| Issue No. 18 - May 2, 2004 | Back to Home Page |
For just a moment this week, I want to appeal to a group of young men that I have neglected thus far. Up to this point, we have discussed the importance of staying pure. However, you may be someone who has already fallen into deep sexual sins and feel powerless to overcome these great temptations. From the many stern warnings I have given in previous issues of The V.O.I.C.E., you may have concluded you’ve gone too far to ever have victory. Perhaps the thought in your mind has been, “There is no hope for me; I am doomed to spend the rest of my life with this problem.”
Having struggled in this same area as a teenager, I was always discouraged when I heard preachers warning young men and young ladies not to “throw away their life” in these sexual sins. It always seemed like they were leaving no room for deliverance for someone who had already fallen. Like me, perhaps you have felt the sting of hopelessness after hearing a message that seemed to be saying, “Too late, it’s over, you lose.” Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with this kind of preaching, let me make a few observations that I believe may be helpful to you.
It’s imperative that you understand the perspective of the one preaching. Most of the time, the preacher’s goal is “preventative medicine.” In other words, many times they’re not preaching specifically to teens that have already fallen, but they’re trying to keep teens who haven’t fallen from making wrong decisions. The warnings must be stern and the end results must be vividly described in order to effectively paint a picture of deadly consequences to those pondering a life of sexual sin. The point of the preacher is not to leave the defeated ones without any hope, although it is clear that the battle they face is an uphill one.
Let me also add quickly that the consequences presented will most certainly be a reality for you outside of a life filled with repentance and a heart dedicated to the Word of God. If you have fallen into sexual sins, whether in a physical relationship or in pornography, God promises there will be consequences. We must not, on the other hand, forget the mercy of God as we genuinely confess our sins and turn our lives back over to Him. It is never too late, though there will be battles and scars, for God to do a work in your life and bring a blessing out of a curse.
Perhaps you are reading this right now and have felt defeated about your failure to remain pure. A deep sense of hopelessness has swept across your life like an ocean of sorrow. Because you have given up on the potential victory, you have fallen deeper into sin, which has resulted in greater guilt and regret. The “snowball” effect of your sin is threatening to leave you in total ruin. This issue of The V.O.I.C.E. is meant to give you Biblical hope that there can most certainly be victory. You can have a blessed life! You can have a blessed marriage! You can still be useful to God! You can still have a wonderful future and face Christ with confidence at the Judgment Seat! I want you to see three steps you must take if you are to see true victory.
PONDER NOW THE SERIOUSNESS OF COMING CONSEQUENCES
Think about the failure of Lot’s life. Do you remember the great moral failure in David’s life? What about Samson? Do you think their lives would have been different had they rehearsed the seriousness of coming consequences? No doubt the words of David in II Samuel 18:33 could serve as a common slogan for each of these men. David cried out “. . . would God I had . . .” In other words, David is saying, “If I could have just seen the consequences of my sin, as I see them now, I would have done things differently.”
If you are considering continuing in a life of sexual sin and defeat, I want to encourage you to stop now and think about where the path you’re on is going to take you. Weigh the consequences with the petty pleasures of sin that only last a season. My prayer for you is that you will decide now to turn before the day comes when you will cry as David did, “Would God I had!” Look at some of the following consequences of sexual sins and consider them carefully.
“WOW! Are you trying to scare me or something?!” Absolutely! I’m trying to scare you with a little dose of reality. Think about what you’re doing right now with pornography/physical sins. Think about where you are heading. The longer you go down this trail, the more difficult it becomes to turn back.
Are you listening? Are you starting to understand what kind of trap you have backed into? If you are to ever have victory, you must first ponder seriously coming consequences. Don’t waste another moment! Stop now, and let the reality of a ruined life sink into your heart. If you choose to continue in this sin, mark it down, your life is over. You cannot be impure and escape the consequences, and don’t think for a minute you can just survive the consequences! They will destroy you! My prayer for you is that the reality of these coming consequences will awaken a healthy fear of God in your life. This fear of God is a necessary weapon you must use in having victory over impurity.
PLAN TO BE VICTORIOUS ON THE BASIS OF GOD’S PROMISE
One of Satan’s greatest lies is that you cannot possibly ever win in this area of purity. He will tell you, “It’s impossible to break the cycle of sin. Your body will never be able to return to normal. You’ll never be able to get rid of the dirty pictures in your mind. You cannot make it without the physical relationship you’re in.” Never forget, SATAN IS A LIAR!
I’m told by a missionary from the Philippine Islands that one of the most interesting customs practiced in the Philippines is “Squatter’s Rights.” He explained how he often saw homeless people squatting on a certain area of pavement for an extended period of time. The understood (yet unspoken) law is that if someone successfully squats on a particular area for 24 hours straight, they own the property; at least until the next person squats there for 24 hours. (By the way, can you imagine how powerful their thighs must be! Just a thought.) He also mentioned that some of the wealthier people have hired personal guards whose only job is to sit out in their front yard with a gun and keep people from succeeding in this strange ritual. (I’m not sure what happens if the guard stays in one spot for 24 hours.)
Their thinking is that “If I have been in this spot for an entire day and night, I must have right to possess it.” Crazy, huh? That’s exactly what Satan does with this area of sexual sins. He tricks you into believing, “Hey, I’ve been squatting here for many years now. I own this property!” The problem with that is that I Cor. 6 says our bodies belong to the Holy Spirit. Satan has absolutely no right over your body or mind.
