Sexual Purity

God created us as sexual beings, and our sexual drive is a good and powerful part of us. But when those desires surpass our desire for God, or when we seek to fulfill them apart form God's prescribed means and timing, they can be our downfall. The Bible's perspective on sexual purity has gotten a bad rap as repressive, outdated, legalistic, and no fun. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Staying pure or committing to moral purity, can be a big step toward personal revival, deep joy, and true freedom.

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Wed, Mar 19, 2008

Brian G. Hedges

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Pastor Connect 2008

Living a Lust-Free Life in a Sex-Saturated Society

Rusty Cars and Lustful Lives One problem I didn’t anticipate facing when I moved north was rust. I have now discovered that harsh weather, snow and slush, salt and chemicals, and road grime take their toll on automobiles. This means that part of my regular car maintenance is rust-proofing. Nicks and chips must be painted. The undercarriage of the car needs to be washed regularly, and other corrosion-prevention measures must be taken. The fact is, the only way to drive a rust-free car in the slushy north is to pursue car protection with intention and discipline. The same could ...

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Fri, Nov 29, 2002

Mark Bearden, Steve Canfield, Tim St. Clair

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Sexual Sin

Profile of a Slippery Slope

We asked three of Life Action's crusade revivalists Steve Canfield, Mark Bearden, and Tim St. Clair to interact with us about the issue of immorality. Collectively they shared helpful insights into the nature of moral temptation, the consequences of moral failure, and hope for those who have failed, as well as practical advice for avoiding moral pitfalls. - In any given year, you dialogue with hundreds of men on a personal level. Of those who come to you for counsel, what percentage are dealing with sexual purity issues? At least 70 percent. - And how many of those men have acted ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Randy Alcorn

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Sexual Sin

Saying "No" to Lust

"Something terrible has happened." The tense voice belonged to my friend, who was calling from across the country. "Yesterday our pastor left his wife and ran off with another woman." I was sad, but not shocked or even surprised. I've heard the same story too many times to ever be surprised again. Much as we hate to admit it, the evangelical landscape is littered with the carcasses of lives decimated by sexual sin. Most of us can name several, and some dozens of Christian men and women whose lives and witness have eroded because of sexual sin. The conclusion ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Life Action

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Sexual Sin

Making It Personal

Re-Discovering Sexual Purity Few areas in our Christian pilgrimage require more care and attention than the matter of our sexual lives. This exercise is intended to provide practical instruction on how to walk in sexual purity and victory. We suggest our readers set aside a concentrated period of time to process and internalize these application questions and their corresponding scripture references. Note: An asterisk next to the question indicates our recommendation for the reader to seek the assistance of a qualified biblical counselor or pastor regarding this area. 1. How do I know if I am struggling with lust? Men ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Paul David Tripp

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Sexual Sin

The Heart of Sexual Sin

In a culture that looks at self as ultimate, God as absent, and pleasure as the highest experience, it is no wonder that sexuality has become such a dominant force. Sex provides a powerful pathway to instant physical pleasure. It can provide a powerful form of false worship (counterfeiting the first great command) and false relationship (counterfeiting the second great command).

It is impossible to arrive at a balanced view of sexuality without abandoning a philosophy that leaves God out and makes human satisfaction its primary focus.

Biblical Foundations for Sexuality

Several fundamental biblical truths are foundational to a biblical ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Byron Paulus

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Sexual Sin

From the Director

Just when I thought I had heard it all, one of our staff received this e-mail:

I have a problem that I don't know how to handle. My husband wants to be a female impersonator and wants to alter his body to look more like a girl. He wants to get breast implants and some work done on his face. I'm having a hard time. I don't know if this lines up with the Word of God. He found a preacher that had a sex change. He pastors an evangelical church of about 3000 people. So it ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Gary Thomas

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Sexual Sin

Sexual Saints

I was in junior high, walking toward a group of buddies, when my best friend at the time came out of the circle and stopped me. "No," he said. "You don't want this." "What are you talking about?" I asked, hurt that this guy, of all people, would spurn me. "This isn't for you." I learned later that my friend was keeping me from a book that was making the rounds at our school. It had something to do with sex—complete with pictures—and the dog-eared corners attested to its being quickly stashed in sock drawers and ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

John Piper

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Sexual Sin

The Purifying Power of Faith

On July 20, 1993, Donald Wyman was clearing land near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as part of his work for a mining company. In the process, a tree rolled onto his shin causing a severe break and pinning Wyman to the ground. He cried for help for an hour, but no one came. He concluded that the only way to save his life would be to cut off his leg. So he made a tourniquet out of his shoe string and tightened it with a wrench. Then he took his pocket knife and cut through the skin, muscle, and bone just below ...

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Tue, Nov 26, 2002

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

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Sexual Sin

Portrait of a Foolish Woman

The more I study the ways of God, the more sobered I am by the incredible influence we as women have in our homes—for good or for evil. The Scripture puts it this way: "The wise woman builds her house, but with her hands the foolish one tears hers down" (Prov. 14:1). There are two kinds of women in this world—wise and foolish. At any given moment, you and I are either wise or foolish women; whether we realize it or not, we are either building our "house"—our immediate sphere of influence—or we are tearing ...

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Fri, Nov 1, 2002

Roy Hession

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Sexual Sin

Amazing Grace - The Mess Unmessed!

The purpose of God in all His dealings with sinners is not their condemnation and destruction, but rather their restoration and recovery. This is the sphere in which the Lord Jesus Christ excels—and He does that as much in the realm of sexual failure as in any other.

Indeed so great is His work of forgiveness, recovery, and restoration that the new thing He produces out of the wreckage of our sin after we have repented is sometimes better and sweeter than the original thing we so grievously spoiled. Nowhere is the grace that "forgives the messer and ...

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Sexual Purity

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