"'I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully [with desire] at a young woman'" (Job 31:1, NIV).
Wildfires may be considered under control when 90-percent contained (this fails the plumb line of God and we must not be weighed in the balance and found wanting--NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD!) but we must have absolutely pure minds that are 100-percent contained from the fires of immorality to be pleasing in God's eyes not ever guilty of playing with fire. We must never let up and think we've got it under control once tempted--we'll always overestimate our self-control or virtue.
By definition, lust is an unnatural or excessive desire and it can be manifested in multiple ways. We need fire per se, by analogy, but it must be fully contained and harnessed for good. The best proactive procedure is to flee all immorality and don't even test your limits or even go there thinking you may be able to control yourself. We're all in the same boat and have our breaking point, much more, the devil knows our weaknesses.
In other words, don't play with fire or even matches! There's no such thing as a small wildfire that poses no threat--they're all potential hazards to public safety: When the damage of lost innocence is done and is permanent. The only hope is to rebuild or let Christ transform your life with a new beginning, who can WIPE the slate clean and help us rebuild and begin anew from the inside out--the principle that we are not punished for our sins, but by them, resonates and RINGS SO TRUE.
People tend to think that God's so-called rules on sexuality are too binding and not up to date or even obsolete by modern standards. But God made these rules for our own good and what was wrong at the time of Moses is still wrong! Morality is not relative to culture and situation but is absolute and universal, applying to everyone all the time. Is it any wonder a woman feels violated by male, predatory, sexual advances against her will and unsolicited? Sexual assault destroys innocence that leaves a permanent stain on one's psyche and soul.
Sometimes it all begins with a fling or affair that seems so innocent or even platonic, and then the compromising position or situation presents itself and the rest spins out of control, beyond the point of no return. The best inoculation is to be prepared, but knowing right from wrong and not letting yourself be put in such situations in the first place. Don't think that your affair is innocent because you are wiser or more experienced than others or you know your limits and boundaries!
The world will tell you, "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" like Dr. Timothy Leary propagated in the 60s. And "The Summer of Love" (1967) with the "sexual revolution" has not changed God's litmus test of purity--unstained from the world--these are mandated not suggestions! The thing about purity and innocence is that you don't lose it by accident or fortuitously, but by one's own volition. It's an overt act of the will succumbing to Satan's agenda and program. The world will tell you that we are nothing but animals in heat, seeking pleasure, and avoiding pain! But the Bible gives a bigger picture with God in the equation. If we are taught we are animals; is it any wonder we act like them? But we are in God's image and the only creature responsible to God for our actions: we will stand judgment meeting our Maker one on one.
We must never play with fire or test our limits, for we are not strong enough to fight the onslaught of Satan ourselves once we've given in to temptation. We all tend to overestimate ourselves and think we are strong enough, but we are testing God too, who always provides a way out to escape it so that we have no excuse (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13). The best defense is a good offense, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We must always maintain a divine point of view and see it as God would, through His eyes, not the world's. We need to approach the fire of the world with the fire of the Spirit! Fight fire with fire! If we do get exposed even we may not walk away without a first-degree burn or temporary setback. But God is able to heal and we must not lose focus on our Creator who knows us and didn't design us for immorality or promiscuity for our own good.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," according to Proverbs 4:23, KJV. God has given us a message to proclaim to the world as salt and light and we must not jeopardize our testimony by sinning against the body, which sexual immorality is. We have to choose purity to get it; the choice isn't automatic or made for us. We must avoid any destructive lifestyle by allowing ourselves to be in compromising positions. In other words, we must "walk worthy of our Lord" (cf. Eph. 4:1) for our bodies are not our own but have been bought (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20). We are to seek "holiness, without which no one will see the Lord"(cf. Heb. 12:14). Moral laxity is always wrong.
The problem with immortality is that people don't know their own weaknesses and how to protect themselves. The end result is never just bittersweet, an understatement because there are always consequences; the end result is reaping what we sow, for God always disciplines His children. In other words, the best policy is zero tolerance with yourself--don't even experiment to see what you can get away with! Don't get too close to the "fire" because you're curious either--you will get burned--or too close for comfort! Finally, going against God's perfect design for mankind breaks faith the Designer Himself. FINAL CAVEAT AND WORD TO THE WISE: "...But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it" (Gen. 4:7, HCSB). Soli Deo Gloria!
