The truth about sex

Sex is a gift of God which-like any of his other gifts-can become something destructive and twisted when we misuse it or use it selfishly. And when we do misuse it, it can become something dirty and shameful. But when we understand why God gave us this awesome gift of sex, and when we use it in accordance with his will, then it can be a source of great happiness and joy.
Why did God give us sex? The most obvious reason is to continue the human race from one generation to another. God told Adam and eve, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). God also gave us the sexual relationship for our pleasure. There is nothing wrong with this as long as our passions do not control or dominate us- and God delights in giving us good things. Sex is also an expression of love and unity between husband and wife. It is a sign of their commitment to each other in the bonds of marriage.
This, incidentally, is why the bible tells us that sex is to be practiced only within marriage. The sexual relationship should be a sign in commitment and love – the kind of commitment that is part of the marriage vow of two people to each other. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).

Committed adultery with a married man?

Adultery is a serious sin. The reason that adultery is such a serious sin is that marriage is a picture of the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When we commit adultery, we are breaking our marital vow to “forsake all others until death do us part” and causing a rupture in a human relationship which God ordained. We also cause severe damage to many other people. Adultery, like all sin, is forgivable if placed at the cross of Christ. But you should know that even with forgiveness, the scars of this act may remain for a lifetime!

Many times adultery is condemned in the Bible, and this is the Christian standard. Under the Law of Moses its punishment was death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24). As serious as this sin may be, God can forgive it. Read john 8:3-11, but do not forget that without repentance, there is no hope of forgiveness. Repentance will mean more than sorrow for sin. It will mean that with God’s help you renounce it one and for all.

Is there any way to overcome temptation?

Well, God never promised to remove temptation from us for even Christ was subject to it. The bible says that he was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). There is really no good reason why you should seek to escape, for such times of testing have beneficial effects: “Tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope; and hope maketh no ashamed…” there is a sense of achievement and assurance that results from victory over temptation that cannot come to us otherwise. Temptation really shows others what kind of people we are. It does not make us Christian or run Christian. It does make the Christian stronger and cause him to discover resources of power. It also makes evident the false profession and hypocrisy of the non-Christian. You can benefit from what might be tragedy if you will only discover that in just such a time of temptation, Christ can become more real to you than ever, and his salvation will become more meaningful.

Loneliness the serious problem in society

Loneliness is certainly one of the most common and serious problems in our society, and yet God made us with the plan that we would find happiness in our relationships.

One thing you should be praying for is wisdom about ways you can overcome your loneliness. For example, your letter does not say why you never got along with your family. Can you honestly say it was their entire fault? Or did you contribute to these problems by stubborn insisting on your own way when you should have been more willing to adjust to others? Has an unforgiving spirit on your part kept those splits alive? Pray that God will help you face those questions honestly, and then deal with them by seeking his forgiveness and the forgiveness of any you have hurt across the years. Even if your forgiveness does not heal the split, you still need to get rid of any bitterness or resentment you have in your heart. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Then do what you can to reach out to others around you. Don’t let self-pity paralyze you, but realize there are probably people all around you who are also lonely and yearn for someone who will be a friend to them and care for them. Most of all, realize that Christ is with you if you have committed your life to him, and you are never alone or without hope when you know Christ.

We must develop a taste for spiritual things

“Happy are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Spiritual tastes, like physical tastes, can be cultivated. I didn’t always like yogurt, but they told me that it was good for me, so I kept trying to like it- and now I enjoy it.

It will not perhaps be easy at first to read the bible, witness, and pray. But after we experienced the strength that can come from these means of grace, they will become part of our routine, as much as breathing and eating. These are the things that give strength to the soul.

The fact about Death

One of the greatest tragedies in life today is that countless people refuse to think about the fact of death- although there is nothing as certain as the fact that one day every one of us will come to the end of our lives.
Death is not the end of the road- it is merely a gateway to eternal life beyond the grave. The bible teaches that every one of us will continue some type of existence after death- either in heaven or in hell. The most important decision you will ever make is the decision you make about eternity.
How do we know death is not the end? We know it because Jesus Christ came back from the grave. His resurrection demonstrated once for all that there is life after death, and it also demonstrated that he alone can save us and bring us to heaven. You see, the one thing that will keep us out of heaven is our sin.
But god loves us, and Jesus Christ came to take upon himself the punishment we deserve for our sins. Christ died in our place, and by faith and trust in him we can know our sins are forgiven and we are going to go to be with him in heaven forever.

