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The Bible teaches us a basic truth: Sinfulactivity carries serious consequences.

Sexual sin is no exception. No matter what the

world may want us to believe, Gods Word is clear

that we are to live in purity of mind and body.Sexual sin is a devastating landmine, indeed.

First Thessalonians 4:3-5 tells us, Abstain

from sexual immorality; that each of you know

how to possess his own vessel in sanctification

and honor, not in lustful passion. This earthly

vesselthe human bodyis not our own.We are

commanded to flee immorality because our body

Summary:

Scriptural Principles:

is the temple of the Holy Spirit and God has

purchased our redemption with the precious

blood of His only Son.Therefore, we must use

our bodies to glorify Him.

Remaining sexually pure is a testimony to the

world that we serve a holy God. Refusing to do

so, however, is rebellion against the Lord Himself.The mental, physical, and spiritual consequences

are inescapable.

Supporting Scripture: Psalm 119:9; Proverbs4:2326; John 8:11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 6:1820;10:13;Ephesians 6:17;Timothy 2:22; James 1:1415

Key Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:18

1 A gift from God.From the beginning, God created us to have a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Him.

Therefore, our need for intimacy has nothing to do with flesh and blood. Rather, intimacy means that

we have closeness in our relationship with God. God did not give us the gift of sexuality for the purpose

of meeting our need for intimacyonly He can meet that need.

Instead, our sexuality was given to us for two purposes: for replenishing the earth and for our pleasure.

This gift comes with an important conditionthat we reserve it for marriagebecause God wants to keep

it from becoming destructive to us.

2 Sexual sin begins with a thought.Immorality begins in the mind and proceeds to the imagination. If someone allows his thoughts to

dwell too long on improper yearnings, he will begin to identify with the object of his desire, and physical

consent will follow. When we refuse to control our thoughts,we have no excuse.

James 1:1415 tells us, Each one is tempted when he is carr ied away and enticed by his own

lust.Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. The wise believer will guard his private

thoughts, realizing how much power they exert on behavior. He will be vigilant about protecting his

imagination, thinking only about things that are wholesome,pure, and lovely.The mind is an awesome

gift from God, and it should be used to draw us closer to Him through prayer and godly reflection.

Landmines in the Path of the BelieverPart 5: The Landmine of Sexual Sins

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judgment is certainly coming.We need not live

in fear of that judgment, but we should remain

mindful that the Lord has given us all the spiritual

resources we need to glorify Him through ourbodies,our thoughts, and our deeds.When we use

these resources in the way that He designed us to,

we will find joy and genuine fulfillment. If we

attempt to enjoy them outside of Gods wise

instructions and limitations, we will discover that

we have stepped upon a treacherous landmine and

that the consequences are just not worth it.

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Conclusion:

3 A false offer of pleasure without penalty.The power of sexual temptation comes from a lie.The devil would have us believe that sexual

promiscuity is normal, acceptable, and free of cost. But the truth is that any form of spiritual disobedience

has serious consequences. He has designed us to live by His laws and reap wonderful, godly rewards.

When we refuse, we bring about terr ible results.Almighty God gives commands for our own good.

4 Sexual sin has many consequences.There are many terrible results of sexual disobedience.A few examples of its negative effects are

feelings of guilt, self-condemnation, a divided mind, anxiety, damaged self-esteem, hypocrisy, emptiness,

disappointment, anger, depression, dishonesty, and doubt. Other harmful consequences include wasted

time, diminished effectiveness, fear, disobedience to God, regret, remorse, abortion, damaged fellowship

with God, crime,punishment, disease, and death.

Sexual sin harms our testimony, our relationships, our ministry, our future, and our usefulness to the

Lord. For this reason, our loving heavenly Father has filled His Word with warnings concerning our

sexual purity. He is concerned about our well-being and always acts in our best interest.

5 Sexual sin can be forgiven.If youve already surrendered to the temptation of sexual impurity and are wondering if your

relationship with God can be restored, there is good news for you.We serve a loving Lord who willforgive us of every sin. He is willing to remove that transgression from you, as far as the east is from the

west. However, for that to happen, there are several steps you must take. First, you need to confess your

sin, asking God to forgive you. Next, you must take responsibility for your actions and genuinely repent

of your sinputting your sinful actions behind you once and for all. One of the terrible consequences of

sexual sin will be your own self-condemnation, so be sure to forgive yourself. In the future, obey Gods

Word by fleeing immorality. Finally, if you suffer from some form of sexual addiction, seek a godly

Christian counselor who will keep you accountable and help you to honor God.

6 Sexual sin can be prevented.No follower of the Lord Jesus Christ should give in to the empty promise of sexual temptation.The

Word of God gives us clear instructions on how to avoid this dangerous landmine. First, married couplesshould meet one anothers needs faithfully. For those who are single, purity can be maintained through

godly friendships that promote holiness and accountability. It is always helpful to keep the consequences of

this landmine in mind so that Satan cannot trick us into thinking that our actions will not have any negative

repercussions.We should also remember that there is nothing we need that God will not give us through

His love and His grace, so we should keep our minds and hearts set on Him to meet those needs.

7:30 a.m.7:00 p.m. | M-F EDT

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Every day we see some new example of the

devastation caused by rebellion against Gods

Word. People are desperate for the peace and joythey sense is missing from their life. Unfortunately,

theyve been disobeying God, incorrectly believing

that they can escape accountability for their actions.

The wheels of divine judgment may

seem to grind slowly, but His