Stormproof MenSýnishorn

His plan

So, finally, we get to the fourth question, “How can I experience purity?” The answer to that question is the reason why I wrote a book, and it is why this plan exists. However, before we look at the solution, let's first go back in history to see how and where this whole mess started. The history of both healthy sexuality and sexual sin begins with God's creation of man that we see in Genesis chapter 1, when God created man in his own image. He created them male and female.

From the beginning, God designed these two sexual beings to enjoy sexual intimacy together, to “become one flesh” within the context of marriage before sin entered the world. “One flesh” implies real intimacy with the woman in all areas of life, not just the physical relationship, but it certainly includes the physical relationship. Adam and his wife were both naked and not ashamed. Nothing interfered with the intimacy these first two humans enjoyed. Reading between the lines, they enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying physical relationship with each other because nothing got in the way of their intimacy. I cannot begin to imagine what this true, sinless intimacy was like. God designed sex to be an excellent thing, and the first couple experienced it at its best.

So far, so good; no problems yet. Unfortunately, something drastic happened in chapter three that forever changed humanity. Because of chapter three of Genesis, my maleness carries another mark from the first two humans. They disobeyed God (they sinned) by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. Ever since then, every person who has ever lived sins and possesses what the Bible calls “the flesh.” And so, every man since then is a sexual being, prone to lust and sin. 

Becoming a Christian does not exempt us from this propensity to sin. It does give us the ability to overcome temptation and sin, but it does not eliminate the capacity to sin. Paul writes, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” When I began thinking about the topic of sexual purity, I thought “fleeing immorality” was the biblical principle to apply. As crucial as this principle may be, I now believe the Bible provides many principles that apply to our purity, and “fleeing” is the last step. When a man discovers and practices some of the other principles of Scripture, he finds less need to “flee” because he finds himself in harm’s way less frequently. Paul gives us one of the "big picture" passages that deal with overcoming temptation and offers a way out.