Galatians chapter 5, looking more closely at these works of the flesh in the next several weeks. I will be reading, beginning again in verse 13, and read to the end of the chapter to verse 26, but we'll be narrowing in and focusing upon verse 19, especially the second half of that verse, as we want to consider very carefully these works of the flesh, not only for our own lives, but also for our children And for the community of the saints here at Knox, as we live in the broader world, understanding what these things are as the Apostle lays them out before us. Before we come to the reading and preaching of God's Word, let us once again go to the Lord in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we do take seriously and somberly these warnings that You give to us in Your Word about the flesh and what it does. It is this enemy within and the response we are to have to it. Lord, we do pray that we do not take these things lightly, but seriously, because You do. And You warn us about them. But You also promise us grace and mercy in Your Son, Jesus Christ. And as we consider again our own sanctification before You, We depend fully upon You, and therefore we again seek to utilize the means of grace, and that is the Word of God as it is read, as it is studied, as it is prayed over, as it is displayed in the sacraments, but especially as it is preached. And so Lord, we do pray that we would hear Your voice this day, And through your voice, you would use the sword of the Spirit to cut away these realities of our own hearts, that remnant of sin, of the flesh, as it seeks to arise in our own lives and manifest those desires, passions, and lusts. And we pray, Lord, by the power of your Spirit, the Spirit of Christ within us, we would put these things to death and slay them, as we've just considered from your Old Testament, as Phineas and Great Zeal slew the sin within Israel's camp in order to again turn away your wrath. Lord, would we do so within our own lives, slay the wickedness of these things, of the works of the flesh, of this wicked sin within us, that we be more conformed to the image of your Son, which brings glory and honor to your name. And we pray all these things again in our Savior's name, Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, brothers and sisters, if you'd once again stand for the reading of God's Holy Word that comes to us from Galatians chapter 5 beginning in verse 13. I do remind you, Knox Presbyterian Church, these are not the mere words of men. This is the Word of your God. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the laws fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another. I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the law are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying, one another. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God, it stands forever. Please be seated. Children, you are called out by your parents and corrected when you fight among yourselves. arguing and perhaps even fitting your siblings when you disagree with them, or perhaps you think they've wronged you in some way. Well, Christians can often act the same way, we can act the same way among ourselves. But this ought not to be the case. whether in the home, or in the family, or in the household and family of God. Paul warns the Galatian Christians, if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another. And he will close this section of the letter on sanctification with, let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. But although we are warned against fighting amongst ourselves with one another, does this mean that we do not fight? No. But what the Apostle admonishes and commands us to do is to fight against our true enemy, our own flesh, the old nature, the remaining remnant of sin within us. We are to put to death the old man within to fight against the desires, the passions, and the lusts that arise within us that tempt us to speak and act in a way that is displeasing to God and that is against His holy will. And also, that which would seek to injure others, especially our brothers and sisters, those in the household of faith. And so in order to fight against this enemy within, we learned last time that it is necessary, that it is critical to be able to first identify the enemy, which we have, it is the flesh. But then also to know the enemy. Therefore, the Apostle Paul, although stating that the works of the flesh are evident, they're clear, they're plain, He still goes on to give a representative list of what they are so that we might all identify and recognize them quickly when those thoughts, desires, passions, and lusts arise in our own hearts. That we might stand alert and watchful and fight against them to put them to death, to restrain them, and to take every thought captive to bring them into obedience to our King, Jesus Christ. And not only do we do so in order to fight the good fight of faith, in the progressive work of our sanctification, to be purified for our God and His service as we die more and more under the works of the flesh. these sins, and live more and more into righteousness, being conformed more and more by God's grace, by His Spirit, into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But also, when we do commit such sins, as the apostle lays out here, which such works of the flesh do manifest themselves outwardly in our lives, even God forbid they should, but when they do, we might acknowledge them, that we might confess them quickly and immediately, seeking God's forgiveness, and the forgiveness of those who have been offended and wronged, and that we might experience cleansing from these evil works of the flesh, this sin, and be reconciled with God and others, and continue the fight unhindered, as we continue to walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and live in the Spirit to the glory of God. So to this end, this