Leviticus 18

The world is full of sin and wants you to sin as well. But we need to change habits in order to point us back to God.

Hayden: https://www.instagram.com/hayden_faught

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Welcome back to the Christians on College Campuses podcast. My name is Hayden Faught, and I go to Highlands College out in Birmingham, Alabama. And today we are going to be talking about Leviticus 18. I recently did Leviticus 16, and that is where we talked about the atonement of sins and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. And Leviticus 18 takes a very quick turn, not in a bad way, but to a topic that is very important for the context, but also is very important for even now today, because it seems to be a problem/slash issue that a lot, and I mean a lot, of people deal with, including myself. And if we're all honest, we all deal with it. We truly do. In different ways, shapes, and forms. And Leviticus 18, being outright, Leviticus 18 talks about sexual sin. But I want to give us a different perspective on this chapter. Leviticus is known as a book full of laws and a book full of these morals that we as Christians should still live by. Just because Jesus died on the cross doesn't mean he abolished the law. It means that he fulfilled it. That still means the law is in place. We can't be perfect. But that still doesn't mean we shouldn't follow this law. If Jesus abolished it, then yes, we would be able to not follow these laws anymore. But he did not abolish it, he fulfilled it. Which means it's still in place for us. So what is said in this book of Leviticus still should apply to us in proper context and proper spiritual discernment. So whatever that is for you, I suggest you go read for yourself and pray to God for Him to give you direction on how you should apply these things to your life because it can become very gray. And I personally don't like when people try to tell other people what to do, basically based on their own convictions. So what I would suggest is that you go to Leviticus, you read this for yourself, and you ask God, God, what would you like for me to do, and how would you like for me to apply this scripture in my life? I'm just here to help bring some context to the situation and bring possibly a new thought slash a new perspective. But Leviticus 18 talks about sexual sin. And now a bulk of it really is just talking about details of do not do this, do not do that, do not defile yourself. We it uses the word defile a lot, and I think it's important for us to know that defiling is basically like I wouldn't say like tarnishing your reputation, but it's it's not a it's a it's a sin that is done against yourself. It's said in the New Testament that it is a sin done to yourself, to your body. And so you're you are defiling yourself when you do commit sexual sin. But what I want us to look at is a different perspective in this, where God at the beginning of Leviticus 18 is addressing the fact that Egypt, where the Israelites just came from, they left it, they lived there, but now they're gone from Egypt, where Egypt is defiling itself with a lot of sexual sin, and then where the Israelites are going, where they're headed towards, Canaan is also currently defiling itself with a lot of sexual sin. They're in this middle ground of traveling from Egypt to Canaan. And so right now, God is saying, hey, you're in a middle season right now, where you were, where you were living, had a lot of sexual sin. And where you're going has a lot of sexual sin. Now do not defile yourselves by from the land you used to live in and the land you are going to. And I think it's really interesting to bring this different perspective of the lands they are going to are have a different standard than what God is calling them to. And I think it's just another way of God saying, like, hey, this earth is not your home. Your home is in heaven. And obviously, in heaven, there is not these things like sexual sin, like there is no sin at all. And so that is of your home, and that is how you should be in heaven. And now obviously we can't be perfect, but that is how Christ transforms us. But it also asks us to not become like this world. It says in Romans 12, too, do not transform to the patterns and customs of this world. And so, what I would say for us is in general, not even just sexual sin, let's bring up this thought of we should not be defiling ourselves by living of this world, by living where we have been, and by living where we are going. Now, there are a lot of great things about our future that God wants to give us, like our purpose and what we are doing. But just because there is a great purpose in where you're going does not mean that there's still going to be battles and things of this world that is going to try and pull you out of that kingdom mindset of heaven, of having heaven on your mind, of you being you are a citizen of heaven, but this world is going to try and pull you away from that because it has different things that it just is. This world is filled with sin and it is not our home. And so God is asking us, God is asking the Israelites to not defile themselves by doing what they are surrounded by. And there are different ways that a lot of people have gone into this battle of sexual sin. And this is something that I always suggest that you go straight to God and have Him help you on. I think it's a good mixture of physical resistance and spiritual resistance as well. Spiritual resistance in strengthening your relationship with God and feeding your spirit and starving your flesh, but also a physical resistance in the fact that you are eliminating habits that would lead to certain temptations slash you committing a sin. So if it's your bedroom at night, if it is your bed in general, having your phone in your bed, put your phone up somewhere different. If you need to have it for an alarm, set it across the room where you cannot reach it, and just make a boundary, make a habit, not bringing your phone into bed. Whatever that may be for you, I would suggest having both a physical resistance, changing a habit, changing something in your life that would point you in the opposite direction of these temptations, but also heavily, heavily relying on the spiritual resistance of temptation, the spiritual resistance of sin, praying God's armor in Ephesians 6 on you, that you can resist the attacks of the enemy. I've personally found that that works extremely well. Days that I pray that God gives me the armor of God, that I pray Ephesians 6, and I pray it intentionally, not just a God, would you give me the the armor, that, but that you internalize each piece of the armor, that the helmet is of salvation, that your mind is transformed, that anything that goes into your ears or your eyes or your mouth or your nose, or anything that is received through your brain, that it is pure and holy, and that the salvation of Jesus Christ has changed you. Going into that of placing on every single piece of the armor of God intentionally, I have found that to be extremely helpful in times where sexual sin and temptations have really come against my thoughts, have have tried to enter my mind, have been in my life. It is just a thing of this world, and that's gonna be hard to avoid. But there is a way. God has made us a way, God has freed you of that, God has freed us of that. It is up to us that we claim that freedom, but also live in it. So I ask that you would go read the scriptures for yourself and ask God how He would like for you to apply this into your life. But I would just like to bring that thought of we are not of this world and we do not defile ourselves with the things of this world. But again, I strongly suggest you go read Leviticus 18 for yourself. But I'm gonna pray for us. Lord, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for everything that you have given us, and thank you for this amazing time that we get to sit down and dissect your word, that we get to rely on you, Jesus, that we get to feed our spirit and we get to starve the flesh. Remind ourselves that we are not of this world and that we are not conquered by the things of this world because you have conquered sin, you have conquered death, you have conquered hell, you have conquered the grave, you have given us freedom from these things, you have given us freedom from the temptations, you have given us freedom from sin. We are dead to the power of sin with you. We have been crucified with Christ. Our sin has been left on the cross, has been left in the grave as you have defeated it. We get to walk in victory, we get to walk in freedom, we get to walk out our lives as citizens of heaven. And that we rely on you, Jesus, that it is you who live the perfect life for us, and that we draw ourselves closer to look more like you every single day. In your name we pray. Amen.