Week 41: October 9, 2016
Topic: Do Not Defile Your Body – Part 4
Bible Reading: Isaiah 3: 8-12
The concluding part of this study will be about the most common way of defiling our bodies through sexual relationship.
Sexual Relationship
God is not against sexual relationship in fact He is the One that performed the first wedding in the Garden of Eden Genesis 2: 21-24. Your sexual relationship must be in acceptable manner or else it will defile your body. The following sexual relationship is forbidden by the Lord.
· Incest: Sexual relationship between family or close relatives. In most cases, those that are not permitted by the law to marry legally because they are closely related Leviticus 18: 6-18.
· Fornication: Sexual relationship between two unmarried people Ephesians 5: 3.
· Adultery: When a married person is having extra marital affairs Leviticus 18: 20.
· Uncleanness: When a man is having sexual relationship with a woman during her menstrual period Leviticus 18: 19.
· Prostitution: When somebody sells his/her body for money. Sexual relationship that attracts payment in money/favour Leviticus 19: 29.
· Taking your ex back: When a man’s wife left him and married another person, the woman must not return to her former husband to marry him or have sexual relationship with him (getting together with your ex-wife) Deuteronomy 24: 1-4.
· Gay: A man having sexual relationship with man Romans 1: 27, Leviticus 18: 22.
· Lesbian: Women having sexual relationship with women Romans 1: 26.
· Sodomy: Oral or anal sexual intercourse between human beings 1 Corinthians 6: 9.
· Sex with Animal: A man or woman having sexual relationship with animal Leviticus 18: 23.
All the aforementioned sexual relationships are abominations in the presence of God. Whoever gets involve in any of these relationships not only defiles his or her body, but also endanger his/her life and future.
The Lord’s Warning
The Lord sent His warnings in several passages in the Bible but we will only mention few.
Defilement through sexual relationships: Do not defile yourselves with any of the previously mentioned sexual relationship so that the Lord will not drive you away from your land and give it to your neighbor who is better than you. Those abominable practices defile the land and the Lord will punish the people who live there in manners that will make the land to vomit out its inhabitants. Therefore, you must keep the statues and judgments of the Lord by not committing any of the detestable sins. All these abominable activities are practiced by the Gentiles of the land and that was how the land has become defiled. So do not defile the land and give the land a reason to spit you out Leviticus 18: 24-28. I pray that wherever you are residing presently, will not vomit you out.
Do not defile the temple of God: Your body is the temple of God and the spirit of God lives in your body - if it is not defiled. God will destroy anyone who defiles His temple, because God’s temple is holy and you are the temple 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17. If you don’t want to be destroyed without remedy, do not defile your body which is the temple of God.
Defilement through idolatry: Any person who associate with idolatry or turn to mediums and familiar spirits for assistance will have themselves to blame. God will set His face against them and cut them off from their people Leviticus 20: 6. If you don’t want to die suddenly or for God to turn against you, and cut you off from your community, then, do not defile yourself by committing spiritual prostitution through consultation with the mediums Leviticus 20: 27.
Defilement caused by blood: Do not shed innocent blood or consume blood so that you will not wander blindly through the streets Lamentation 4: 10-11. If you don’t want the fury and fierce anger of the Lord to come upon you, then do not defile your body by consuming blood or shedding innocent blood.
Benefits
There are many benefits mentioned in the Bible for every soul that did not defile their body, but due to time constraint we will mention two.
First Fruits: Any soul who did not defile his/her body will be among the redeemed of the Lord who will sing a new song before the heavenly throne of God. Such people shall mingle with the four living creatures, the elders and the heavenly beings because they are among the first fruits of God and the Lamb Revelation 14: 2-5. If you want to sing before God and the 24 elders, then keep your body holy. If you want to be first fruit to God and to the Lamb, do not defile your body.
New Jerusalem: The undefiled people will live in New Jerusalem the City of God (the city that is illuminated by the glory of God). It is only those who did not defile their body and their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will live there eternally Revelation 21: 10-27. If you want to live in New Jerusalem forever then do not defile your body. If you want your name to be written in the Book of Life keep, your body holy.
Examples
We shall discuss some examples from the Bible to edify the faith of our brethren so that they will not defile their bodies.
Daniel: When Daniel and others were taken as captives to Babylon. He was among the nobles and king’s descendant that were selected to serve in the king’s palace. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the officer in charge for permission not to eat the unacceptable foods that will defile him Daniel 1: 3-8. Emulate Daniel who rejected the king’s delicacies and appetizing dishes of the Babylonians for simple vegetables in order not to defile his body.
Joseph: Joseph did not defile himself when he had the opportunity to sleep with potiphar’s wife Genesis 39: 1-12. Emulate Joseph by keeping your body pure for the Lord. Had it been that Joseph had slept with Potiphar’s wife, he would not have been the prime minister of Egypt.
Finally he who overcomes the temptation of the Devil and did not defile his/her body, Christ will make him a pillar in the temple of His God, and he shall go out no more. He will write on him the names of His God and the name of the city of His God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from His God. And He will write on him His new name Revelation 3: 12.
The Seal: Revelation 16: 15: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walks naked and they see his shame”.