If you are to win the victory over sexual temptations you must claim God’s promises. Then, having claimed God’s promises, plan to win! You must accept by faith that God can and will give you the victory. The normal tendency is to face this battle with an unsure heart, a timid spirit, and a doubtful resignation. You must have just the opposite, for “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Say to yourself, “God owns my mind and my body, and He has promised that I can and will have victory through His power.” Anything less than that ensures defeat.
Get the attitude that there are no “if, ands, or buts” about this battle; you must win, and you are going to win. Losing is just not an option in this area. Determine in your heart right now, “Whatever it takes; whatever extreme precautions I have to adopt; whatever I must go through; I am going to win by the power of Christ!” Just settle it in your heart right now. You are wrestling with a bear, and losing means you get eaten . . . so you must win.
I met a burly bearded man in some of the roughest country in Texas who told me a personal story I’d like to share with you. His family was financially hurting one winter, and they were even to the point of running low on food. One cold morning he jumped in his truck and started driving. He was wondering what he was going to do. Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted what he felt must be the answer: a whole field of deer! He pulled his truck over, picked up his riffle, and walked to the fence on the side of the highway. (Don’t try this at home.)
The deer were about 30 yards from the fence. He took his riffle and aimed carefully at one of the biggest ones he could see and squeezed to trigger. BANG! The large deer dropped and the others fled. He felt confident he had shot the deer through the heart judging from the way the deer dropped. Being a large man, he set his gun against his truck, and carefully climbed the fence. He had walked about half the distance between the fence and the deer when suddenly the unthinkable happened: the deer stood up on its front two legs and started crawling toward the woods. Apparently, he had shot the deer through the back hip.
He realized he didn’t have time to run back to his truck for the riffle, and he began to panic; the deer was moving, his family was starving, the local game warden could show up at any minute, the other deer were gone . . . what could he do?!!! He decided this was a battle he couldn’t afford to lose, so he pulled out his pocket knife and charged the deer! He jumped onto the deer’s back, grabbed the antlers, and held on for dear life. (Bambi meets Grizzly Adams!) He decided the best way to win was to cut the throat, but after several minutes of exhausting effort, he realized his knife wasn’t anywhere sharp enough to do the job. It didn’t even break the skin! He decided, “I’m just going to have to stab the deer in the throat.” (Don’t you love “guy stories” like this?)
The deer didn’t even seem phased, and the battle continued. He couldn’t give up now. Not only did his family really need the food, but the deer was so angry he was threatening to take his life if he let go of the deadly antlers. Totally spent, huffing and puffing, he felt his only move was to smother the deer. Holding the antlers with one hand, he placed his other hand over the deer’s mouth and nose. Moments later the deer was still struggling. He couldn’t figure out how he was surviving. Finally he stopped and listened carefully . . . the deer was still breathing! He checked his grip, and then realized what had happened: he had punctured the deer through the windpipe, and so the deer was breathing through the hole created by his knife.
To make a long story a little less long, the deer finally cried “uncle,” and his family had some of the most tender deer they had ever eaten. The only reason he won was his determination not to lose. He felt that losing was not an option and decided he would do whatever it took to win.
You must make the same decision about this battle. You just can’t afford to lose. By the way, the above battle is probably a good description of what you are in for. Get ready for the wrestling match of your life. Take with you the riffle of God’s Word–don’t once set it aside–and have it loaded with bullets of God’s special promises of victory in this area.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:
so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
. . . cannot I do with you as this potter?” Jeremiah 18:4, 6
PURGE YOUR CURRENT THOUGHT LIFE WITH THE WORD OF GOD
This may very well be the most important thing we talk about today. This was the key to victory in my life as a teenager. God gave me a promise that I held onto throughout the storm that enabled me to come out the other side a winner. Memorize and meditate on this verse.
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? (Question) by taking heed thereto according to thy Word.” (Answer) Psalm 119:9
Listen to this promise. “How can a young man clean up his mind/body/lifestyle?” It is assumed that his life must be dirty if it is in need of cleaning. The Bible promises that you can cleanse your way by “taking heed” to the Word of God. To “take heed” literally means “to focus on, pay careful attention to, or meditate upon.” The key to victory in this area of defeat is a life dedicated to and centered around the Word of God.
The only way I was ever able to win over the wrong kinds of thoughts, images and passions was to spend much time in God’s Word. I claimed this promise in Psalm 119:9 and began memorizing Scripture. Today, 10 years later, I have committed around 300 verses to memory. I say that not to draw attention to myself, but to tell you that it was necessary for victory. The more God’s Word got into my mind, the less garbage was there. It just seemed like God’s Word in, garbage out!
Dedicate your life right now to begin a journey in God’s Word. Determine to spend two hours each day in God’s Word reading, meditating, and memorizing. Decide to give up all questionable areas that might draw you back into the trap of sexual sins. That will no doubt include giving up TV and movies all together. It may also include staying away from certain establishments. It may even produce such a precaution as to keep you out of stores and malls that flaunt indecency without shame or reservation. Whatever it may take, you must win this battle.
Well, I pray this has been a help. I have spent time in prayer as I thought about this issue. I know there are a number of young men out there who are about to decide what the rest of their life is going to be like. I trust you will choose the fear of the Lord and follow Him to victory. Send me a quick note.
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