We should love everybody

I will share you this verse. The bible says: “let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good “(Roman 12:9). This scripture says: “let love” as if it were possible for us to hinder love from being all that it should be. The love of Christ, if unhindered and unblocked by our prejudices and our malice’s, will embrace everyone. Christ in us will go on loving even the unlovely if he is not hindered by our selfishness. We must realize the difference between loving the sinner while hating his sin.

Purity and happiness are possible

Do you want to be happy? Well, apply this Beatitude to your heart. Take it to yourself. The pure in heart are the only ones who can know what it means to be supremely happy. Their hearts are pure toward God and, as a result, are pure toward their fellow mean. They are happy because in possessing him who is all and in all; they envy no one’s worldly goods. They are happy because they envy not another person’s praise or another person’s place in the sun. Because they are the enemy of no one, they regard no one as their enemy. The result is peace with God and the world. Because their sins have been freely forgiven, they freely forgive those who have wronged them. They are thus purged of contemptuous malice. But the greatest happiness that comes to the pure in the heart is not only a proper relationship with others but a sublime relationship with god. “For they shall see God.” The gates of Eden swing open once more. God and man walk together once again.

God is Love

The scriptures say “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). We are not always sure ourselves what we mean when we use the term love. That word has become one of the most widely misused words in our language. We use the word love to describe the basest as well as the most exalted of human relationships. We say we “love” to travel; we “love” to eat chocolate cake; we “love” our new car or the pattern in the wallpaper in our home. Why, we even say we “love” our neighbors- but most of us don’t do much more than just say it and let it go at that! No wonder we don’t have a very clear idea of what the Bible means when it say: “God is Love.”

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because God is love that everything is going to be sweet, beautiful, and happy and that no one will be punished for his sins. God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished, but God’s love provides the plan and way of redemption for sinful man. God’s love provided the cross of Jesus, by which man can have forgiveness and cleansing. It was the love of god that sent Jesus Christ to the cross! No matter how terrible your sins, God loves you.

Learn How to Meet Temptation

Learn how to meet temptation. As we have already learned, temptation is natural. Temptation is not sin. It is yielding that is sin. God never brings temptation to us. He allows it to test us. It is the work of the devil. Recognize it as much. One way to meet temptation is to quote a verse of Scripture at the Tempter- he will always run, for he cannot stand the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the only resource that he had was the word of God. He said three times, “It is written.”

Everyone has temptations but some folks entertain them. They seem to enjoy being tempted. Chase a mouse with a broom and you will notice that he isn’t eyeing the broom. He is looking for a hole. Get your eyes off the temptation and onto Christ.

Called Counterfeit

There will be times when the eyes of suspicion will be upon us, because, with people’s hearts as they are, they cannot conceive of anyone wanting to live selflessly. Unbelievers will say we have “something up our sleeve,” that we have a motive in being so righteous, that it is all a game, that it is sheer hypocrisy. The cry of “counterfeit!” follows the Christian’s sincere efforts.

Still another reason for persecution is that there is a war in progress. The world of God indicates this! The bible says: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1-Timothy 6:12). Again: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).

Be Hospitable

Christians should he “given to hospitality” (1- Timothy 3:2). The Bible teaches that our homes should be hospitable and that those who come in and out of our homes should sense the presence of Christ. The happiest Christian homes we know are those given to hospitality, where neighbors feel at home, where young people are welcome, where the elderly are respected, where children are loved. That which God has given to us should be shared with others. In doing so, God will bless and prosper our homes.

Happiness in Purity

In the Bible the heart is considered to be something far more complex than a bodily organ. It is called the seat of the emotions. Fear, love, courage, anger, joy, sorrow, and hatred are ascribed to the heart. It has come to stand for the center of the moral, spiritual, and intellectual life of a person. The “heart” is said to be the seat of a person’s conscience and life.

Jesus said, “Happy are the pure in heart.” Now, we should be able to take that for just what it means. If the heart is the seat of affection, then our love toward God must be pure. If the heart is the residence of our wills, then our wills must be yielded to Christ. We are to be pure in love, pure in motive, and pure in desire.

It might be well to pause at this point to observe just what is meant by being “pure in heart.”

A Ceasefire Needed

The first step in finding peace with God is to stop fighting Him. Through the Bible, through the church, through the lives of Christian people, God has been trying to get through to us for years with the messages that he wants to give us peace. Christ said to his disciples: “My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27). He is no respecter of persons- he wants to give us peace. But He can’t give us his peace as long as we lift high the red flag of rebellion. We must stop resisting God! We must no longer shut him out of our lives! We must stop fighting! We must give up!