Sometimes we are led to think that God doesn’t want us to have the pleasure of sex because He has set up all kinds of rules and regulations around it. Why doesn’t he allow pre-marital sex? Why does He say lust is a sin? Because He is saving sex for you.

Inspired by Joshua Harris’ ‘Not even a Hint’

Deny lust to save sex

It’s everywhere

We live in a sex-saturated world where lust is very rampant even with Christians. Pre-marital sex is branded as “okay” as long as it’s safe, and “exciting” when it’s not. Lust is pleasurable, yes. We have that established. But then everything the Bible calls sin is also instantly pleasurable to some degree. After all, if sin is so repulsive, who will want to fall into it’s clutches? As it is, sin is intriguing, exciting and pleasurable – to some instantaneous and temporary degree.

But what does the Bible say about Lust?

“For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.” – Job 31:11-12

Job knows the consequences of the instantaneous but temporary pleasures of lust.

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed because these are improper for God’s holy people” – Ephesians 5:3

Hear that? Not even a hint. It means that lust cannot be found anywhere near your thoughts, feelings, actions, expressions, etc.

Now we ask the question

Why? Is the Bible a kill-joy? Does God want to keep the little temporary pleasures from us?

Heck no. God created sex. He knows how sex should exactly be done. He set the boundaries for sex for us to enjoy it in it’s fullness. He is protecting sex by denying lust.

Take a basketball game for example. What do you think will happen if we break the physical-contact rule? It would suddenly become a bloody, elbow-frenzy game. Is it still a game? Yes. But is it played the way it’s supposed to be? No. Would we like it? Definitely not. The finesse of the game would be gone since we can abuse the physical aspect of the game.

That’s just a far-fetched analogy but do you get the picture? There are rules and boundaries set for the game’s full beauty to be enjoyed. It’s the same with sex. God has set boundaries for His creation of sex for us to enjoy it’s full beauty – inside marriage.

Sex is the most pleasurable physical and spiritual act a man and woman can ever have. It also brings the most devastating consequences should it be tampered with. And the Devil is doing exactly that – perverting it’s primary purpose and pleasure to a malicious design. Don’t give in. Protect and save sex by denying lust in your life.

Ever went to Starbucks and tell yourself this line? I know some people did. Not exactly in this sentence but somewhat around it. This is called justification – it is when you’re training your mind to think about something to be right or alright but your guts tell you isn’t a just or a wise decision.

Justification - it's telling yourself a 130 pesos coffee is good for you

There are a lot of times when we justify in our lives. Life is full of decisions and there are going to be times when we will be faced with ones that pull us to our desires and ones that push us to our limits. Justification can be one of the heart-soothers and peace-givers of our decision making.

Why am I talking about justification? Because I think we should not justify in any way. Maybe you’re asking “Why? What’s so wrong with justification? I get away with it sometimes!” Well, justification is the brother and best friend of compromise. Ever thought about why it’s called “JUSTIFICATION”? Because it is something to make just in your own standards something that is already unjust. It is twisting your fabric of conscience to bending to your will instead of listening to it.

Justification ALWAYS settles for the something GOOD, taking your focus away from something that’s BEST. It might be good at the moment, but at the long run, you might regret it big time.

So next time you tell yourself that a 130 pesos coffee is good for you, remember this: IT’S NOT! If you justified in any way, it means you’re dealing with something that’s unjust in the first place!!!

Allen Iverson rationalizes and justifies that practice isn’t as important as the game. He pushes the thought to silliness – that practice is practice and the game is what matters. Watch it.

Well let me tell you men and women
Life is all about practice.
If all you’re worried about is the game itself, it’ll be too late for you to win because you’ve already lost at practice
When crunch time comes, and God tells you “So what’s your decision?” All the things you’ve practiced doing in your life will be the one to shape your choice. The GAME DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE IT’S THE ONE MOMENT IN LIFE WHERE YOU MAKE THE CHOICE – ONE CHOICE – that’s all you get. WHAT MATTERS IS HOW YOU BUILT YOURSELF TO MAKE THE RIGHT ONE AND HOW YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE THAT CHOICE COUNT

Doing okay

Have you ever thought of yourself as “okay” or “doing alright”? Have you ever told yourself “I’m doing better than most” or “I’m on the safe side”? We all have. There are dangers when we become comfortable with ourselves why? Because it is especially when compromise takes root in our hearts thoughts.

Jesus’ ministry lasted for three and a half years – that’s the whole time He used to change the world. And Judas Iscariot followed him all the way. But what happened? At the very last moment, Judas decided to choose a major decision contrary to everything he saw, heard and learned within those three and a half years of struggling along with Jesus in His ministry. So what happened?

Judas compromised

He might not have known it but he compromised every step of the way for those three years. He helped himself with the money put in the treasury (Judas was the treasurer of the ministry) and it might not be too big a deal since the ministry never once lacked money or something to eat (at least it was never mentioned in the Bible that they did) but that is called compromise – not wanting the best and settling for what’s good because of comfort and pleasure.

Judas travelled that thin line between right and wrong. Occasionally, he would trip and fall on the wrong side, helping himself with the treasury but oftentimes he would lean more on the “right” side, driving out demons in Jesus’ name, preaching the good news, helping out the poor. In his heart, he thought he was “okay” that he was “doing alright”.

