Sexual sin is nothing new. It has existed since the beginning of mankind. Even here where Paul is writing to the young Christians of Thessalonica, it is the first thing he mentions that they need to watch out for. Why? Because it is one of the first places where you step into the hole and falls down.

Man is geared with a primal instinct and that is to procreate. Then God linked pleasure to this instinct. God made it beautiful. He made it a holy moment where two people become one within marriage.

I suspect Paul thought so too, and that is why he wrote: ³God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

In the original scripture “a pure life” is also translated as “holy”. And “holy” means to be set apart for God. We must have an intimate relationship with God. God longs for it. It is God’s dream to become one with us. When we drag this beautiful gift from God through the mud, when we cross the boundaries of sex, it steals our intimate relationship with God. Muddy, dirty footprints trample over our clean and holy relationship with God and the result is pain, fear, loneliness and impurity.

I pity our children. In our days we slipped into a small shop only to see nothing, because everything was covered with a star. Today nothing is left to the imagination; there it is in full colour on your phone. The choice is yours.

And it messes with your head. It messes up your relationship with your future life partner. It messes up your relationship with God. Because when pornography enters through your eyes, your beautiful, holy, set-apart relationship with God exits somewhere else.

I have so much respect for someone who is not only sensitive, but also obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit. There where you sit in front of your computer; there where you are alone in a hotel room, bored with the long evening stretching out ahead of you; there where another man or woman holds your glance just a little longer and you feel something move inside – that is when you have to be sensitive to distinguish between flesh and Spirit.

Obedience to the Spirit can protect you, but obedience to the flesh lights up the warning lights. We must ensure that we’re not tempted into a place where God must look away and the holiness between us is destroyed.

This is an enormous warning sign, or rather a stop sign. God made sex beautiful. It is to be enjoyed within marriage. It was created to celebrate unity between man and God. Do not drag it through the mud. Do not allow the devil to rob you of this most beautiful gift from God.

Make the right choice every time pornography or lust comes knocking on the door to your life. Let go of sin and return to God. God will forgive. Now try your utmost to keep your way clean and tune your radars to the voice of the Holy Spirit who will guide you on a safe road.

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Reflection

How holy is your relationship with God?

How attuned are you to the voice of the Holy Spirit?

Do you have to make a few adjustments?

Prayer

Father, for one reason or another sex is the place where many people slip up. We need loads of strength and support. Please help us to spend more time with You so that your holiness can become part of our lives. Amen.