the child, but God didn't and the child died at 7 days old. David had confessed to God his sin and God said he forgave him, but he still suffered the consequence, why?

Why didn't God remove the consequence of the sexual sin? I see two reasons. One, there are consequences to sin and God doesn't want us to forget that. I see many times in the Bible that God will let consequences into people's live's to remind them never to go back there again. It hurts, it's wrong, and it is not good. God doesn't want us to forget that sin, particularly sexual sin, hurts. He doesn't want us to go back there. But oh! how often we get caught up in our circumstances and forget!

Secondly, God will use that consequence to remind you of his grace. Paul asked one time for a "thorn" to be removed from him. We don't know what this "thorn" is but Paul wanted it gone and God's reply was, "My grace is sufficient for you." What? God was saying I am going to use this thorn, whatever it is, to teach you about my love for you and my grace. For without it how will you know about my grace? God desires to teach us his grace too.

Let me tell you how to experience this grace. One practice is to simply write it out. Write it out, the circumstance, how you feel, the whole deal, and then offer it up to God. Just be honest and confess to him and ask to know his grace. This just has to be between you and God. When you get done burn the paper or throw it away. And as you practice this you find a strength that wasn't there before, a light in the darkness, a way out. You might need to do this several times even. And the amazing thing with God is he takes this incredible weakness and pain in your life and somehow turns it into a source of strength (It's hard to explain) and you'll be able to say what Paul says in the Bible , "I will brag about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 1 Corinthians 12:9.

Paul also said concerning his past, and the consequences of his sin (the pain and the shame), that he forgets what is behind him and presses on forward to the goal in his life. That's good advice too. There comes a point when you have to quit dwelling on the consequence and move forward to that which God has called you. We see King David doing this. After his baby died he got up and went back to work. When his servants asked how he could do this David replied, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, "Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live. But now that the child is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?" David realized that it was time to move on and not dwell on the loss. Sometimes that is the the best step for us too.

The first step in overcoming sexual sin is to invite God's grace into that weakness, the powerlessness. For when we are weak, He is strong. In this way you see God's strength in you and thus you will overcome.

I hope this helps anyone that is struggling with this.

Have Yourself Committed,

Kirk