Jesus Christ was supercharged by the power of the Holy Spirit after he was baptized by John the Baptist. He was then led into the wilderness where he fasted forty days and nights. There he was tempted by the devil. He was human and of course would have wanted food and drink, but even in this state he was able to stand strong as the devil pulled out all the stops to tempt him. Jesus Christ answered every temptation with “It is written…” Our powerful Lord and Savior was able to withstand the rigors of these temptations because he had been empowered by the Holy Spirit. This truth holds the key for any single person that is praying to be married in the near future.
One of the biggest challenges in a Christian single person’s life is the struggle to bring their flesh under subjection. I’ve been asked if this is even possible. A question like this demonstrates the degree to which a person can place their bodies above their relationships with God. We tell ourselves that our physical urges are uncontrollable. We then use this as an excuse to indulge in sin. This is a very destructive habit pattern, and it cannot be stressed enough just how much it will hinder a person’s life.
When you reach a point in your spiritual development and awareness where you are able to connect the dots between the things you do and the consequences you face, you will then be highly motivated to make different choices. You will see that sinful acts are much too costly. The body is a temporary vessel. If you want a love that will last, it can’t be built on a temporary structure. It has to be built on the solid foundation of Christ.
God doesn’t love us any less because of the mistakes that we make in this area, but we set ourselves back so much that we begin to run away from the blessing of marriage rather than run to it. We repel it rather than attract it. This is one of the consequences of sexual sin. Many people run away from this topic, and can’t tolerate the schooling God’s Word gives us on the subject, but there’s no need to run. It’s pointless any way because God sees and knows everything there is to see and know about us. Instead of running away from the issue, we should be running to God for His help. He will not turn us away.
I am often surprised when Christians that have been saved for many years behave as if they think God has given them a pass where sexual sin is concerned. It isn’t the case. We can’t behave as if God has not told us that premarital sex is a sin. He tells us very clearly in His Word that it is. Heavenly Father understands the challenges of abstinence, and He has given us a remedy for them through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. On our own, we can’t tackle some of strongholds of the flesh, but the Spirit’s power has no limits, and God has given His Spirit to us to help us live the best life of which we are capable.
1 Corinthians 10:8 tells us that 23,000 people fell dead in one day because of their fornication. At this time in biblical history, the inhabitants of Corinth were addicted to sex and had a temple dedicated to lust. This was wicked in the eyesight of God, and these individuals faced a horrendous consequence for their perversion.
Our Heavenly Father instructs us in 2 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV), “Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” We cannot be like the world and do things just because they will give us a very temporary pleasure. We’ve got to put our desire to be holy before our desire to please the flesh. We must lean upon the Spirit’s strength and realize that God will give us all that we need if we will demonstrate obedience.
There are many of us that say we love the Lord, but refuse to have faith and trust Him in this area of our lives. Some of us feel as though it’s just too difficult to abstain, but even unbelievers will sacrifice for what they feel is important; so what does this say about a Christian’s level of commitment if he or she will not?
Consider this a warning from the Lord and cease and desist from sexual sin. God allows us to make our own choices, but He wants so much for us to abstain from sin so that we do not face the devil’s attacks of sickness, disease, unfruitfulness and a lack of progress in other important areas of life. Avoiding devastation and setbacks is one of the major reasons why it’s so important to trust in God and honor Him with our bodies. He tells us in Romans 12:1(KJV), “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” If your desire is to be married, pray and ask God to help strengthen you when it comes to abstinence. Make better choices by walking in the faith of His love.
Living life and making choices to reflect the love of God is not arduous. It’s not subjecting yourself to a life of deprivation; this is what the world wants us to believe. Society wants to convince you that men will not appreciate a woman that doesn’t engage in sexual intimacy before marriage, but this is a lie. Not only will God bless you with a man who will adore you, but your stand on God’s Word will be the quality that he finds simply irresistible. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
“A Quality He Finds Irresistible” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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