A CALL TO DIE BOOK - Day 26

DAY 26: SEX
we need to do just that. Too often, we make excuses like, “Oh, that
doesn’t affect me. I’m used to it.” Paul didn’t brush it off that easily.
Corinth was a city that was much like yours and mine in its obsession
with sex. Paul’s encouragement to the believers in that city was:
“Flee from sexual immorality” (I Cor 6:18). That’s pretty clear. Paul’s
reasoning was that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, so we
should use our bodies (including our brains) only in ways that honor
God.
In that same passage of scripture, Paul reminds us that we “are not
our own” we have been “bought at a price.” When we are tempted
by lustful thoughts, we need to remember that we have been bought
with a price. We can’t just do whatever our hormones suggest. We
have a much higher calling, a much more important role in the
scheme of things, and a Lord who deserves more from us. When we
look at someone and are stimulated by that person’s appearance or
touch, we need to remember: That is a person for whom Christ died.
He wants the best for him (or her), and I do, too.
Some people will say, “Well, as long as I don’t actually have sex with
that person, it doesn’t matter what I think about.” Jesus doesn’t leave
that door open to us. He says that adulterous thoughts are just as sinful
as the act itself. How can that be true? It is true because sin is primarily
of the heart, and lust is
5. Go to war against your sin. If you struggle with lust (and if you’re
normal, you do), don’t make excuses. Do whatever it takes to focus
your attention on Jesus and off sex. In this passage, Jesus says to
pluck out your lustful eye and cut off your lustful hand. What does
this mean for you and me? It means to take any porn sites off our
browser. It means not going to a certain movie, even if all your friends
are going. It means not participating in a conversation about sex. It
means memorizing scripture and quoting verses when lustful thoughts
fill our minds. It means finding someone to confide in and hold us
accountable if we continue to struggle with lust. It means honoring
Christ with our thoughts, words, and behavior.
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