Celibate Recovery

Note: This piece is in response to an article in Relevant Magazine entitled "The Secret Sexual Revolution". The article talked about why it was common to see even Christian singles engaging in sex and how best the church could address this. Thus, my response starts off by repeating a question asked by the article- Why are Christian singles engaging in sex? Why? Because we're sinners- and we need to come back to the Saviour. We need to trust Jesus to be better than anything else in the world- including having sex. He fulfills all our needs, including our sex drive needs- in the right way and in the right context and in the right time. 


        Why? Because we're sinners. It's very sad to see, but yes- we've all fallen so short. Not all Christians are having sex outside of marriage, but I know that notion is mocked as hopelessly outdated now. I kind of wonder how much we really value The Lord Jesus and His Word versus the voice of the world. Certainly both call to us, but we must let Jesus' voice be louder than the world's. Sex outside of marriage is sin. (Our culture has very much blurred the definitions of sex and marriage, but God still defines it as a special act of love to be performed between 1 man united to 1 woman for life. That man and that woman who have been married to each other- they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 19)
       Of course, Jesus told us in Matthew 5:28 that if we even look at a woman lustfully, we've committed adultery with her in our hearts. (So His definition of adultery goes way past our human definition.)
These are depressing statistics for sure and I think they are reflective of a few things. One- a lot of Christians are heavily influenced by the world via media- movies, TV, Internet, books, music, etc. and the voice of the world is stronger and louder to them than the voice of Jesus. (In saying this, I don't mean to say it's wrong to partake of some of these media outlets- but I do mean to say that we must be discerning as to what we take in. Philippians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31)
        Two- I think there may be respondents to the surveys that identify as Christian in name only and may not truly be following Christ. (Or perhaps they think they are, but their lives indicate otherwise.)
Three- I think that regardless of what pictures of sex and marriage we see in the culture, we are frail, fallible human beings who want to do what we want to do when we want to do it and don't want anyone telling us it's wrong- and we don't want to face any consequences for it. And thus, we give in to temptation and give in to sin.
         I know I have given in to lust at times and it doesn't help that the Internet is pervaded with sexual images that can be happened upon without even trying to find them. Totally innocent searches online can lead to some nasty images. Other times, I may search them out, knowing exactly where it will lead. Television and movies and Internet videos already display what at times amounts to soft-core porn just about and with sites created to help people find hard-core porn without the pesky viruses that tend to come with those sites- it's very easy to sin, unfortunately.
         And then there are the images we see in advertising and just when we see people walking down the street. Of course, as I've said before, I don't really care if women are parading down the street literally naked- men are always 100% at fault for staring and lusting after them. (I do think both men and women should be conservative in what they wear and not try to be provocative- particularly Christian women- and no, this isn't a cop-out excuse for men who lust and rape women because the women "were inviting them" with their clothing or lack thereof. Men are still 100% wrong there- take responsibility for your actions.) We can't control what others wear or don't wear, but we can control where we let our eyes roam and linger. Rather than get defeated by a momentary accidental glimpse of the forbidden, turn your eyes away and think on the pure things God would have you think upon. And pray for God's help not to give in. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
         I also wonder about why sex is such a temptation for us as Christians, so much so that we want to encourage marriage simply so that we won't be in prolonged temptation. Therefore, we get married so that we can have sex! Well, if you're getting married just so you can have sex, I think you're getting married for the wrong reason. Why do we worship sex like our god? Sin is crouching at our door, desiring to have us, but we must master it! Sex and marriage are good in the right context- the way that God created them. But neither one will ever give us the deep longing of the soul that all of us feel throughout life. A relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to meet that fulfillment.
        So I don't say any of this as someone who's perfect at it, but as a man who claims Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and seeks to follow Him, despite falling down off the path so many times, but always getting back up with His help and starting out again. I'm SO thankful that He always remains faithful even when I'm faithless. (2 Timothy 2:13) If we belong to Christ, our bodies are not our own because we were bought with a price. Therefore, we must honor God with our bodies. (1 Corinthians 6) Don't join Christ to a prostitute- don't invite Him to view pornography with you and ogle after naked girls or guys- don't tell sexual jokes to Jesus and think He'll be laughing- don't make your one night stand a threesome with Jesus there on the marriage bed. That is exactly the picture 1 Corinthians 6 paints whenever we indulge in sexual sin- we sin against our own body but we also, since our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, enjoin Jesus to sexual immorality when we enjoin our own bodies to it. As verse 9-11 talk about, some of us were sexual sinners before coming to Christ- but we were washed, cleansed and sanctified from it in Christ's blood. And even if we fall back into old habits, we have an advocate with The Father Who is praying for us and Whose grace still covers all our deepest, darkest sins and Whose forgiveness still extends to us when we come to Him in repentance and Whose love still rides like a banner over us eternally.

