Temptation to be Loved

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return”. We all just want to be loved. But sometimes, we look for love in the wrong places. Often our world equates love with sex. In order to be really loved, you’ve got to be doing it as often as possible! 25% of Australian teenagers have had sexual intercourse by the time they turn 16 and 40% of 16 year old boys have deliberately looked for sex websites. This means that there is a great temptation for Christian teenagers to look for love in the wrong place.

Is God against sex? No not at all, he invented it! But God is against sex being done the wrong way, outside of His plans for it. The Bible calls this sexual immorality. In Corinth there was a church 2000 years ago that had people known for bizarre, Jerry-Springer style sexual immorality: A man hooked up with his dad’s wife.

Paul’s message to this church was simple: FLEE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY! Don’t try and get so close to the fire without being burnt – rather run in the opposite direction.

Why? Why flee from sexual immorality? 1 Cor 6:12-18

  1. Because of why we were made – God made us. He didn’t make us for sexual immorality, but rather we have been made FOR the Lord. The reason we exist is not to please our own desires, but to please Jesus. (v13)
  2. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection – God has done something incredible for us through the work of Jesus. Each of us has not always treated our Creator as God and so at the cross, Jesus died to bring us back to Him. Jesus paid the ultimate price (v20). Not only did Jesus die, but he rose again, and the Christian will one day also be raised (v14).
  3. Therefore you belong to God and your body matters – Ultimately we are to flee from sexual immorality because of who we are now in Christ Jesus. We belong to him. He made us. He has saved us. We are members of his body (v15). It means also that our bodies matter. If we are united to Jesus, it’s wrong for us to then go and be united with a prostitute (v15-16).

What if I stuff up?

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:9-11)

“And that is what some of you were…” No matter what you’ve done in the past, no matter what you do in the future, those that trust in Jesus can be forgiven of any and every sin. Does that mean we commit sexual immorality on purpose? Not at all! But if you have fallen – know the offer of forgiveness found in Jesus.

God wants the best for you. When it comes to sex, God’s way really is better than the world’s way. Trust him. He wants what is best for you!

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Where did I Come from?” – How good was this book?!?!

5 Replies to “Temptation to be Loved”

  1. Our world always says… “It’s my body I’ll do what I want.” But God says, “It belongs to me first (1 Cor 6) and then to your spouse (1 Cor 7) – married or unmarried.” Radical reversal of our individualistic on on sex. Blog it up Dave~!~ Is this a talk you are doing??

  2. good call sam.

    yeah – it’s roughly the structure for a youth surge talk.

    just did it tonight. will do it another 2 times later in the term.

    went well (included some “where did i come from” pics!) – will tighten it up a bit for next time.

    have a good weekend.

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    turkmenistan just walked in at the opening ceremony – riveting!

  3. ‘40% of 16 year old boys have deliberately looked for sex websites’

    I think you mean 40% of 16 year old boys admitted to deliberately looking for sex websites.

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