purpose, what we plan to do over the next several Lord's Days is to consider these works of the flesh in order to identify and know the enemy within, so that we might better discern, recognize, and flee from these evil, wicked desires, passions, and lusts, and fight against the flesh by fighting with the Spirit, keeping in step with Him to war against the flesh in ourselves. And so we begin where the Apostle Paul begins by considering the first for the works of the flesh in verse 19, which brings us to our purpose statement today, which is, beware of and fight against the sexual lusts of the flesh. Beware of and fight against. the sexual lusts of the flesh." And we'll consider this truth under two points this morning, and our first point is simply, what are these sexual sins of the flesh? What are these sexual sins of the flesh? Now, just so that you are aware, some translations only list three of the flesh, three works of the flesh here. in verse 19, and others list four. It is the first adultery that does not appear in all translations, probably perhaps because adultery and fornication are so closely, again, put together. And yet, this term in the Greek certainly connects us back to the seventh commandment, you shall not commit adultery. Which Jesus clearly shows is not limited to the physical act of sexual relations with someone other than your spouse. So why does adultery so often head the list of sexual vices? Why does it in the law of God? Again, because at the root and the result of all sexual sin is a betrayal. At the root and result of all sexual sin is a betrayal of the one to whom you owe allegiance and loyalty, but especially love. First toward God, then toward one's spouse, your spouse. And yet in this sin, we willingly give our bodies away to another. Why? because of a desire, because of a passion, because of lust, the lust of the flesh. And it is a problem within, a problem of the human heart that leads to this act, this horrible, terrible act. There is a reason why we call it cheating. You are seeking to take pleasure that, again, pleasures that are strictly outside the sphere, where those pleasures are designed and purposed by God for them to be enjoyed, and that is in marriage. A lifelong commitment to one other individual, your spouse. your husband, your wife. If love is what you are called to by God, if the faith by which you are justified in Jesus Christ works through love, works itself out through love, that faith, in self-sacrificial service, If you are Christians called to serve one another in love, and if the law of God, the will of God is fulfilled in one word, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and love is the fruit of the Spirit, then sexual purity and faithfulness to one's spouse are crucial aspects of loving God and loving one another. Along with adultery comes fornication. In the Greek, the word is porneia, which originally meant prostitution. The word porneia comes from the verb which means to sell slaves. And this is why when you enter into this work of the flesh, you come under bondage and slavery. to these passions and lusts of the flesh. Again, why did Porneia mean prostitute? To sell a slave, since prostitutes were frequently bought and sold on the slave market of the ancient world, and that still happens today, mind you, though it's hidden. Although by the time of Paul, this term, Porneia, had gained a more general meaning of sexual morality, Porneia is often translated fornication although it describes any unlawful and immoral sexual relationship. Of course the Greek term porneia is the source again where we get our word pornography. It is a word that is used generally to describe all kinds of illicit sexual activity, especially but not limited to adultery, fornication. Paul even uses it in 1 Corinthians 5 to describe the sexual sin of incest. Sexual relations with one's own family. But it can also be used to describe homosexuality and bestiality. So it's a big, ugly word. It is an act, a behavior, a pattern of life that causes chaos and havoc whenever it is manifested in the lives of people. Acts of sexual morality, although often done in the name of love, are actually the antithesis of love. which is the fruit of the Spirit. Next comes uncleanness, or also translated moral impurity. Uncleanness or moral impurity. The word has both medical and ceremonial meanings to it. In the physical or medical sense, it can mean dirt or dirtiness. You are to clean a wound before applying antiseptic ointment and bandages for healing. It can also refer to the infection of the wound, like an oozing pus. Okay? That's what this word in the Greek means. And yet, under the Mosaic administration of the law, or the Levitical priestly ceremonial rites and distinctions, such impurities would bar one from participation in the worship of the people of God as they assemble at the tabernacle and temple in the presence of God until such an impediment was removed and cleansed ritually. For example, lepers were unclean. and were required to announce publicly, unclean, unclean, whenever anyone approached them. Even after Jesus had literally and physically healed and cleansed the leper in his ministry, he sent him to the priests to confirm and complete the ritual or purification in accordance with the old covenant administration. But of course spiritually, this term uncleanness or more impurity means much more than uncleanness or mere outward physical dirtiness of the body. But it is a comprehensive word which would include unclean words and acts, unclean thoughts and desires as they are expressed or acted upon. Paul and the rest of the New Testament writers use this word to speak of moral defilement, or loose sexual impurity, which separates one from God who is absolutely holy, pure, and undefiled. The capstone of these sexual acts, works, behavior, sins of the flesh, is what is translated in the New King James Version as