Welcome to the For the Gospel podcast, where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Kosti Hinn, and I want to welcome our listeners on Apple, Spotify, and those of you enjoying this on our YouTube video podcast format. I also want to greet those of you that are listening around the world since for the gospel is actively downloaded in over 140 countries. We've reached with the podcast over 180, but regular active downloads taking place in over 140. And so I'm really thankful that the Lord is allowing us to serve those of you who are brothers and sisters in Christ around the world with sound doctrine. On that note as well, my team reported to me that this is actually our 200th episode since launching for the gospel. We have never missed a Monday, and Lord willing, we won't anytime soon. I'm really grateful that we've been able to do this and serve you. And thank you all so much for sharing, for listening, for supporting. If you're new to our ministry, I'd encourage you to go back and listen to episodes we've had with special guests, and we've covered a lot of different subjects, or you can enjoy some of the topical series that I've done on anger, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, God's will, prayer, church leadership. We did one on spiritual disciplines and a whole lot more. So all of that's available on Apple. It's available on Spotify. And then there are a really, really good number of them available also on video, which we added last year. On today's episode, I'm launching a new series on sexual immorality. And I really hope this equips you. I want it to challenge you and to convict you as well. But I also want it to serve as a protection for you in the fight against sexual temptation. I want to be honest with you, pastorally, I enjoy studying this subject as well as others because you can never have too many tune-ups, I'll call them, where we look under the hood of our heart and we assess these things that are with us in this life. We are going to be tempted with greed, with lust, with anger, with bitterness, and with sexual immorality. These are the things that the enemy often throws at us in today's culture. And so this is good for us to study. It's good for us to review. And if you're somebody who says, hey, Costi, that's not really my struggle, though. I don't really cycle through that. It's not really a big issue. Well, maybe it has been in the past, and by God's grace, right now it's not, but it could be that in the future it will be, or God has strengthened you to serve, teach, and provide encouragement to others. Either way, I think this series is going to be really formative for a lot of you. On this first episode, I want to cover some truths about sexual sin and then define sexual immorality based on scripture. So we'd call episode one the definition or defining sexual sin. And then we'll move on in the next episode to covering the steps that lead to sexual sin. So we can really get into those things we should be looking for that are lures from the enemy. And we'll dig into Proverbs chapter seven, and then we'll look at how to flee from sin rather than flirt with it. We'll get into aspects of pornography and fighting, waging war against sin, and a lot of those temptations that come at us. And then we'll talk about, of course, Christ and the gospel and a number of other subjects in this series. Let's start with truth number one, and it's this every Christian will experience temptation to sexual sin. Every single Christian will experience temptation to sexual sin. We have to approach this with a very vigilant and eyes-wide open mindset. And the first step for you and I is to admit or recognize that sexual sin is going to come to our doorstep looking for a way in. Again, you might be one of those people that say, I don't currently struggle with this, but it doesn't mean you never have or never will. The Bible repeatedly speaks to this battle that we're in against temptation to lust and this desire, which is rooted in gratify your flesh, do what you want, do what feels good, follow that impulse. All of those things are lures that the enemy sends our way. And sexual sin is one of the primary ways that the devil will seek to wreak havoc in our lives and no doubt in our relationships, because sexual sin doesn't just impact ourselves, it can have a devastating effect on others. And that truth as well is very important for us to be thinking through. It's not just about others, but the fact that sexual sin can wreak such havoc on others impacts the way we live out two of God's great commands. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And then what? Love your neighbor as yourself. One of the ways that we can love others, be that our spouse if you're married, your future spouse if you're not, or the people around you that you have healthy relationships with, is to guard yourself when it comes to sexual sin. It's also helpful to think through the, I don't want to say normalcy by way of excuse, but I want to say normalcy by way of accuracy, in that it's normal for us to wage war against sexual sin. That is a part of the Christian life. And that's very helpful for those of you who may feel like you are less than a Christian because you battle temptation in this area in particular. It's also helpful for those who scoff, saying, you know, oh, please, like just control yourself and you'll be fine, because maybe you're one of those people that doesn't battle as intensely against sexual sin. Well, temptation to sexual sin is not some trivial thing. It's a big deal. Maybe you struggle with it in lighter ways than others. Maybe your life has some fortifications that have been built in because of past issues. I know a lot of Christians, myself included, would look at their past, that checkered past of sin, and go, There are things I'm going to do and I'm going to not do, environments I'm going to go into and not go into, things I'm going to engage in and not engage in on purpose because I want to fortify my life and protect myself as much as I can from the temptation of sexual sin. Uh, maybe there's other people who you've been inundated. You've been a part of this generation that's just been inundated with pornography and lewd imagery from a young age. Even without media, there