One of the commitments that we made to Heavenly Father when we started this ministry many years ago for our exquisite sisters in Christ was to continually put those reminders out there about the dangers of sexual sin. It can be tough business to do this. Some think we’re off our rockers to expect that, in this day and age, women will practice abstinence; they think it’s an antiquated notion that no one will pay attention to. Others pat us on the back for holding the banner high, and tell us it’s a ‘nice thing’ that we’re doing, but however folks label it is fine with us. We’re about our Father’s business. Sex with someone that is never going to be your husband is harmful to your relationship with God, and it is incredibly damaging to a person’s soul. This is just the truth, and there’s no use trying to put a different spin on it.

Someone said to me that she’s not quite ready to be in a dating relationship that doesn’t involve sexual intimacy with a man. Part of her considers it a huge and unreasonable sacrifice. Her exact words were, “I definitely have mixed feelings about it.” She’s been in the Word almost as long as I have, but for some reason doesn’t hold herself spiritually accountable in this area of her life. I think in part, her ambivalence stems from having knowledge that so many of her Christian friends do not practice abstinence. There’s also a part of her that feels that as a fully-grown woman in her early forties, sex should be on the table as something that mature, consensual adults can handle.

God tells us through the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12:1(NLT), “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Faith requires a desire in us to strip away anything that slows, weighs, and holds us down. Our Heavenly Father is an on-purpose God, and He created us to be an on-purpose people. He doesn’t provide instruction and wisdom like this just to pass the time away. Life is a challenging journey, and He wants us to live it in such a way that we squeeze every ounce of spiritual growth and goodness out of it. In order to do this, we must take off the stuff that impedes our journeys, so that we can travel through life light and swift.

We have a very loving Heavenly Father who knows and understands the challenges single folks face with sexual temptations. That’s one of the reasons He’s given us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and it is vitally important that Christians learn how to walk by the Spirit, especially when it comes to the discipline of their physical bodies. Humanity is God’s creation; He knows how best it should work. Although the human body is a gift and blessing to us, Heavenly Father did not create the body to be lord. It should not have governing authority over our decisions, but be under the subjection of Christ, because Jesus is Lord! When we’re at a point in our lives where we’re choosing to obey and bow to physical pleasure rather than to obey God’s commandment, we’re going to pay a hefty price for this choice. It’s a myth to think that we can ever be happy when we’ve undermined our own spiritual well-being this way.

1 Corinthians 10:8 tells us that 23,000 people fell dead in one day because of their fornication. This was not punishment, it was consequence. The payment for sin is death. Some part of us will die every time that we choose an act from the realm of satan over goodness from the realm of God. My friend calls this ‘super spiritual’ talk. I tell her that God calls it truth. And most folks can only take the truth in small doses, because they don’t want to confront their stuff. They shrug it off and try to minimize it, because they want to continue doing as they please, but this is not the way of a spiritually mature child of God.

Our Heavenly Father instructs us in 2 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV), “Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” We cannot be like the world and do as they do just because we know it will bring instant gratification and pleasure. God will give us all we need if we will demonstrate to Him our willingness to be committed and obedient to His way of doing things.  Will it take discipline and self-control? Absolutely! Because discipline and self-control is His nature. We’re His kids, and it must be our nature as well. Sexual abstinence can sometimes be a very challenging practice, but we must always remember, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward! ■

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

“The Greater the Challenge, The Greater the Reward”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.