Living by the Rules

I close this final chapter on the subject of sex with a sad admission. The secular world has done a better job than the Christian Church at making sex appear wonderful, appealing and rewarding. Stay with me a moment. I’m convinced the world’s view of sex is mostly wrong, sinful, destructive, utterly selfish and out of control. But secularists who don’t acknowledge the Creator of passion and sex brag about pleasure they get in the here-and-now in uncontrolled sexual indulgence. “Get your reward now. No need to abstain.”

We Christians? We make sexual control sound like an enema—something I might need in the future, but not now. You know, like the youth who prayed, “Lord, give me a pure heart, but not right now.” So we think that sin has its pleasures now, but God retains His rewards until after death and we go to heaven.

Nothing could be further from the facts. I had just opened my heart to Jesus while serving the military in Asia. All my sins and guilt were gone and I had peace—sweet peace.¹ I started memorizing scripture verses that I knew I’d need in struggles ahead.² One was “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”³ As I approached a giant roadside sign showing a beckoning bikini clad beauty, I felt an unseen Presence and heard a voice in my head, “Eyes straight ahead. You’re about to be tested.” I passed that sign without taking a lustful glance—the opposite of which I did in former years. Then I heard that voice again, “Test passed. Well done, son!”, and what a rush of sheer joy. An instantaneous reward!

Later, returning from a judo exhibition, two beautiful prostitutes approached me and grasped my arms. “Marine—come with us for a wonderful time.” But there He was again—my beautiful Savior who, in comparison, made those two beauties appear to me as ugly. When I told them “I’m a new Christian and I love Jesus Christ. And he loves you,” they released my arms and disappeared like they had seen a ghost. And again I received an immediate reward—the pure, pleased presence of God was overwhelming. Again, God’s instant reward!

So hear me. God is holy and hates sin. Yet, he loves you. You have a choice. Follow your sin-instinct by breaking God’s commands—one of which is against sex out of marriage—and you shall reap what you sow—chaos. That’s why God says, “Be not deceived” and then lists the sins that blind us and shut us out of His Kingdom.⁴

But here comes Jesus. He took our place and took our shame on the Cross.⁵ God raised Him from the dead so that you can know Him and experience the wonders of loving God and being loved by Him. That’s when your eyes open and you see the beauty of sex reserved for marriage.⁶ Sexual self-control not learned before marriage will come back to bite you in marriage—when you now must adjust to faithfulness to your mate in spite of changing emotions and circumstances like larger waists, personality clashes and wrinkles. Or else rush to the divorce court and take the loser’s way out.

Listen to what God says to those who choose to accept and obey Christ and live by the Word of God—the Bible: “in keeping them (God’s commandments) there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11). There “is” great reward. Now! Not only in the future!

I’m challenging you right now to say “No!” to a life of sin and selfishness and say “Yes!” to Jesus. Pray this prayer and mean it. “Lord Jesus, You died in my place. You carried my sins and disgrace. You are God’s gift and I will not reject you. Forgive me and come live in my life. Help me to choose Your way and live for You. Amen.”

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1)
The ST. PAUL SCHOOL, with Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Cecilia Contreras