For three and a half years

Judas thought he was really doing well! Will you stick to a person and do what you’re doing for three and a half years, suffering from no homage, from persecution, etc ., if you don’t really believe in what you’re doing and think you’re not “okay”? No! Judas definitely believed he was “okay”.

But he was walking the line all along

Compromise corrupts Decision

And at the end of those three and a half years, all of the little decisions that Judas compromised in affected his sense of judgment. And when crunch time came along and it was time to make the big decision, all of the little decisions he made summed up themselves in his choosing the big one. He chose to betray the Master. Out of all the reasons he could have chosen in the three and a half years he spent with the Messiah, still he chose to betray Jesus. Why?

Because compromise corrupts your ability to decide

If you are not faithful with the little things, you won’t be faithful with the big ones. This is exactly what we can see in the life of Judas. He wasn’t faithful in the little decisions he made, so when crunch time came along, he wasn’t faithful with the big ones too.

My challenge to you is

Re-evaluate yourself. Don’t stick to the thought that you’re “Okay”. I say this because even I have some things that I compromise with. But the Bible has made me aware of these things and is still doing so every day of my life. Think of all the little things you compromise in and decide now to pursue the best. God’s best for you in everything. Do not compromise. It will corrupt you.

Galatians 6: 7-8

“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Geneticists say that the difference in the human DNA with a Chimp’s is just 1.82%

Imagine that, a 1.82% difference! Usually we shrug off a 1.82% right? With safeguard cleaning 99% of all germs, we still buy it (What’s 1% germ anyway!) right? What the heck could go wrong with 1.82%?

From a human to a Chimpanzee

We are 1.82% short of looking like a Chimp. If God committed a 1.82% mistake, we’d be as ugly as they are. Imagine, just a 1.82 mistake in your DNA and you’d be a chimp? Civilization will never be, our arts, our music wouldn’t exist. Our DNA has to be 100% precise for us to possibly exist. God made it possible.

From Chimpanzee to sin

For God, our lives look the same as a 1.82% difference would make us a chimp. A small portion of sin in our lives, even just 1.82% of it will ultimately make us as dirty in God’s eyes as a human is unimaginably compared to a chimp. God demands Holiness in our lives, which means a 100% setting aside our lives for Him.

One sin is already enough to make us a bad sight in the God’s eyes. Imagine how precise God is. He is a perfect God and we are created in His image and likeness. Only our sinful desires rooted in our sinful nature make us incapable of perfection. Otherwise God created us perfectly, therefore we are capable of pleasing Him in a perfect way.

The point is…

God didn’t make us to be chimpanzees. He really set in His mind to create men – in His image and likeness. He made us and designed us. He knows our functions and purposes and He knows exactly what we are capable of. He knows us.

And His main design for our lives is already written in His word. His manual for life. To live like human beings, we have to know what being human is about. The Bible, the Word of God, claims that it knows what to be human is about – it is actually the only book to do so.

My challenge to you guys

Is that you live a life that is Holy and pleasing to Him. Everyday in every way. Don’t compromise. Compromise makes you a chimp – and don’t even think they’re cute. Just don’t.

I’m sure you’ve eaten in McDonalds or Jolibee at some point in your life. Do you like fast food? Some people I know love fast food. They ended up having an unhealthier body (not to mention a bigger one) and less money. What’s more is that they make it a habit.

I’m sure most people would agree with me when I say that fast food is not healthy for anyone. Just watch “Supersize me” and find out what’ll happen to you after a long while of dieting with McDonald’s stuff – that’s right, old Ronald McDonald had a farm and it’s full of fats, preservatives, sugar and oil. And Jolibee got the hang of it and started his/her own franchise.

It’s not altogether bad to eat fast food right? I mean, you’re hungry and you’ve a budget for food. You have to make it a fast grab-and-go meal because you’ve got somewhere to go, something to do. A McBurger and fries is the only option you have right? Right?

Have you ever made a compromise in your life? I’m sure you have one way or another. Did you ever regret it? I know I did. To compromise is never a good thing – because it’s not settling for the better or best of what you can decide on.

Compromise is the smallest form of your decision evident only inside the thoughts of your mind. It is the birthplace of a decision that’s not entirely good or not good at all. It is settling for something other than the best in exchange for pleasure – because you’re lazy to pursue something that’s better or best for you when something good is in easy reach.

Compromise is a broken, run-down bridge that you think twice about going through. And every step of the way, the bridge would seem stronger and more reliable. It would take you to where you want to go – your idea of a good destination. But after crossing the bridge, it will all crumble down and all you find at the other end is an empty highway – one that leads to death. Often times, when you see the highway, you’ll feel regret. Compromise is arguably the most effective tool that Satan uses against us in these sin-infected, procrastination-laden days.

When compromise takes hold of your thoughts, wake yourself up and ALWAYS ask yourself: “What is the wisest thing for me to do?” or “What is the best decision?” Unless you’ve done that, you’ll probably keep on walking down that bridge.

If you think I’m going to answer if eating fast food is alright, I’m not. But I want you to take into account the possibility of these two pictures:

Before	After

Little decisions can amount to BIG MISTAKES