My Body, My Choice. Are There Consequences?

Image by Anne from Pixabay

"Have you ever known someone who took pride in saying something like, 'My body. My choice. I am going to live however I choose?' They are right!"

Have you ever known someone who took pride in saying something like, “My body. My choice. I am going to live however I choose?” They are right! Every person does have the human right to live and do with their bodies, whatever they want. However, it is also true, that though a person has the freedom to choose, they do not have the freedom to decide the consequences of their choices.

Look at the following statement from the Bible regarding one’s personal choice about sex. “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who [chooses to be] sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous…has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ…” (Ephesians 5:5)

Those are strong words.

What is God saying? He is strongly communicating that people who choose to engage in sexual immorality have serious consequences, and it does not matter the religious professions he or she makes.

Let us look at the meaning of sexual immorality. God is our Creator and He has established a perfect standard for all His creation to live by, no matter if they agree with Him or not. That standard is a sexual union only between a man and woman in the bonds of a covenant marriage relationship. However, due to mankind’s natural bent toward selfish living and away from God’s standards, outside of a small faithful remnant, this has been violated for most of human history. The sexual activities people are engaged in today are nothing new. It may seem new to us, but a review of world history, will show the current perversions of God’s sexual standard, have all been done before. And I use perversion intentionally, which refers to something that has been distorted from its original purpose.

How has God’s sexual standard been distorted? Through accepting a twisted and deceptive definition of love. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Godly love is an important foundation of God’s sexual standard.

Godly love is demonstrated through Jesus when He suffered, died and rose again for the whole world that has fallen short of His divine standard. When He sacrificed Himself for humanity, He deliberately chose to lay Himself down for our good. He shows that real love is bound up in a choice to serve and give up one’s life for another, regardless of feelings.

Godly love between a husband and wife is shown through selfless service one to another, including in their sexual relationship.

When it comes to sexual immorality, there is no godly love, only a perverted love. How so? Because it is about being controlled by sexual impulses and feelings of attraction, then yielding our bodies to them in order to pleasure ourselves. And there are no limits, no boundaries. We are told by our culture that real love is being able to express that love however we choose. That is a twisted kind of love and far from God’s standard.

If we choose to engage in sexual immorality and practice a perverted love, then we must be prepared for the consequences, which are “…no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ…” That means we will have no part with God, in this life and the next. And it does not matter if we say we are Christians, or have asked Jesus into our heart. For the evidence of a genuine inward faith in Jesus, is a life that conforms to His standards.

If you have fallen short of God’s standards, is there hope? Yes! No matter what you have done. Just call out to God, stop your sexual sins and turn to Jesus with all your heart. Then heaven’s gift of forgiveness and newness of life will be yours.

A prayer for you – Lord God, we confess our sexual sin. We have called it love, but realize it is not. We admit how we have failed your perfect standard. According to your mercy, please forgive us and wash us clean. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Cross: America’s Only Hope

Photo by sspiehs3 from Pixabay 

"If you take a few minutes to read any local or national news, you will find tragic stories. They often surround a person or group of people making poor moral choices that harm themselves and others. Somehow in the process, they convinced themselves that what was wrong, was right. This is at the heart of the crisis in our nation. The battle we face is not a political or ideological one. It is a spiritual one."

Above America’s dusty and grim skyline is an image. If you look carefully, you should be able to see it. There is one image of a long vertical wooden beam, then a second one of a shorter horizontal beam. Then slowly they come together and form the image of an old wooden cross that is blood stained. And there is a light shining from the heavens down on the cross. That is the vision of America’s only hope.

It is the sign of the cross. It is where Jesus, the Son of God, suffered and died for the sins of Americans and the whole world. And the hope of this cross lay in its purpose.

At Jesus’ birth an angel announced to shepherds in a field, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Save means “to rescue.” Rescue from what? Sin, which are the wrongs we do against ourselves, others, but primarily against God our Creator. Sin is what lives within our hearts. All of us are born with it. It is that natural bent within us to pursue our own desires, versus God’s. It is that sense of refusal to submit to His ways. Our sin is demonstrated in every lustful image in our mind, every selfish thought and act, every hurtful word spoken. It is like an inner moral rot that we are blinded to, and work to justify.

Jesus was sent from heaven to die, to recuse us from this. His suffering and death were the only means through which it could be done. The corruption by religious and political figures that sentenced Jesus to death was unjust. The crown of thorns pushed down into his head was excruciating. The tearing apart of Jesus’ flesh through gruesome whippings was bloody. Jesus’ weak body being hung on two pieces of wood, by being nailed to it through his hands and feet, was inhumane.

