One of the greatest breakers of the vicious cycle of sexual sin is confession. From a New Testament perspective, confession really means to agree with Christ. This includes agreeing with Christ about being remade, reborn, and renewed in Him, as well as being convicted and agreeing with Him regarding our sins.
Confession however, must also be followed by repentance. When we confess and do not repent we risk inoculating ourselves to the truth of Christ. Repentance typically means ‘to turn’ or to active ‘turn away’ from our sins. I always had some problems with this because I wasn't sure what to turn to. There is a Hebrew word that is often used for what is translated as to repent that has profound implications. It is Teshuva. It means not simply ‘to turn’, to turn from one sin to another, or to turn from one lifestyle to another, but to ‘re-turn’.
Lust, pornography, self-gratification, dehumanizing thoughts, sexual immorality, it’s not you. God desires that you live in authentic relationships – body, mind, heart, and soul – fully human and ‘very good’. Teshuva. Return to the person you were created to be.
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3 comments:
Just found your blog, love it!
I've had similar struggles, and I'm gratified to finally repent and lay the fight down before the Lord. I lost a boyfriend over it, but I'd rather lose a boyfriend than constantly feel convicted, knowing I was sinning against God.
I've learned that I have to let God meet all of my emotional needs (which is what mainly gals get tangled up in sex for to begin with), and that's my next struggle. I have a feeling that's going to be a lifelong battle.
But I truly enjoy your writing, I'm glad I found this blog!
Hey Rae, thanks for the encouraging comments and your sharing! It's interesting that you would mention that 'emotional needs' are what people get tangled up in sex in the first place with. It's like being in a market, and giving something in order to get something else... and it really doesn't need to be that way. It's amazing how some of us hunger for intimacy so much that we'd be willing to even live a lie, just to get a sense of intimacy, if even for a moment...
To return to who we are meant to be. Wow, that can be so difficult, but anything worthwhile is. For me it has meant letting go of the images, advertisements, commercials etc. that tell me this is the path to self satisfaction. The true path is so much more fufilling.
I am so glad I discovered your blog, your entries really speak to me. Thank you for sharing them.
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