1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...
The Bible teaches us the principles for healthy relationships between men and women - He has a plan for marriage and a plan for purity outside of marriage. 1st Corinthians 6 says:
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
If we name the name of Christ, we have to be so careful that we do not glorify behavior that does not reflect His presence in our lives. There was quite a bit of coverage originating in South Carolina recently about a prayer breakfast that took place. One of the speakers, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives made a joke from the podium in which she related how she rejected her fiance's advances so she could be at the event.
The culprit was a member of Congress named Nancy Mace. As the Red State website noted:
Rep. Nancy Mace is certainly an interesting figure. She’s also someone who’s hard to figure out. On any given day, she might spew conservative fire during a hearing, or she might defend abortion as a constitutional right.
Mace, even though she claims to be pro-life, suggested after a federal judge placed FDA approval of the abortion pill on hold that the ruling should be ignored. The article goes on to say:
Yeah, the libertarians love her because she wants to legalize drugs, but what else does she stand for? Can anyone figure that out? Because it sure seems like she says whatever she believes will get her the most plaudits among the Washington clapping seal class.
Now, regarding Rep. Mace in particular, we do not know the full circumstances of her life or church. The whole segment of her address talked about how Christ changed her life, which we can be grateful for. But whether she’s not truly converted or just unlearned in what discipleship entails, her comments were gauche, to say the least. Needless to say, repentance and discipleship are in obvious need.
The analysis continued with these words:
Mace’s domestic arrangement highlights one of the most significant changes in American political life over the last two decades. Historic Christian etiquette is no longer observed, nor is it even expected among public servants or even self-identified Christians. This does not mean that non-marital sex is on the increase necessarily, that public servants are more like to engage in extramarital sex in 2023 than they were 50 or 100 years ago, or even that Rep. Mace is being a hypocrite. It does mean, however, that standards of propriety have moved away from norms that were relatively settled throughout the history of the Christian church and that American politicians are no longer convinced that those historic practices need affirmation in public practice.
If it were a joke, which it seemed to be, it certainly wasn't funny. The violation of propriety and purity is not a laughing matter. And, I don't think television hosts should be winking and nodding about this moment of weakness. And, that's the problem, isn't it? The Bible clearly teaches, with regard to sexuality, that sex is something in which a man and woman - husband and wife - participate in within the bonds of marriage. And, it's for that married couple only. It's been said that the Scriptures teach fidelity in marriage and purity outside of it.
I find it breathtaking that you have Christian writers who have decried what has been called "purity culture," as if the boundaries that God has provided to free his children are suffocating restraints. I think you might ask what's the alternative. God has a plan in the area of sexuality, and there are blessings for obedience. But, in an age when sin is de-emphasized in the Christian life, we have to reclaim a sense of personal holiness, which comes from being deeply involved with the Lord and the Holy Spirit's convicting and cleansing work in us.
If we are professing to know and follow Christ, we have to make sure that we are not participating in what violates His standards. And, we certainly are not to take lightly activities in which we're involved that are clearly sinful. We must take great care our behavior lines up with who we say we are and who God says we are.
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