3/19/15- Love and love

1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Ephesians 5:1-3) 

Thoughts: There is "love" and there is "love."  In English one word describes love for a movie, love for a dog, love for a spouse, love for a friend, and love for God.  Verse 2 says walk in love (agape- unconditional love) as Christ loved (agape) us.  Christ's love is pure, unconditional, never-ending.  In contrast to that is unpure love- sexual immorality.  Some say all "love" is pure.  But would we say that about the love a rapist has to abuse a woman?  Would we say that for someone who has multiple partners that are clearly used to fulfill their own pleasure?  There is a kind of love that is lust- a greed for self-fulfillment at the cost of manipulation of another's soul and body (porneia in the Greek - from which we get our word "pornography"- usually translated fornication in KJV- or extra-marital sex).  Verse 3 says there should not even be a hint (or even mentioned/named) of sexual immorality or impurity or greed.  To be holy (different) as God's own people, we are called to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Physically).   This means we control our bodies in holy ways for Him, so that we do not bring a bad witness- as if we abuse other people.  Rather, we are called away from lust and called instead to love others as Christ loved us.  

Prayer: Lord, let my love be true, pure for others.  Keep me from impure motives and impure love.  Instead, filter out and away my impure thoughts in exchange for pure ones.     

Honor the Lord with your body

18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Thoughts: We are not our own.  No person is on their own.  We are all not just inter-dependent on each other- but we are dependent on God.  We do not control the sun, the moon, the rain, the earthquake, the snow, the tornado, the hurricane.  We do not control our own DNA, our heredity, or fully our environment.  We do not choose things in a vacuum- our bodies that we inherit have certain tendencies built into them.  The person who says no one is in control of them is controlled by their own desire for independence.  They may have a hard time trusting someone else- or having a deep lasting relationship because such a relationship potentially shatters their control.
   Christians know that we have been bought with a price.  We are like slaves bought on a slave market.  The price was the death of Jesus.  As Hosea bought back his harlot-strayed-wife, so God bought us back with the price of the death of his son.  So we have a Lord who tells us to take care of our bodies by not putting them at risk sexually.
    In fact, our bodies are a shelter- a tent- a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  God has given us His Spirit to live inside of us.  We do not need to defile His Spirit by debauchery. Not only has He bought us, He has blessed us by coming to live in us.   It is an illusion to think we are a rock-we are an island- and do not need to listen and do not affect anyone else.  Therefore- let us honor God. 

Prayer: Lord, help me honor you with all I am. 

8/14/14- Ephesians 5

3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^a 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.7Therefore do not be partners with them. (Ephesians 5)

Thoughts: "Not even a hint of sexual immorality" is our goal.  Don't even put yourself in a position so that your actions hurt your witness as a Christian.  Impurity, greed, sexual immorality, obscenity, coarse joking are the kinds of immorality spoken against here.  Basically it is a lack of self-control and animal-like behavior.  Paul says that someone who does these things is an idolater.  How can this be?  Idolatry is putting something or someone in the place of God.  Greed puts out selfishness in the place of listening to God's command to have self-control and to be generous.  Sexual immorality and obscenity are putting our sexual desires ahead of God.  
     Some in the church do not know that fornication and adultery- sex outside of marriage is forbidden in the Bible.  They cannot even define sexual immorality- unless they have watered it down to say if you don't "love" someone.  Today the statistic from The National Center for Health Statistics said that 58% of non-marital births were to cohabiting relationships.  Over half of new partner relationships are cohabiting and not marriage.  The way of upholding sexual purity is going away, as if it is evil.  But the wounded bodies and hearts of others testify to the truth of the better ideal of one lifetime partner.  The grace of God is not to say that sin doesn't exist but to offer a way out of sin.  The grace of God is the way of forgiveness and getting past the hurt and harm of our own failed deeds.  Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery- but He did command her to go and sin no more.  God offers us, while we live, a second chance.  Let us take it- and strive to be as pure as we can be this moment forward.  

Prayer: Lord, take all of me.  Take my desires, my excesses, my wrongs and make them right.