are people who wrestle with sexual sin. It's not like they need uh some lewd image to be thrown at them. Sexual sin is something that they battle with and wrestle with. Well, for all of us, we need to remember it's at the door looking for a crack and a way to get in, but is very, it is very common, we'll call it normal again, not by way of excuse, like, well, who cares? You can never defeat it. No, it's normal and common to wage war against sexual sin. So we want to go at this topic and talk about it. We don't want to shove it under the rug. That does nobody any good. Truth number two, sexual sin is not only something every Christian will battle in their life at some point, but number two, sexual sin is uniquely described in scripture. Uniquely described in scripture. First Corinthians chapter 6, verses 15 to 20 is an example of how uniquely sexual sin is described in the Bible. Paul is writing to the Corinthians, he's calling them out from pagan worship in those days, which involved all kinds of sexual sin and uh lewd behavior and filthy stuff that, you know, I don't even need to really get into detail on, but in general, uh depending on what age group you're listening to this with sexual sin of all kinds. He says this: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? He's saying, Should I just we just go do whatever we're gonna do and engage in sexual sin? May he says, May it never be. Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For he says, the two shall become one flesh. He's quoting Genesis. But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him. And he says, flee immorality, and the implication there is flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. And that's when we get the famous passage. Maybe you've heard it, or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? In other words, you don't you don't belong to yourself. You can't just do what you want. You've been bought with a price, therefore, he says, glorify God in your body. Paul in that passage is highlighting the difference of sexual sin from other sins. Perhaps it's best to say by way of damage. In other words, all sin is sin, but some sin hits different. Some sin has greater devastation attached to it. Being insensitive to someone is sinful. We could say that, absolutely. But engaging in an immoral relationship can lead to long-term destruction that some insensitivity doesn't. John MacArthur weighs in on this with in his commentary on 1 Corinthians. I want to read this quote to you. He says, although sexual sin is not necessarily the worst sin, it is the most unique in its character. It rises from within the body bent on personal gratification. It drives like no other impulse, and when fulfilled, affects the body like no other sin. It has a way of internally destroying a person that no other sin has. Because sexual intimacy is the deepest uniting of two persons, its misuse corrupts on the deepest human level. That is not a psychological analysis, but a divinely revealed fact. Sexual immorality is far more destructive than alcohol, far more destructive than drugs. And then he says, far more destructive than crime. End quote. True words, accurate words, biblical words. And truth number three, sexual sin comes from the heart. So not just something everyone will battle at some point in their life. It's not just uniquely described in Scripture, sexual sin comes from the heart. That's another truth that we need to think through. Matthew 15, 19 records Jesus correcting the legalistic thinking of the Pharisees. They were so concerned about everyone following their rules on the outside. Meanwhile, they had wicked hearts on the inside. He says to them these words for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality. There's the phrase, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. What's he saying? Well, this means that when we're talking about sexual immorality, we're talking about an issue that comes from the inside, not the outside. And the Pharisees were so concerned with all of the outward behaviors, but their hearts were inwardly wicked. A lot of people are quick to say, you know, she dressed that way, and and that made me lust. Or, you know, he was flirting with me, and it's his fault. Look, maybe, yes, women should dress modestly, and maybe, yeah, men shouldn't flirt with a woman, not his wife. But here's the deal your sin, my sin, comes from the inside. People can do whatever they want, people can say whatever they want, people can present themselves however they choose to. But sexual sin, the Bible says, comes from within the heart. It proceeds from the inside and then it eventually acts itself out. So we want to understand that when we come to this subject, the problem isn't everyone else. Is porn a serious issue? Yeah. Is flirtatious uh culture and individuals that present themselves to you a certain way an issue? Sure. Should modesty be a thing that we discuss in Christian circles because of the stumbling block it can cause? Of course. But ultimately, our job is not to look outward and blame everybody else for our sexual sin. Our first step is to say, something's going on inside of my heart. Long before sexual sin works itself outwardly, something is off inwardly. And this is why we need to dig into this topic and we need to study and we need to fill our heart with the word of Christ. We'll talk more about that later on in the series. But those three truths establish our trajectory. And now to uh get us on our descent, if you will, if we're on a plane, you know, we're gonna make our descent now towards the runway. I want to define sexual immorality and then explain what it entails. So the definition of sexual immorality is first rooted in a phrase or a word that we see in the New Testament. It's the Greek word pornea. And it has multiple definitions. They all point to the same root idea. It is this, the Greek word pornea, unsanctioned sexual activity, illicit sexual behavior, fornication. It's also used to refer to prostitution. It's used some two dozen times in the New Testament, and it describes the phrase sexual immorality. In some translations, you might see the word fornication. And the idea that it's sinful comes from the numerous prohibitions against it, pornea, that word, or sexual