lewdness. It means sensuality, promiscuity, unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, debauchery, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence. Very broad. It has the broader sense of a lack of self-constraint, which involves one in conduct that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable. The biblical scholar William Barclay defines this particular vice as a love of sin so reckless and so audacious that a man has ceased to care what God or man thinks of his actions. It's just giving up and giving in and letting go. Not having a care in the world to what others think. In speaking of the unbridled wantonness of the children of Israel in his day, the prophet Jeremiah asks this, Was Israel ashamed when they acted so detestably committing abominations? No. They weren't at all ashamed, nor did they know to blush. For they can no longer feel humiliation. So they will fall among the fallen. They will be brought down when I punish them. They shall be overthrown. They shall be cast down. They shall perish one day. They will perish on the day of my visitation, says the Lord. debauchery then speaks of the total loss of limits, the lack of restraint, of decency, and self-respect. And then, although originally meaning lack of restraint, a lack of self-control, in time, this term, lewdness, translated, became the poster word for all forms of sexual excess. We speak of people being addicted to sex in one way or another. This word describes unrestrained sexual indulgence that is particularly and specifically without shame. That is sexual excess and indulgence known publicly and generally without concern of what others think. Have you seen bumper stickers? You ride up, you know, you stop behind somebody at the light and you look at what they have on their car and you sit there and think to yourself, how can they willingly and intentionally drive around with that on their vehicle? Plus the things that people say and the pictures that they put on Facebook. It seems rather incredible to read what people unashamedly say and pictures they place on social media. And yet, there's nothing new under the sun, is there? For the prophet Isaiah says this, he declares, woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, who draw their sin as if with a cart rope. Now that's kind of archaic language. What it means is they parade their sin around before all to see. It's not unheard of in our day to have homosexual pride parades. Just parading it before others. These sins have always been among the fallen human sinful race. But when a society gives way to the shamefulness and the hiddenness of these things, again, that society is ripe for judgment. And brothers and sisters, we have a tendency in ourselves to judge such acts as unnatural. But even natural ones, as the appall begins with here, it progresses into these things. And again, the reality of adultery and fornication, of these unclean acts taking place within the church ought not to be. And it happened in Israel, and it was a reason why they were cast out of the Lord's presence, out of the Lord's promised covenant land, and among the heathen. Here is behavior that is not hidden in the dark recesses of the closet, but is wanton, is brash, is bold, is proud, and unashamed. It is public. It describes public evil, such lack of conviction that there appears no attempt to conceal it anymore, no desire to do so. This is who I am and I'm proud of it. Right before the face of the world and before the face of our God. It throws off all restraint and flaunts itself. Those who are deceived may think following their sexual passions is equivalent to following the Spirit. But such actions flow from a selfish rather than, again, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is not the work and presence of the Spirit. This grieves the Spirit. So these four words are meant to represent all sexual offenses, whether private or public, Whether between married or unmarried, whether natural or unnatural, everything is represented here and are works of the flesh. They are classified as works of the flesh, the results of the flesh within. And as such, the warning stands firm and unmovable that those who practice such things, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. These sexual sins, wicked works, acts, and behavior, and patterns of life, according to the flesh with its desires, passions, and lusts, were so common in the Greco-Roman world of Paul's day that it was not regarded as particularly reprehensible except when carried to excess. excess. The sexual life of the Greco-Roman world in New Testament times was a lawless chaos. Paul was not saying that all the Galatians were guilty of such extreme licentiousness, but he was warning against a loose regard for standards of sexual purity, a liberal lifestyle that in the end would lead them to the pit. if not restrained, if not placed under control. You see, the apostle lived in a world in which such sin was rampant, much like our own day, in which we are surrounded almost on every side, inundated continually with innuendos and images drowned in sexuality. As if there's nothing else to life but that. But in such a wicked world, Christianity brings an almost miraculous power to live in purity. To live differently. to acknowledge these things, confess these things, as being wicked and in rebellion against our God. The remedy for such wickedness is faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel, and is confession and repentance before God. If we confess and repent, the promise of God's Word is that He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us and purify us from all unrighteousness. And we fight against these fleshly lusts, passions, desires, and temptations. That's the proper response. Walking in the Spirit, living by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit of God. Well, having considered the what, let us move to our second point in considering the why. Not only the what, but the why. The implications of why this is so important. Why take a whole sermon, a message, to consider these things? Why? Because of the first and great command of God. Because of the first and great command of God. First, why do these sexual sins head the list? of the works of the flesh. Well, if we go back to the very beginning, the first command given to God's image bearers is what? Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And the question is, how? How do you do so? Notice the words, be fruitful What's Paul talking about? He's showing the contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Be fruitful and multiply. Okay? But the question is how? How were they to be fruitful? Well again, we do not interpret the Old Testament on its own. We interpret it with what we learn under the New Covenant. And the Apostle Paul answers that question here in Galatians 5 of how our first parents were to be fruitful and multiply by loving God and loving one another. By loving God and loving one another, the man and the woman, Again, Paul talks about love. Faith working through love, verse 6. Verse 13, that through love serve one another. Verse 14, all the law is fulfilled in this, in that you love one another. Verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit is love. How were they to be fruitful and multiply? By loving God first and loving one another. That's how. It is the two great commandments. But that's not the only why. Why this is so important. Also because of the consequences. The consequences, the results of these works of the flesh. You know, the world often confuses, does it not, sexual lust with love. It does, it calls it love, when it's not. It's not true love, it's lust. This is why Paul contrasts these things in the opening of this catalogue of vices, these works of the flesh, with the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace. He doesn't say the works of the flesh is love, it's lust, right? These works, this adultery, this fornication, this uncleanness, this lewdness, are the works of lust, the lust of the flesh. One has rightly said that adultery sows discord. It destroys peace. It destroys joy. It destroys love. The three best flowers that grow together in the family. Love, joy, and peace. It destroys these things. Sexual sin tears apart families. It tears apart churches. It tears apart societies and nations. Why is this important? Because of the consequences. We see so in the lives of the saints of old. Abraham, what happened when he went in unto Hagar? Genesis 16. How about Lot with his daughters after they flee from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was known for rampant sexual sin? How about Reuben, the son of Jacob, going in with his father's wife Bilhah? Think about Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, Genesis 38. How about the deplorable life of Samson, who was called to be a Nazarite, one who was consecrated unto the Lord, a judge of Israel, to lead Israel in righteousness? He was always with the unbelieving enemies of God, those uncircumcised Philistines, and going into prostitutes. Again, a time described as days when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. When there was no king in Israel. But then, when there was a king in Israel, we also read Especially see it in the life of the man described after God's own heart, King David, and the havoc that these kind of things brought into his own family and the kingdom. The sword shall never depart from your house. And the son of this union shall surely die. We see all the trouble it caused in the life of King Solomon. and that consequently led to the division of the kingdom of Israel and eventually the exile of God's people from the promised land and their captivity among the heathen. All works of the flesh. All sexual sin, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness. Why? Because look at the consequences. Why else? Because you are the holy temple of God. That's who you are. Not only identify the enemy, identify who you are in Christ. You are the Holy Temple of God. It is not because these sins are more intrinsically heinous that they are listed first before the others, but rather because they display more graphically the self-centeredness and rebellion against God's norm, standard law that mark all of the others as well. For us to be caught up, whether we are caught in sexual misconduct, deeply grieves the Holy Spirit. in which you've been made new creatures in Christ, whose very presence within your lives has made your bodies temples of the Lord. That's why it's important for you to flee and fight of these things. Why else? Because you are the bride of Christ. Because you are the bride of Christ, beloved, Christ was tempted in all points, we are told, including sexual temptation. But did He succumb by that? No. He was empowered and walked and lived and depended completely upon the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of His Father in Him. He remained pure, spotless, and without sin. And He took no earthly wife, did He? For His spiritual bride consists of the whole elect, regenerate church, whom He faithfully loved and gave Himself in order to sanctify her, to make her holy. Marriage, again, we're told by the Apostle, is a picture, a portrait, of the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. And when Christ returns, He will punish this unfaithful and ungodly world for the spiritual harlot that she is. and will gather His saints to Himself for the wedding feast of the Lamb." We speak of saints, but what does saint mean? It means holy one. So as you wait for Him, for His return from His Father's heavenly courtroom, as you wait for Him to return, you are to keep yourselves pure as a virgin with eyes only for your bridegroom. This spiritual significance of marriage is a major reason why