Call to Purity and Faithfulness
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 9/29/2019 AM |
Text: | I Corinthians 6, 7; Lord's Day 41 |
Psalters: | 71, 67, 427, 260 |
- What God has done.
- God created man pure (holy) so that he was naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25) with sexual desires which were good.
- Man’s experience of the fall into sin was their being ashamed (Gen. 3:7) and wanting a covering (this is man without grace).
- Satan constantly works to destroy the foundation of good order in the marriage and family with selfishness.
- God, in Christ, provides for every one of His people to have the real marriage with Christ (Gen. 3:21; Eph. 5:25b-27,32).
- God is faithful and maintains the loving relationship by constantly giving and forgiving.
- God gives Jesus to restore spiritual and physical purity (sanctity), making us devoted to our faithful Husband.
- God created man pure (holy) so that he was naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25) with sexual desires which were good.
- God condemns adultery, all unfaithfulness and every uncleanness.
- Adultery is unfaithfulness on the part of a husband or wife, and it is sexual impurity before marriage (e.g. friends with benefits).
- God condemns all selfishness: whether in desiring to satisfy lusts or in refusing to pay the debt.
- The command boldly brings out selfish thoughts and desires from their hiding place and proclaims them as evil.
- Adultery/fornication violates covenant, severely damaging relationships.
- Jesus was angry when the physical temple was violated; much more so when the temple of the Spirit is defiled (I Cor. 6:15ff).
- Adultery is unfaithfulness on the part of a husband or wife, and it is sexual impurity before marriage (e.g. friends with benefits).
- Gratitude for God’s faithfulness to us constrains and restrains.
- Look up and see yourself in the real marriage with Jesus, which is only mercy and always undeserved.
- When we, through weakness, fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy and grace.
- Everyone who is married to Jesus is called to reflect Jesus in grateful purity and faithfulness.
- We must be willing to restrain ourselves as self-denying followers of Jesus.
- Learn to detest what God detests and love what God loves (unconditionally).
- Each spouse must labor (in gratitude to God, not to their mate) to do their part because so abundantly forgiven.