How can we resist the lure of sexual sin?

2. Remember who lives in you. God "has also given us His Holy Spirit" (1 Thess. 4:8). R.C. Sproul, in his book The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, writes, "...the Holy in His name calls attention to the focal point of His work in the economy (plan) of redemption. The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. He is the One who applies the work of Christ to our lives by working in us to bring us to full conformity and the image of Christ" (p.115). God gave us the Holy Spirit when we placed our faith in Jesus Christ and accepted God's gift of eternal life (John 3; Rom. 8:9-17; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 John 4:13). Our bodies are now the dwelling place of the Spirit of God. The apostle Paul asked, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (1 Cor. 6:19). He specifically warned that because we are spiritually united to Christ, it's unthinkable to use a body indwelt by Him to unite sexually with a prostitute (vv.15,17). The use of our bodies in a way that glorifies God (v.20) rules out any immoral practices. The Holy Spirit's presence in our lives accomplishes more than identifying us with Christ. Not only does the Spirit give us spiritual life when we are born again (John 3), but He also works to conform us to the likeness of Christ. We need the help of the Spirit if we are to break the grip of lust, run from temptation, experience release from a sordid past, tear away from an immoral relationship, and maintain sexual purity. He is our divine Helper (John 14:16,17; 16:7-14). "One of the first steps in handling temptation is to see it as an opportunity to test our loyalties."- Erwin Lutzer But how do we experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit? Do we gain holiness in our day-by-day life merely by a one-time prayer? Does God zap us so we don't feel any more immoral urges? The truth of the matter is this: We live in a corrupt world that is hostile to purity, we possess a body with fleshly desires, and we are engaged in spiritual warfare against the devious forces of Satan (Eph. 6:12). To succeed in the fight against temptation we must actively cooperate with God's Spirit. We cannot win by being passive. The Bible not only talks about the work of God in us, but it also only speaks of the actions we must take to be holy. In Romans 6, Paul wrote, "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (vv.11-13). We must want to side with God and do what is right. We must take steps of faith and express allegiance to God's standards of holiness. We must reject Satan and his lies about sex. God's Spirit will begin to work in us when we realize our desperate need of Him. That's what true faith is all about. Just as we received the gift of salvation by faith, so now we must continue to live by faith in dependence on the Spirit (Gal. 3:2,3; 5:16; Col. 2:6). Faith is dependence on the strength of our almighty God. When we exercise faith and give our bodies to God (Rom. 6:13), the Holy Spirit works in us to produce purity and holiness. The apostle Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). "To succeed in the fight against temptation, we must actively cooperate with God's Spirit. We cannot win by being passive." What Jesus taught in the Beatitudes sums up much of what we've been talking about (see Matt. 5:1-10). He said that the kind of people who enjoy God's approval are those who are poor in spirit (realizing their spiritual bankruptcy and their need of God's mercy and grace), those who mourn (recognizing sin's awfulness), those who are meek (self-controlled), those who hunger and thirst to be right with God (focusing on wanting to please God), those who are merciful (reflecting God's mercy), those who are pure in heart (single-minded in purpose), those who are peacemakers (mirroring peace with God), and those who are suffering persecution because they have decided to do what is right. Perhaps one more analogy will help us to see the urgency of taking action, no matter what the cost. A gentle river flows through the center of the city where I live. Fishermen claim their favorite places along its banks and others wade out into the shallow rapids below a short dam. The usually picturesque and tranquil scene, however, turns ugly whenever a heavy rainfall hits. Because of rapid city growth and a drainage system that combines street drains and sewer pipes, the water filtration plant can't handle the increased volume during a heavy rainstorm. As a result, the river becomes an open sewer. A warning goes out to the fisherman and the towns downstream. The problem won't go away just by ignoring it. Patching up the current system won't help either. What is needed is a whole new approach, an expensive alternative to the current method. "We need more than a quick fix. We need radical heart surgery." Our battles with sexual purity may be like that water filtration plant. Things work well unless a strong temptation comes along, and then all sorts of bad thoughts and actions flow out of our lives. We need more than a quick fix. We need radical heart sugery. In these paragraphs we have emphasized the truths of God's Word - truths about God's standards, truths about the consequences of immorality, and truths about how to attain sexual purity. It is our prayer that you will make a new commitment to seek God, to know Him better, and to walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust." -Romans 13:14 In this life, you and I will continue to have battles with temptation. We will not always win because we will in some way believe a lie. But the good news is that God wants to forgive us and help us to grow more and more Christlike. It's a process. But our goal is to know Christ and to be more like Him every day of our lives, until we see Him face to face.

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