these sexual works of the flesh are such grave sins. Adulterers, fornicators, the sexually immoral and corrupt, though made in God's image, grossly misrepresent, distort, and twist the Lord of faithful love and purity and holiness. Why? Because you are the bride of Christ. Why else? Because you've been sanctified. You have been sanctified if you're united to Christ. You've been set apart as holy from these things of the fallen, corrupt, sinful world. In another place Paul says, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites shall inherit the kingdom of God." Notice he lumps all those things together. We can't just judge the homosexuals. You can't just judge the transgender group or whoever they are. Yes, we judge it according to the righteous Word of God, but He lumps all these things together, and He begins again with fornicators, adulterers. And though the nations wallow in impurity, new obedience is possible. by the power of God's grace. You have the power of God in you. The power that raised Christ from the dead. The power of God that again defeated Satan, sin, and death in you. You have the power to obey. And again, referring to these lists of sins, Paul goes on to add, and such were some of you, that is fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, such were some of you, but, greatest word in the word of God, but, you were washed, you were sanctified. You were also justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Why? Why is this important? Because you've been sanctified. Remember who you are and what God has done in you. Why else? Because this is God's will for you. This is God's will for you. Faithfulness in your sexuality stands at the heart of your calling as a Christian, as a follower of Christ, as a disciple of Jesus, as a child of God. The Lord says, for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion, not in lust, like the Gentiles, the pagans, the unbelievers who do not know God. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but rejects God who has given us His Holy Spirit. We must have zero tolerance, brothers and sisters, for lustful talk, lustful looks, lustful literature, reading, lustful dress, and lustful touch, for lust is not love. It's not. Rather, it defiles desire, true godly desire. It defiles it. It contradicts your holy calling. It corrupts your conversations. And it will damn sinners to hell. Therefore, these lusts of the flesh must be put away. And not be allowed to be manifested in your lives. In his great Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ says, you have heard that it was said of those of old, you shall not commit adultery. Notice that he doesn't say it was written. He's not referring to the Ten Commandments. He's talking about the teachers and scribes of the law. You have heard it said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whoever even looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And it goes the other way for you women. That which defiles comes from within the flesh, the old man, the remnant of sin. So we must resist, suppress unclean sexual thoughts. We ought to withstand them when they first arise and cast them out as soon as we discover them to have entered into our minds, our hearts. Consider, if we are consecrated holy temples to the Spirit of God, then we ought to keep our houses clean. Though overcoming these lusts requires supernatural divine grace, Christ's blood-bought victory must be applied to you, His disciples, in your strenuous battle against your sins. And how does that happen? It happens by the power of the Spirit, but by the means that God has given His Word that we're going through right now, His sacraments that we'll be observing later, and prayer within the community and fellowship of the saints. By the means God has given. And again, Jesus goes on to say, it requires nothing less, the extremity of plucking out your eyes and cutting off your hands. If these things were to cause you to stumble, to succumb to such thoughts and temptations of the flesh, it would be better if you were blind and maimed into the kingdom of God, going to be cast into hell forever, seeing and being able to touch whatever you like. But Jesus is not talking about literal self-mutilation, is He? Because these things have really little power to curb the sins of the heart. But the imputation that Jesus is talking about, the occasion of sexual temptation and removing it from our lives, this amputation, is again those things that are within. Those things that would tempt us to that. Cut it off. Remove it from your lives lest they destroy you. One commentator warns, just as a man may die of a hidden internal bleeding wound that is not seen, so he may be damned for the inward boiling up of lusts that are not mortified and put to death and cut off. But what are some practical thoughts and lessons for us to observe and learn here? What are some practical thoughts and lessons for us to observe and learn here? Sexual purity in an unclean world requires the thoughtful and diligent use of the means of grace that God gives us according to His Word and grace as we walk and live by the Spirit. We've already discussed it. A constant watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses. Job says, I've made a covenant with my eyes not to look upon a woman to lust after her. That's a means of grace. That's the Word of God. You are to bear forth the fruit of self-control, or what is also called temperance. To control that which is in you, not to allow it to take you to places that you do not want to go. Keeping chaste and godly company. Again, the apostle says that evil company, bad company leads to bad morals. Keeping chaste and godly company. Modesty and apparel. Brothers and sisters, especially sisters, you are to have that principle of modesty in the way you present yourself. Men too. We live in a culture that's not modest. Just look around. Also