Living Pure in a Sex Crazed Society

How can we Live pure in a sex crazed society? Preaching the truth is a desperate need for the anemic body of Christ. What one man considers “purity” another regards as “legalistic”. What are “preferences” verses “convictions”? Is there scriptural truth in the area of holiness that can be applied to the culture today in which we live, not considered ‘old fashioned’ or for the ‘culture of the day in which it was written’?

There is an urgency in my Spirit to speak a word of admonition to the church on this subject. As forerunners, as a prophetic people preaching ‘revival’, it terrifies me that we (the church) are tempting the Lord Jesus to come and judge us. We are representing Him ever so sloppy in the hour when we need to be the highest above reproach. How can we hear what He is saying and say what He is saying when we have succeeded in blending in with the crowd, with the Western culture? The church at large has succeeded in looking no different than the unbelieving community. What is it about Christianity that stands out and appeals to the unbeliever? What is it that causes us to look like an alien and a stranger in today’s society? Of course these are all rhetorical questions. My heart is aching and burdened, for the bride of Christ looks like a young rebellious girl tasting the world who has forgotten she is betrothed, married in commitment, yet living single, fornicating out of wedlock.

My husband told me if he invited a friend over and when the man showed up he was wearing short shorts exposing his thighs, and a small tank top exposing his built muscular body he would be so displeased at the dishonor he would tell him to turn around and leave. What a thought, I’m sure this is an exaggerated scenario, most of us don’t see men do that, but that would be dishonoring to him, another man coming into his home showing his body in front of another man’s wife. Why then do we think it is o.k. for women to expose themselves in the light of the ‘current styles’ or trends to dress certain ways? There is truth in scripture that certainly applies today no matter how the culture has changed.

“display their beauty by dressing modestly and decently in appropriate clothes” 1 Timothy 2:9

I think regardless of your interpretation of the rest of this chapter in scripture we can all agree on the truth of “modest” and “appropriate”. Some may argue, ‘if I am at the beach than it is appropriate to wear a swimsuit’. Yes, however, in every place we are representing Christ and I would ask, ‘are you honoring the men and women around you’? The way you dress may not cause you to stumble, but let’s look at holiness in regards to honoring our fellow brethren. This is the definition of honoring one another in scripture:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being."
1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Romans Chapter 14 is the key chapter on deciphering what is acceptable and not acceptable and how to live in holy conviction before the Lord and honoring your brothers and sisters. Consider a few of these excerpts and meditate on them.

“Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” Rom. 14:13

“And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.” Rom. 14:15

“...all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.” Rom. 14:20

I can choose to live for myself, or I can choose to live for God. I can choose the lesser walk or the greater walk. I can choose to do for myself or to do unto the greater good of my brother and sisters in Christ. I am convinced in order to stay wholehearted and steadfast as the birth pangs increase in the earth preparing for the coming of the Lord, we must be strong in unity with holiness. It is the little foxes, little things, that lead to sin that causes one by one to fall away. What starts as immodest dress leads to numbness of sexual perversion; compromise is areas of sexual sin. I have seen this time and time again; we cannot deny the church is weak in the Word of truth, weak in areas of purity and sexual wholeness, and in need of a sobering ‘wake up’ call. When revival leaders continue falling into sin we need to look around – slap yourself in the face and say, “am I serious about God or not”? “Am I living for my self or for God”? What can you sacrifice? What areas of your life can you ‘take up a notch’? For the good of the brethren, not considering your own self, your own ‘personal convictions’ but for the entire body of Christ? Christ died for the body and we refuse to let go of things that we feel we deserve.

Wake up rebellious generation of ‘entitlement’ and see that the only thing we really deserve is Hell. Humble yourselves, see yourself naked as dirt and come before God in prayer and supplication and take on what He decides you have ‘earned’.

The arrogance of our ‘entitlement’ is not our inheritance. The arrogant spirit that boasts in mans greatness rather than God’s mercy. Let’s keep it is perspective, cry out for mercy, weep between the porch and the altar.

“...that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe” Philippians 2:15