Wildfires may be considered under control when 90-percent contained (this fails the plumb line of God and we must not be weighed in the balance and found wanting--NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD!) but we must have absolutely pure minds that are 100-percent contained from the fires of immorality to be pleasing in God's eyes not ever guilty of playing with fire. We must never let up and think we've got it under control once tempted--we'll always overestimate our self-control or virtue.
By definition, lust is an unnatural or excessive desire and it can be manifested in multiple ways. We need fire per se, by analogy, but it must be fully contained and harnessed for good. The best proactive procedure is to flee all immorality and don't even test your limits or even go there thinking you may be able to control yourself. We're all in the same boat and have our breaking point, much more, the devil knows our weaknesses.
In other words, don't play with fire or even matches! There's no such thing as a small wildfire that poses no threat--they're all potential hazards to public safety: When the damage of lost innocence is done and is permanent. The only hope is to rebuild or let Christ transform your life with a new beginning, who can WIPE the slate clean and help us rebuild and begin anew from the inside out--the principle that we are not punished for our sins, but by them, resonates and RINGS SO TRUE.
People tend to think that God's so-called rules on sexuality are too binding and not up to date or even obsolete by modern standards. But God made these rules for our own good and what was wrong at the time of Moses is still wrong! Morality is not relative to culture and situation but is absolute and universal, applying to everyone all the time. Is it any wonder a woman feels violated by male, predatory, sexual advances against her will and unsolicited? Sexual assault destroys innocence that leaves a permanent stain on one's psyche and soul.
Sometimes it all begins with a fling or affair that seems so innocent or even platonic, and then the compromising position or situation presents itself and the rest spins out of control, beyond the point of no return. The best inoculation is to be prepared, but knowing right from wrong and not letting yourself be put in such situations in the first place. Don't think that your affair is innocent because you are wiser or more experienced than others or you know your limits and boundaries!
The world will tell you, "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" like Dr. Timothy Leary propagated in the 60s. And "The Summer of Love" (1967) with the "sexual revolution" has not changed God's litmus test of purity--unstained from the world--these are mandated not suggestions! The thing about purity and innocence is that you don't lose it by accident or fortuitously, but by one's own volition. It's an overt act of the will succumbing to Satan's agenda and program. The world will tell you that we are nothing but animals in heat, seeking pleasure, and avoiding pain! But the Bible gives a bigger picture with God in the equation. If we are taught we are animals; is it any wonder we act like them? But we are in God's image and the only creature responsible to God for our actions: we will stand judgment meeting our Maker one on one.
We must never play with fire or test our limits, for we are not strong enough to fight the onslaught of Satan ourselves once we've given in to temptation. We all tend to overestimate ourselves and think we are strong enough, but we are testing God too, who always provides a way out to escape it so that we have no excuse (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13). The best defense is a good offense, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We must always maintain a divine point of view and see it as God would, through His eyes, not the world's. We need to approach the fire of the world with the fire of the Spirit! Fight fire with fire! If we do get exposed even we may not walk away without a first-degree burn or temporary setback. But God is able to heal and we must not lose focus on our Creator who knows us and didn't design us for immorality or promiscuity for our own good.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," according to Proverbs 4:23, KJV. God has given us a message to proclaim to the world as salt and light and we must not jeopardize our testimony by sinning against the body, which sexual immorality is. We have to choose purity to get it; the choice isn't automatic or made for us. We must avoid any destructive lifestyle by allowing ourselves to be in compromising positions. In other words, we must "walk worthy of our Lord" (cf. Eph. 4:1) for our bodies are not our own but have been bought (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20). We are to seek "holiness, without which no one will see the Lord"(cf. Heb. 12:14). Moral laxity is always wrong.
The problem with immortality is that people don't know their own weaknesses and how to protect themselves. The end result is never just bittersweet, an understatement because there are always consequences; the end result is reaping what we sow, for God always disciplines His children. In other words, the best policy is zero tolerance with yourself--don't even experiment to see what you can get away with! Don't get too close to the "fire" because you're curious either--you will get burned--or too close for comfort! Finally, going against God's perfect design for mankind breaks faith the Designer Himself. FINAL CAVEAT AND WORD TO THE WISE: "...But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it" (Gen. 4:7, HCSB). Soli Deo Gloria!