marriage. Marriage for those that have not the gift of singleness. Marriage is a means of, again, controlling these things. But also, faithful, conjugal, marital, spousal love, relations. That's where you should find your love, your joy, your peace, your satisfaction with your spouse. Remember, the author of Hebrews says that the marriage bed is undefiled. and also living and dwelling with one another with kind, gentle, compassionate understanding. The Apostle Peter warned you husbands that if you do not do so with your wife, your prayers will not be answered. The call to sexual holiness requires us to take decisive action to avoid sexually unclean and corrupt media. Again, we mentioned pornography. Especially that on the internet has become a massive problem in this modern world because it's so easily accessible. That's why you have to protect not only your own eyes, but also that of your children, of your loved ones. Those who think that it is nothing to fill their eyes and ears with sinful entertainment should consider the words of the ancient church father Tertullian about the pagan stage plays of his day." This is what he says. Does this not sound like our day? If we ought to cut off all that is immodest, if we're called not to be immodest but cut it off, then on what ground is it ever, ever right to hear what we must never speak? Are you listening to these things? And why, in the same way, is it ever right to look on that which is always wicked to do? It's not. It's not right. This is why the apostle condemned not only the doer of these things, but also the viewer and approver of them. Those that entertain themselves by viewing these things. What are you doing? You're approving of them, even though you might say, oh that's horrible. Why are you still watching it? Why are you still listening to it? Again, cutting off the flesh and not making a way for it is cutting these things off from your lives. That's what Jesus is talking about, about plucking out your lives and cutting off your hands. Cut off those things that lend and stir up those things in you. Sexual temptation often prevails through the power of words. The Lord condemns coarse language and sexual humor, those things that titillate, again, these fleshly lusts. Proverbs warns against being caught by the sweet and smooth words of the seductress. Seductive speech need not be erotic, especially at first, but it blinds our minds by flattering our pride and entangling our affections. One of, again, the best means, as we've already mentioned, to address strong sexual desire is God's provision of sexual pleasure in godly marriage. The marriage bed is undefiled. Some Christians have extraordinary gifts to live celibate lives. But ordinarily, especially among the young, unmarried Christian adults, should pursue marriage by diligent prayer, seeking the assistance of godly parents. Brothers and sisters, young people do not, again, despise the wisdom of your parents in selecting a spouse. Time and time again, we fall into all kinds of problems there. But assistance from not only godly parents, but spiritual leaders, friends, and taking opportunities to befriend other unmarried Christians. Married couples should enjoy physical intimacy. with each other on a regular basis except by mutual consent for the purpose of drawing close to God for a time in prayer, fasting, or as medical conditions necessitate. So let us not underestimate the power of sexual desire, but use the means that God has given. You should not merely treat sexual activity in your marriage as a necessary evil to avoid sin, which has been taught by the church in the past, which is not biblical. That is not the only means for doing so. But as a part of your calling and a blessed privilege to love your spouse with desire and delight. With joy, love, peace. The enemy has reduced sexuality in our day to an impersonal technique for personal physical pleasure. Divorced it from any real relationships. And elevated it to an idol to be worshipped. That's what the enemy's done. He's very cunning. One scholar says this, The magnificent, multi-dimensional marital sexuality of the Bible has, by the enemy and by our culture and society, been shrink-wrapped into a flat-sided, single-dimension, materialist package. It becomes just a mere skill. Well, in order to put these things off, brothers and sisters, we must not leave a vacuum. Jesus said you can sweep the house clean and then, you know, from the one demon that was living there, and then seven more demons will enter in and make it worse than the first. We cannot make a vacuum. When we put off, we must also put on. As we put off sexual lusts and impurities and temptations, we must put on self-denying love. self-sacrificial love. Given that marriage is a creation ordinance, is it not surprising that one key to sexual faithfulness is learning, again, sex is not dirty when it is, again, within the sphere of God's providence and His commands and His law and His ordinances. So being sexually faithful is learning to view ourselves and other people as God's image bearers. When you look at them, you should see this is one made in the image and likeness of God. You should see them this way. Not mere beasts driven by fleshly desires or objects to be used. for personal pleasure. Attaining our greatest potential as human beings does not require sexual activity. How can I prove that? Because the Lord Jesus Christ never did. He never did. Does that make Him less of a man? No. He was THE Son of Man. He was the actual definition of what man is supposed to be, of what humanity is before God. So living to the greatest potential as human beings does not require sexual activity, which Jesus Christ never had, but humbly serving other people for the glory of God. This is true greatness. This is true joy. This is true contentment and satisfaction. As you love your spouse, and you do serve them in this way, you