“God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NLT)
God wants us to live a holy life. Holy is not an unattainable ideal, it is a mark of being set apart or considered special. We are called to live a life that is set apart from the culture we live in and to adhere to the standards that God has given to us. If we follow those standards, we will experience less difficulty and strife in our lives.
One area where we must strive to counter the culture around us is our sexual life. While our culture may present no limits to what we desire, God has given us standards to follow. Mainly, we are to remain sexually pure until marriage, where God has intended us to use the gift of sex. While we have sexual desires regardless of our marital state, we are given guidelines as to how to manage them in a way that makes us holy, a way that sets us apart from the culture and follows the teachings that God has given us. The same call for holiness in our sexual life is applicable to other areas of temptation in our life as well, and there are strategies we can use to combat our temptations in all areas.
Pray: Lord, help me to keep myself pure while I live in this culture. When I am tempted to fall away from your standards, please help me to see my faults and return to the holy life you have called me to. Give me the presence of mind to seek help when I need it and to forgive myself for my past. Help lead me to repentance and forgiveness I need in my life. Amen.