Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 Peter 2

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

I paused my studies of both Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which focuses on lust. Here, Piper provides a stern warning to believers to make war with lust as it deserves such a posture as we can lose our salvation over such sin.  More so, Piper provides Colossians 3:5-6 as another text to support this view - here Paul describes that God's wrath is coming "on account" of "sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."  We are to take these sins seriously and as an example of the seriousness, Piper provides Matthew 5:29, where in the context of lust (Matthew 5:27-28) Jesus urges us to gouge out one of our eyes over such "wandering."  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - You have helped me with my battle over sin, including lust - thank You Jesus!  Thank You for sanctifying me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving of such love, compassion and grace.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:13-14

This morning, I pause in my study of Isaiah to listen to DesiringGod's devotion for today - which focuses on digital dangers and temptations. My commentary for Romans indicates that "in view of God's mercy displayed in Christ and in view of the coming day of Christ, believers' ethical lives should be driven and shaped by the realities of the gospel...Paul wants the gospel to saturate every aspect of the Roman believers' thinking and living."  The devotion warns us of five digital "dangers:"

1. the hook of constant curiosity
   
2. world of virtual (un)reality
3. "personal" relations with a machine
   
4. the risk of tryst
   
5. porn

Indeed these are all dangers and we face many other temptations.  Piper urges us to resolve to avoid these temptations.  Of course the anti-dote for these temptations is to lean into God and ask God to "renew" your mind (Romans 12:2).  Paul offers these words as well:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:10-18

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have protected me and armed me against temptation - thank You Jesus!  Although I continue to trip and fall - my sin continues.  Please forgive Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

Numbers 25,31

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. Numbers 25:1-3

Day 42 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on God's wrath against both the men of Israel who lusted after the women of Midian and yoked themselves to their god, as well against Midian itself, which was completely destroyed save young virgin girls and plunder of livestock and valuables. 

Lust and sexual immorality are enticing sins for many and per my link (which is not exhaustive) the Bible addresses it quite often.  John Piper offers advice to man struggle here.

Jesus refers to adultery or sexual sin as a matter of the heart - even your illicit thoughts are sinful (Matthew 5:27-30).

John Piper's post is spot on here as I have felt the power of the Spirit to gain victory over sexual sin.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has helped me gain power of sexual sin and many other sins - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and protection.  I sin...daily.  Please help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 7

Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. v26-27

This subject - lust - and being led astray by sexual temptation - is an important one and worthy of repetition.  While many, even those in the church, seem to dislike the "Billy Graham rule", I like this balanced view from Focus on the Family.

Pornography and the Internet is something nearly all men (myself included) from time to time struggle with - yet I am thankful how my desire for the Lord has helped me gain more power over this temptation.  Lisa's cancer was very eye opening in how selfish I can be and it led me to believe that the sexual drive all men have is at its most base level a very selfish urge, and it needs to be subordinated to a desire for God first and foremost and also channeled into marriage.  I am not perfect (far from it) but again God has help me in this regard.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who has helped me grow as a person and a child of God.  While I know I have a long way to go, I know You have transformed my heart and my life and given me greater desire for You and to please You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love...I am harsh with my words and actions and I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. v8

Paul is writing the church in Thessalonica to urge the believers there to stay sexually pure. He goes on to say that rejection of such instruction is a rejection of God.  I know that sin separates us from God I've never thought about how sin is a rejection of God.  I've learned how we often grumble, and how this grumbling is complaining about God Himself. 

It is instructive and encouraging for me to think about sin as a rejection of God...this may seem counter-intuitive, but God's ways are not our ways.

My Prayer: Lord, You are the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings.  You are pure, holy and blameless.  You came down from heaven to suffer and die for me...knowing everything about me including my sin.  What a great God You are!  I am not worth such a God.  Thank You Jesus for how You bless me beyond what I deserve.  Please help me.  Forgive me for my disobedience, my lack of desire, my lack of action, etc.  Help me turn from such sin and overcome this sin and instead turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me be obedient!  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.