The discussion of sexual purity is extensive to cover within a few weeks. Over the past seven to eight weeks, including the current week, our focus has been on addressing the fundamental aspects of sexual purity within the context of Christianity. It would be presumptuous to claim that this limited timeframe encompassed every essential truth about God concerning this matter. Nevertheless, we are confident that we have highlighted the key points. We kindly encourage you to take your time, watch the videos, and read the posts to integrate these divine truths into your daily life. Sharing these resources with fellow followers of Jesus Christ and engaging in discussions can further enhance the benefits derived from them.
However, for today, at least for the moment, we aim to conclude this topic with this post/video, assuring our commitment to revisit this same topic in the future.
Once we grasp the fundamentals of sexual purity, in many cases, detailed discussions about the nature of sexual sin become unnecessary for us to comprehend the essence of sexual purity as Christians. These basics guide us toward the path that leads to maintaining our individual sexual integrity and sanity.
Before delving into the subject of sexual purity as born-again Christians, the primary question we all need to ask ourselves is this:
“Am I a born-again Christian?”
We need to ask this question because the call to lead a sexually pure life is a biblical call of born-again Christians. Living a sexually pure life is inseparable from being born of God; it encompasses not only physical virginity but also emotional, mental, and spiritual purity.
A born-again Christian eagerly desires to know their “spiritual Parent,” the One who granted them their second birth. We all enter this world through our earthly fathers and mothers. The second birth is what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 saying, “You must be born again” (John 3:7b). As the Bible says, our Parent for our second birth, if we are born-again Christians, is God Himself, we “were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13 ESV
Born-again Christians have a fundamental longing to know Christ and to understand God and His teachings with a hunger akin to a newborn craving milk (1 Peter 2:1-6). They desire to please their newly found Parent, God. They actively pursue Him through prayer, studying the Scriptures, and seeking companionship and fellowship with other born-again Christians, being eager to be part of this newly discovered family.
In one of his letters addressed to born-again Christians, Peter conveys the following message:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV
Born-again Christians, like everyone else, do not enter this world as part of God’s people or family. Instead, they arrive as enemies of God, spiritually dead due to the consequences of Adam’s sin.
Upon experiencing the rebirth, born-again Christians recognize their inclusion in a new family and actively seek connection within it. This pursuit isn’t solely characteristic of mature Christians; it is inherent in newly born-again Christians as well.
Upon realizing our status as born-again Christians, it becomes essential to pose the next question to ourselves:
“Do those “Old” and “New” natures live in me?”
The Bible calls these two natures as the old man or the old self and the new man or the new self.
Listen:
“to put off your OLD SELF, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the NEW SELF, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV (Capitalization is added for emphasis)
The old self consistently yearns to dwell in sin, adhering to its “former manner of life,” while the new self, fashioned “after the likeness of God,” seeks to lead a life of righteousness and holiness. To fulfill this aspiration, the new self undergoes a transformation “in the spirit of the mind,” which signifies acquiring knowledge and understanding of God and His teachings.
The word of God says,
“Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it—” Colossians 3:9-10 NASB
Observe the verb tense in the preceding passage, “stripped off the old self” and “have put on the new self.” This encapsulates the transformative work accomplished by the Spirit of God in the life of a born-again Christian. The essential work has already been completed; there remains no “work” for the born-again Christian to do to acquire salvation. They are already saved by the grace of God. However, there exists a responsibility for Christians to demonstrate in their everyday lives the transformation enacted by the Spirit of God—this shedding of the old self and the embodiment of the new self (Philippians 2:12-13). If one does not do these responsibilities, the most likely conclusion is the person is not in the first place a born-again Christian.
Christianity, therefore, involves the process of discarding the old self and embracing the new self by practically applying the teachings derived from God’s truth in His word. It encompasses the journey of expanding one’s understanding of the whole counsel of God, fostering growth in faith, grace, and conviction, and ultimately, living out these convictions in daily life.
Christians don’t receive a renewed mind as an immediate gift from God. Instead, through their commitment to reading, studying, meditating, and learning from the word of God, alongside engaging in daily prayer and worshiping with fellow believers, Christians experience the renewal of their minds. This practical approach results in the evident transformation of putting off the old self and putting on the new self in their daily lives.
The subsequent question that Christians ought to pose to themselves is:
“Are these two natures, the old self and the new self, fight one against the other in me?”
The word of God says,
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh [the old self]. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit [the new self], and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” Galatians 5:16-18 ESV
Wow! Did you see that!
Can we perceive or sense the conflict raging within us, the battle between the old self and the new self? The existence of this internal struggle serves as an indicator that we are genuinely born of God, affirming our status as born-again Christians.
Subsequently, the following question, perhaps the final one, Christians ought to ask themselves is:
“Am I feeding the old self or the new self in me by the way I lead my life?”
This is a very critical question!
Additional inquiries to consider: “When sadness envelops me, where do I seek solace? How do I occupy my leisure time? During moments of solitude, what tends to occupy my attention? In times of discouragement or elation, where do I turn to either alleviate or heighten these emotions? What content do I opt to watch and listen to?”
Consider these questions and incorporate additional inquiries of a similar nature. The responses we truthfully provide to these questions serve as a gauge, revealing whether we are fostering the development of our old self or nurturing the growth and strength of our new self.
Is it then surprising to observe born-again Christians entangled in various forms of sexual sins and other transgressions while they nurture their old selves?
No brainer, right!
The word of God says,
“For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” 2 Peter 2:19b ESV
And it says,
“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:15-18 ESV
Did you read that! Crystal clear, isn’t it!
You be the judge:
For instance, if a born-again Christian dedicates the majority of their free time to social media, continuously flipping, swiping, and scrolling through content, can this individual lead a sexually pure life—the life that starts within the person’s mind and heart (Matthew 5:27-28)?
Alternatively, if a born-again Christian engages in a daily, robust communion with the word and the Spirit of God through studying, learning, and meditating on the Scriptures, alongside prayer and communal support from fellow believers, displaying a lifestyle that is transparent and open to all, can this individual lead a sexually immoral lifestyle?
With these rhetorical questions, we wrap up these series. Thank you for reading our posts. May our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, guide us all in living lives that glorify Him and bring blessings and benefits to us, His children. ///