The Cattle Egret
In the Spirit of World Sexual Purity Day
Good evening, my friend!
How’re you (really) doing?
How’s your walk with God going?
What’s He teaching you this week?
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Jesus Therapy Seven! It’s my earnest prayer that as we seek to know God more, our lives will take the perfect form necessary to fulfil His purposes, Amen!
In the Spirit of World Sexual Purity Day
On the 14th of November 2022, we celebrated Sexual Purity Day, so this newsletter is timely.
What does sexual purity mean to you? Is it just about not fornicating or is it deeper than that to you?
Dark corners
Adrenaline rush
Racing hearts
Tummies with fluttering butterflies
Sexually-stimulating conversations
Suggestive titillations
Mouth-watering photo exchanges
Sweaty palms
Cuddly arms
Stolen kisses
Dear Soul, your zeal is good…but you must be still, for your expectation is from God (Psalm 62:5).
It’s amazing how we still have to live such holy lives in bodies that are averse to every form of holy living. Such higher calling in Christ!
What does holiness entail?
Obedience to rules of “do not touch”? or the mindfulness and sensitivity that comes with seeking inner purity that’ll bring forth a harvest of righteousness on the outside?
Today, we’re not talking about fornication as we’ve always known it. Let’s talk about purity, especially since it’s relevant to our time and world now.
When we were younger, a lot was taught about keeping oneself pure and not giving in to fornication, but beyond not having intercourse, there are pitfalls that look tiny but can heavily stifle our spiritual growth. Indeed, these things shouldn’t be named among us anymore (Eph. 5:3), but the cleverness of the world has led young people to gratify their innate desires while still seeking to keep the marriage bed undefiled.
Tiny egrets, tiny sins. Heavy consequences.
Have you seen small-sized egrets beside the cattle? They look so tiny, yet they perform a huge function (feasting on flies that dare to irritate the cattle). Sin is the same way — tiny-looking, yet terribly consequential. The analogy of the cattle egret may not be perfect, but it gives the perfect picture of how small sins can affect us and cause the spiritual height we’ve attained to come tumbling down like a house of cards.
What’s the sin that easily besets you?
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV
Impurity (in whatever shape or form they come) is the besetting sin and the joy set before us is a beautiful, godly marriage — but we must run with patience.
So, what godly standards do we follow?
Who suffices as a godly reference point?
Where do we draw the line?
The standard of Scripture is still the way — that we flee all appearances of evil, flee youthful lusts, and be holy as the Lord is holy (1 Thess 5:22; 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Peter 1:15). These verses are powerful. Anyone that tries to twist it to create room for the wrong desires will be doing us a great disservice.
Even more, these verses are powerful enough to speak against every form of pleasure that’ll ever crystallize from Progressive Christianity — including the slippery slope of seeing making out with your fiancé/fiancée as not much of a big deal. The topic was fleshed out early this week on Twitter and someone totally disagreed. According to him, how else could he bond with his partner? “It’s too hard and almost impossible”, he insisted. We’re born-again into a family with a high standard. Things are different now.
We can’t trust ourselves. We can’t trust our bodies to behave well. We can’t leave out thoughts to wander. Don’t tempt the devil.
I wouldn’t tell you this if I hadn’t learned practically, and it took a personal experience for 1 Cor. 10:12 to come alive in me.
Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].
- 1 Corinthians 10:12 AMP
You wonder, “I thought I was deeply spiritual and very much immune to these little egrets”. No, you’re not. If we give the devil a foothold, he’ll grip us real hard. Don’t let anyone deceive you. There’s a higher calling in your walk with God — it’s a call to consecrated service to Him alone.
What are the slippery slopes you’ve seen and heard? — Ever heard that weekend getaways and sleeping in the same bed are not bad, so long as you “keep it holy”?
How do we account for the ungodly thoughts that may cloud our minds?
Truth be told, there are men and women who will sleep in the same bed with their spouses for the first time ever on their wedding day. Yes, it may not be an Oscar-worthy case; but it lives up to the right godly values.
A stolen kiss can get our fingers burned.
A tighter cuddle can change our focus.
Dear married couple, teach us that we must flee from lust like our life depended on it (‘cos it does).
Tell us that it’s dangerous to give in to our emotions.
Tell us how strong emotions are and how much we can’t downplay its effect. Beyond not fornicating, teach us to not stir up lust because we sin in our hearts first, then with our bodies.
Nobody teaches the animals created by God to mate and produce their own kind. In the same way, there’s no need to explore anything sexual before marriage. Opposites will always attract and every other thing comes off naturally as the Lord ordained it.
Pitfalls that make sexual purity difficult:
Building unusual intimacy with the opposite gender where there’s no defined relationship.
Jumping into a relationship too soon with no clear-cut plan. It’s not God’s will for us to spend long periods in relationships with no focus to get married in the nearest future.
Not seeking the face of God on sensitive issues as relationships — the When, the How, The Who.
If you read further into 1 Cor. 10, God says that there’s no form of temptation that’s not common to what others have suffered. Temptations also come according to the degree we can bear and He ALWAYS provides an escape for us. This raises a standard for all of us to maintain — we’re without excuse when we blindly fall into these pitfalls. If you’re in this box right now, God is ready to bring you out of it. Are you ready to surrender your mind and body to Him today?
Goodbyes
Our Christian growth is dependent on the level to which we choose to purify ourselves and be set apart for good use. Guard yourself like a treasure because that’s what you are — a priceless vessel to be used only for the purposes of God.
For deeper engagement on this topic, you can read what John Piper has to say about How Far Is Too Far Before Marriage?
A songwriter wrote:
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little ears what you hear
Oh be careful little tongue what you say
O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little mind what you think
For the Father up above, is looking down in love. Oh, be careful little...
May our spirits, souls, and bodies be pleasing to God, Amen!
Till Next Time,
Wednesday, God-willing.
God bless you!
Very insightful. This is indeed how we become true LIGHTS and SALTS of the Earth, abstaining from fleshly lusts.