First, an update. In my pursuit of Jesus, I'm through Matthew and partway into Mark. It has also come to my attention that Jesus said a lot more in Revelation than I had previously thought. I knew about the seven letters at the beginning, but there is quite a bit at the end, too. Check it out!
And now, a question. Will men ever be free of sexual sin this side of Heaven? I would guess that anyone who has ever struggled in sexual sin has asked this question, and usually asked it in a moment desperation. A man reaches that point where he feels like there is no hope, and sometimes like there is no God. We turn to Scripture and find little comfort. While there are those who suggest that this sin is our "thorn in the flesh," we find no peace or rest on a God who wants us free but keeps us bound (presumably for humility's sake).
Man, if this is you, be comforted. No sin will ever be your thorn in the flesh, just as no sin could have been Paul's thorn. How does a man say that he no longer fulfills the lusts of the flesh subject himself to that same flesh? While I do not know with any amount of certainty what Paul's thorn was, I am most certain of what it was not: sin.
As a man who has walked that dark road, I know that it is not merely practicing sin, but is rather walking under the bondage of sin. And Christian, if you are a child of God, you ought not to serve two masters. Now before you click me off, I'm not saying that anyone who struggles with sin of any kind is not truly saved. That would be stupid. But I'm telling you this: You do not have to be bound up in your lifestyle. While I am talking specifically here about sexual sin, the same can be said to the alcoholic, to the hot-tempered, or to the gossip. You are no longer required to be a slave to that sin.
I know it's not always popular to say so, but it isn't God's fault that we struggle. Most of our readers here would not question Christ's victory over sin, so let's follow that line to it's logical end. Christ wouldn't expect you to stay under an enemy that is already defeated. Jesus has set us free. Our chains have fallen to our sides in clanging heaps, our long-sealed prison doors have begrudgingly creaked open, and our cruel warden has been bound up by our King who has pardoned us. So what do you do? It is within your power to remain in jail where you will receive "three hots and a cot" just as you always have, but it is also in your power to stand up and walk out of prison and into the freedom which has been provided for you. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Trust me when I say that it is.
Yes, I've shifted all the blame from God onto you. Hurts, doesn't it? I know. But look on the bright side. While you may say that I've placed blame, there is also responsibility. And where there is responsibility, God has given you and I the authority to deal with our problems. So the question isn't what is God going to do about our sin, because He already did all that He could on the cross. Instead, what are we going to do about our sin? Allow me to offer a bit of practical advice.
1. Call it what it is. Don't make any more excuses for it. You do not sin because you are a man. It is not merely a natural response to your increased levels of testosterone. It is sin, such as will separate you from God. It is activity unfit for a Christian to participate in, and it's a cancer slowly eating away at your soul. Yes, you are tempted, and yes the pressure is great. But greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world, and God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. Do you know what that means? You are stronger than you think. As I have, you have probably felt like you "had to" sin at some point. I don't buy that anymore, and I don't think you honestly can either.
2. Don't tolerate it, don't accept it. While we can often minimize our aberrant behaviors as "normal" or "not that big of a deal," we cannot deny that sin is sin. Remember Dr. Seuss's elephant Horton? "A person's a person, no matter how small." Sweet sentiments, but let's make it nasty. "A sin is a sin, no matter how small." How much manure will you tolerate in your pie? What about just a little bit? I promise you won't even taste it! Disgusting!! And yet we treat sin the same way. Only a little bit, no one will notice. Or maybe a lot, as we've gotten used to it. Treat sin as that manure pie: spit it out and don't touch it again. Doubtless you don't like to admit it, we oftentimes enjoy sinning. That has to change.
3. Knock it off. Simple, right? Like I said, it can be. When Jesus healed the blind men in Matthew 9, He asked them "Do you believe I am able to do this?" Their answer, of course, is "Yes, Lord." So He said to them "let it be according to your faith." Basically, He said "I will give you exactly what you are expecting to receive from me." The same is offered to you. If you question whether God wants you bound in sin or not, read the Bible. I am sure that you will see a God who has provided for our absolute freedom, if only we would accept it. Proverbs 23:7 says that "As a man thinketh, so he is." If you think you are a slave to your sin, you are correct. But the get that Bible in you. "When the Son of Man sets you free, you are free indeed!"
So will men ever be free of sexual sin this side of Heaven? Men will be as free as they want. The question I ask instead is "Will men ever want freedom more than they want sin?"
Ryan Saffer
Community Site Coordinator
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