A Covering for Nakedness

Note: You can say this is my reflection paper on the book "Counterfeit gods" by Timothy Keller, largely inspired by it, of course.  The "cosmic nakedness" term was straight out of Keller's book. The idea about looking to idols instead of Jesus for fulfillment as our common diagnosis is largely what the book is about, but this is an idea I'd already been thinking on. Other than the cosmic nakedness term, nothing else is copied out of the book. I highly recommend reading the book- and of course, The Book! :-)    


          Right after Eve and Adam sin in Genesis 3, The Bible records this event- "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths." (Genesis 3:7)
          Notice that God confronts Adam about this and asks him who told him he was naked. (Genesis 3:8-13) The tree of the knowledge of good and evil had opened Adam's and Eve's eyes and their first realization was one of shame at their nakedness. After God doles out the judgment for sin to the serpent, woman and man- including one of the earliest Messianic prophecies (Genesis 3:15- the Seed of the woman will be bruised on the heel by the serpent's offspring and He will crush the serpent's head.)- God does an interesting thing. He makes garments of skin and clothes Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:21) This is interesting for at least two reasons- one, if they were animal skins, then presumably an animal had to die. This is significant because without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22) Even here, we have an early picture of the One who bears an animal's name, The Lamb of God, who would be slain for the forgiveness of our sins. 
         And because He rose again, we who have trusted in Him and followed Him know we will rise again too. The other significant thing to note is that God Himself clothes His creation. Why did Adam and Eve want to be clothed? Because of shame. And they tried to substitute what God alone could provide. In the same way, we in our "cosmic nakedness", spiritually speaking, desire to be clothed because we feel something missing. "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life." (2 Corinthians 5:4)
        We cover ourselves up with counterfeit gods in an effort to hide that nakedness, but in the end they all fall apart and we are laid bare before Him to Whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)
Yet Galatians 3:27 says that in that moment, there is a clothing God sees rather than our naked sinfulness..."For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Christ is our righteousness and as Colossians 3:1-4 tells us, He is our life. As the Rolling Stones lamented, though I try and I try and I try- I can't get no satisfaction. There is no lasting ultimate satisfaction to be had in life outside of Christ. Money, sex, power, love, religiosity, philosophy, ideology, materialism, family and friends, etc.- none of them will do. When we reflect on the amazing magnitude of God's love for us-a Love that would rather go through Hell for us so that we would never have to go through it- He who clothed Himself with humanity and all sins (Philippians 2:1-11, 2 Corinthians 5:21) and bore the shame of our nakedness while pinned naked to the cross- and then rose again to prove His Lordship- this is the place where our idols can be replaced by the loving embrace of grace that is The Lord Jesus Christ and we can worship Him alone as God. This is a continual process on earth, ridding ourselves of the idol weights that bind us throughout life (Hebrews 12:1-4), but God is always working to do just that in us. (Philippians 1:6, Ezekiel 36:26)
       And because of our faith in the grace of Christ extended to us (through no works of our own), we can say with Isaiah (literally one day in Heaven :-)), "I will rejoice greatly in The Lord, my soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)
       That is the unspeakable joy The Gospel brings and the message of Easter. Doff thy rags and don His riches. Take off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise. Jesus alone is worthy of all praise. Lord, forgive me for any idols in Your way- cast them out and let me always look to You alone for my joy and satisfaction. Thank You for Your amazing love and grace that still saves wretches like me.

Have Your Way, Lord Jesus (Any Way You Want It) (song)

In this journey of life there are many paths to choose. Of course, all the various paths ultimately follow along only two roads- either the broad one to destruction or the narrow one to Life. There are so many choices to make and often we want to do things our own way. Of course, that's when things all go wrong. There are many plans in a man's mind but it's the Lord's will that prevails. He knows what's best and will work things out for our good in His time. It's so much better to say now to God, "Thy will be done" and leave things in His hands any way He wants it.


"Have Your Way, Lord Jesus (Any Way You Want It)"
(parody of "Any Way You Want It" by Journey; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/14/2017)
(Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 13:32-42, Luke 22:39-46, John 18:11, Job 13:15, Daniel 3:16-18, Philippians 2-3, Romans 8:28, Romans 12:1-2, Psalms 16, Psalms 20 (especially v. 4), Psalms 37, Proverbs 16, Romans 9, James 4:13-17, Psalms 73 (especially verses 23-28), Psalms 84 (especially verses 10-12), John 6:68, Luke 9:23, Proverbs 19:21)

Any way You want it
That's the way I need it
Any way You want it

I love to plan
I love to dream
I try everything
Proverbs behooves
God must approve
Entrust to God your dreams

All right! All right!
Oh, 16 writes
You roll dice- hold tight
(The) Lord places rolls right

It lands
Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it
I say, And the way I want it
Might not be how I need it
Any way You want it, (Lord)

Jesus alone
My mind renews
What would God have me do?
They're all just dung
My longings
If not for God my King

All right! Psalms writes
16:6 writes
(The) Lord holds tight- my life
Oh, the lines fall nice(ly)

Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it (oh)
I say, And the way I want it
Might not be how I need it
Any way You want it (Lord)

I said, "Whoa!" "Whoa!"
I'm done! Cross on! Roll on!
(Oh,) (Luke says)
Anyone who wants to
Travel with Lord Jesus
Deny oneself (and) wants- oh, oh!
And cross weighs- you're on it
Luke 9:23-yeah
Walk the way God's calling (Oh!)

He said- And the way you're walking
That's been laid by Jesus
Godly's ways are guarded
37 Psalms, yeah
That's line 23, yeah
Go the way God wants it

Give your way to God then
Trust Him, wait and be still
And your faith's rewarded
'Cause Yahweh you're wanting
That's verse 4- so delight
Your heart craves for God then (Ohh!)

20:4 in Psalms then
Watch the way you read it
Only if God wants it (Ohh!)
Any way you want it?
That's the way we lost Eden
Monkey's Paw and Faust- no!

Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it, (Lord)
Any way You want it..........
...................................................................................