Our church spent this weekend talking through Sexual sin as it came out in 2 Samuel 11 where David infamously commits adultery with Bathsheba. A couple of key learning points came out of the sermon & small group study:
- Un-confessed sin will destroy you. In his book Life Together Dietrich Bonhoeffer said Satan’s last greatest stronghold on the church is the lack of confession of sin among the brothers. Look at the web of destruction (conspiracy, murder, & more) David weaves in an attempt to cover up his sin instead of confronting it head on. Listen, I know it will feel awkward to confess your darkness to another human. It will be awkward because we don’t do it enough, not because we shouldn’t. And the truth is: The effects of sin are far more painful than the confession of sin. Your fellow christian is a fellow sinner as well. Do not lie to yourself by saying you will confess it to God and no one else. Your walk with God is a community project. make it so in this area.
- It is easier to avoid temptation than to resist sin. Don’t be a dummy. As Martin Luther famously said, if your head is made of butter stay away from the fire. Flee temptation. Fleeing does not solve the problem you have with sexual sin, but it certainly helps. Our EQUIP website has some great resources on this in a post up this weekend.
- Only a love for something greater can drive out our sin problem. Our hearts are geared to crave. Rouge obedience to rules that keep us from sin will fail us if they alone are trying to guard us from our hearts desire. In the end, our hearts will push our will to find our way back to what we want. So we must fix our WANTER, our hearts. The gospel must become more valuable to us than sexual gratification (or any sin). Thomas Chalmers called this the “expulsive power of a new affection.” Love for Christ pushes out love of sin the more we come to know & love him.
Bottom line, get help with your sin. If you think I’m talking to only the sex addict, you are crazy. I’m talking to me. I’m talking to any believer whose living in isolation. Whose sin feels too shameful to let out. I promise you 2 things:
- Your sin is not OK and there are consequences. no sense beating around that. So thank God he sees Jesus when he looks at you!
- You CAN fight this battle with the help of others. God designed you that way. so go tell someone ASAP.