The horror of the cross illustrates the severity of our wrongs. Though we do not see them as evil, in the eyes of God they are. Our actions are unjust, wicked and only the cross can satisfy the punishment that is due for them.

Despite what we think of ourselves, in the courtroom of God, our horrific sinfulness requires the ultimately penalty of death. However, in the greatest display of mercy the world has ever known, God Almighty provided a better way to satisfy His justifiable penalty. He sent His Only Son to die in our place. He poured out the rightful punishment due for us on His perfect, sinless and holy Son. Jesus lovingly took our place.

And what is the validation of all this? Jesus not only died, but three days later rose from the dead and is still alive today! His resurrection means He overcame and conquered all our sinfulness that was poured out upon Him. He destroyed it all! He is the victor over sin, death and the Devil himself. Now because He lives, so can you. Because He has conquered, so can you. That is the hope of the cross for every individual and that is the hope of America!

Through the cross, a hard-hearted man can become loving, a bitter woman can become compassionate, a divided nation can become one.

A prayer for you - God in heaven, we can see the darkness of America. Evil and injustice in so many places. We are a broken people. Only you can save us! Examine our hearts O God. Help us to turn from our sin and to you for mercy. Wash us. Make us clean we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Sees What You’re Covering Up

Photo by Lukas from Pixabay

"Suppress. Conceal. Obscure. What do these words communicate? They tell the story of human nature. They show how when we have knowingly done something wrong, we instinctively take steps to hide or bury our problem."

One of Israel’s greatest kings was guilty of this.

David was just a boy when he was chosen by God to be king, but it was not until he was 30 years old before he ascended to the throne. When he did, God’s hand was upon him in mighty fashion. David’s success was immediate, his fame spread quickly and the kingdom of Israel expanded with astonishing dominance.

One day, at the height of David’s fame and power, something happened that changed the direction of David’s life and Israel’s future.

King David typically went out to battle with his forces, but one time he decided to not go. During an afternoon while walking on the roof of his palace he looked far and wide, admiring his success. While doing so, something caught his attention. His eyes were drawn to a particular home in the distance. He could see a beautiful woman washing herself. She was engaged in a ceremonial cleansing. King David, a godly man, did not turn away. As David watched, he sent someone to find out who she was, then summoned her to the palace. To refuse any king, could mean death, so she went. Her name was Bathsheba. When she met the king, he took and lay with her. David had not just committed adultery with a woman, who was the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, Uriah. He had raped her, then sent her back home.

Soon Bathsheba realized she was pregnant and sent word to the king. David quickly employed a strategy to cover up his sin. He ordered Uriah to be pulled from the battle and brought to the king. David encouraged Uriah to go home to be with his wife. However, Uriah spent the night with the king’s servants out of solidarity with his fellow soldiers who were still fighting. David underestimated the character of Uriah. Finally, the king had Uriah sent back to the war, and orders were given to place him where the fiercest fighting was so that he might be killed. Then after Uriah’s death, David took Bathsheba as his wife.

David’s cover up worked! That is until God broke His silence by sending Nathan the prophet. Through him, God confronted David with his many sins. When David’s eyes were finally opened, God firmly rebuked him saying, “I anointed you king over Israel…Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?” (2 Samuel 12:7,9) God came with swift judgement, which brought David to his knees in brokenness. He immediately repented and turned towards his Lord. In response, God showed him mercy, sparing His life and granting him forgiveness. Even so, the effects of David’s sin remained upon him for the rest of his life.

Always remember these three truths...

1-Nothing is hidden from God’s sight. He sees all and knows all. What we can hide from others, we can never hide from God.

2-God is just and will bring His judgement upon us for what we have done. No matter how skillful we might be in trying to hide our evil deeds, no one can escape God’s justice.

3-There is mercy available to all, no matter what we have done. This is why God sent Jesus from heaven to earth, and why Jesus died and rose again. For those who admit their sin, turn from it and place their faith in Christ, there is forgiveness. Yes, there will be consequences for what we have done, but in the midst of that, through Jesus we can be forgiven and receive the promise of new life.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, open our spiritual eyes so that we can know, that you see what we have been trying to hide. Then bring us to confess our sin to you and turn us from our ways, that we might experience your mercy and undeserving forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”