immorality or fornication, that are all over the Bible. And it's typically listed with other wrong behaviors. One of the most obvious is Paul in 1 Corinthians 6.13, when he's saying that the body is not meant for, and he says, immorality, the word is pornea. The body's not meant for sexual immorality or fornication. And he contrasts that and says, but for the Lord. In other words, he's telling the Corinthians, under no circumstances your body for illicit sexual behavior, fornication, prostitution, or immorality in this regard, it is for serving the Lord. So nobody could possibly ever say that sexual immorality is okay, or, well, the Bible is just using it to describe this, and it's, you know, it's fine in some situations if we want to fornicate, or God does want us to be happy, or it it's we've been given these things to enjoy. You want to be really careful ever presuming or even making the claim that sexual immorality is okay because it's contrasted with serving the Lord. One is good, this is what we do. Our bodies are used to serve the Lord, and one is bad. We do not engage or want to engage in sexual immorality. It's the very opposite of using your body for the Lord's purposes. Another passage that helps us understand and define a Christian view on sexual immorality is Ephesians chapter 5, verse 3. Paul says, But among you there must not even be a hint of immorality. The Greek word again, pornea, and he says, or of any kind of impurity. Then he starts listing some other sins, like or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. That's in the ESV, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 3. So there shouldn't even be a hint of this or any other kind of impurity. So the assumption built into scripture is that pornea, sexual immorality, is improper for God's holy people, which means at no time does God want you to, does he endorse that you engage in sexual immorality of any kind. We have clear evidence that also we're not to remain passive about sexual immorality. We don't say, whatever, I can't help it, or it's it's only natural, or it's her fault, his fault that I sinned. And no, why? Because Paul says it's improper for God's people to even have a hint of this in their life. Therefore, what do we do? We don't excuse it, we repent of it and we fight against it. It's important to remember, everyone is going to battle this. And the idea that there shouldn't be a hint of it doesn't mean you're never going to have a sin issue. Maybe right now you hear that and you go, oh, not even a hint. I mean, this is this is impossible. The standard is beyond what I'm capable of. Well, of course, that's what we should think of when we think of the law is we look at God's standards, his rules, his character, and we don't dump them out. We also don't keep them perfectly. What do we do? We look at them and say, That's the standard. I do fall short, therefore it should drive us to Christ and never excuse us into disobedience, but cause us to fall on our knees in dependence on him and strive, but only by grace to obey out of love for him. And so, as a Christian, when sexual sin bites you, you fight back against it aggressively. Why? Because you love Jesus. Your body is meant to serve the Lord, you belong to him. And so when you begin to get lured in by temptation, you see it for what it is and you call it what it is, and you hate it for what it is, and you flee it. I don't want to give too much away. We're gonna talk about that in fewer episodes, but I do want to at least give you that tool. You run from it, you don't entertain it, you don't flirt with it, you flee from it and run to Christ. That's why we do a series like this. Sexual sin should be dealt with aggressively. It's not to be entertained, it's not to be coddled, it's not to be nurtured, it's most certainly never to be tolerated. You say that sounds so extreme. Yep. That is the extreme mentality we are called to have based on the implications of scripture. That's not Costi's application or Costi's opinion. Paul says there shouldn't even be a hint of it. So what do we do? We go to war against sin. And as far as what activities sexual immorality would include, the Bible condemns a number of types of that this sin: incest, rape, adultery, premarital sex, prostitution, bestiality, self-gratification, and most certainly orgies, which were part of the New Testament, pagan worship practices during Paul's day. He was going after all of that. And if you think about our world today, we face an onslaught of sexual temptation. It's presented in so many different forms. You have personal relationships, which has always been an issue since the beginning of time, but media and apps. You have a lot of different platforms that invite people to commit adultery and to have uh multiple sexual relationships and to engage in all kinds of immorality, to just live as they please with whoever they please. That's the world we exist in. And yeah, it can sometimes be a little intimidating and discouraging. But we all have, if we're Christians, the same Holy Spirit that the whole that the heroes of the faith had in the old days. We got the same gospel. That's the power of God unto salvation. We've got and serve the same Lord who can set us free from being slaves to sexual sin. The most important truth you need to grasp now that we've discussed a few keys and then the definition of sexual sin is this: God can forgive sexual sin and he can set you free from sexual sin. God can forgive sexual sin and he can set you free from sexual sin. I want you to hold on to that promise as we keep going in this series. Next time we'll talk about the steps that lead to sexual sin. We'll take a deep dive into Proverbs 7, a passage that I've mentioned before, I've done some teaching on, and we're gonna be able to spot the enemy's lies the second they start to surface. I'm excited to keep going with you in this series. Thanks as always for listening, for watching, for sharing, and for supporting. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to our For the Gospel YouTube channel. And to learn more about our ministry or to become a monthly gospel patron and partner with us, you can go to www.forthegospel.org. I'll be back next Monday with another episode of Keep on Living for the Gospel.