do so with selfless, sacrificial love. It's not that you aren't satisfied in that, you are. And you are to be. But your goal should be to satisfy the other. Sacrificially. That's the point. And the enemy in our culture has taken that and made it dirty. Made it unclean. and therefore we must flee from that. If you are in a situation where your sexual desires are stirred up, rather than turn to self-pity, despair, or worse yet, just give in to acts of immorality, devote yourself to praising and rejoicing the Lord, and loving and serving others in your family, in your church, in your community. And let us seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness, to busy ourselves in Christian service and fellowship in the communion of the saints. Whatever your marital status or degree of sexual satisfaction in marriage, you should remember that marriage and sexual activity, get this, marriage and sexual activity are temporary gifts from God in this life. And as God's children, you will one day graduate to greater joys when Christ returns. greater joys, more satisfaction, complete contentment, complete joy, peace and love. And there will be no sex there. It doesn't mean it's bad in this life. But put it in its proper place. So beware of and fight against the sexual lusts of the flesh. Be like Phineas, in a spirit of holy zeal, who fought against the sexual immorality of his day. Not by slaying another. Because Paul is going to mourn about that too, isn't he? Biting and devouring one another. Don't do that. Again, was he right in his day? Yes. But by slaying the real enemy. The enemy within. Your own flesh. with its lusts and evil desires. For this is the spiritual and true application of the narrative of Numbers 25. You don't take a spear out and go down to the brothel or the gay pride parade and start sticking people with the spear, no. You slay your own flesh and live to the glory of God. You stand up against those things, brothers and sisters, but you begin within, the enemy within. And note well, my friends, that God has already given you His covenant of peace. Remember when we read from Numbers, He gave to Phinehas this covenant of peace? He's already given that to you. Because you're united to the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He's poured out His Spirit of Peace into your hearts and lives that you might fight the good fight of faith against the real enemy and be victorious on the day of battle. Remember, you have the presence of God within you to obey, to cut these things off. But also remember, As heinous as these sexual works of the flesh are, these sexual sins are not the unforgivable sin. What is unforgivable is remaining in a state of impenitence, of unrepentance. of never acknowledging, never confessing that these acts are sinful before God, and seeking His merciful forgiveness and cleansing and being purified from them. Jesus did not stone to death the adulterous, did He? He didn't do that. There's been a change from the old to the new. Right? He's our great High Priest. Our everlasting High Priest. And He did not stone to death the adulteress. But what did He do? He commanded her by the authority of God Himself, who He was, to go and sin no more. He showed mercy, did He not? Great mercy. But He did not condone the sin. but commanded her. And in His death and resurrection took away its guilt and poured out the power of His Spirit in order to give power to fulfill His words. Go and sin no more. But make no mistake, heed and beware of the warnings Those who practice these things, who live this way on a daily, continual basis, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. I'll close with these words from the Apostle. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, and offering in a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse justing, which are not fitting, but rather giving thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator or unclean person has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth, for you died. and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But brothers and sisters, you have not been called and appointed to wrath, but you've been called and appointed to walk in the Spirit. to live in the Spirit, to be led and guided by the Spirit. So you yourselves are to put off all these things, all these evil fleshly works, since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness according to the image of Him who has created you. You are a new creature in Christ. So do not give in to these things. So beware. Fight. Put off. Put to death. Repent. Put on. For God has called you to be holy. That's why He's given you His Holy Spirit. put on holiness, righteousness, because it has been provided for you in Christ. And may your life stand in stark contrast with these works of the flesh and more and more be filled and produce the glorious fruit of the Spirit as you are conformed more and more into the image of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. to the glory of God, your Heavenly Father. Amen. Let us pray. Our gracious and Heavenly Father, we do thank you for these warnings. Although these things are sometimes very difficult to hear, we need to hear them. And like surgery, we pray that you take the scalpel of your word and cut away these things from our lives, even if it means cutting deep and cutting off appendages of our lives that have been so ingrained and stuck to us for so long, that we would break the pattern of sin and the works of the flesh and its power and influence over us, that we may bear forth the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, self-control, Lord, to Your glory. and to the honor of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom he's given himself for us, that we might be sanctified and holy and present us to himself a beautiful and purified bride. We pray it all in Christ's holy and precious name. Amen.