OVERCOMING DIVORCE, ADULTERY AND FORNICATION 2
(week 41/11)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week, we saw that God hates divorce and wants us to avoid adultery and fornication.
How do we do this?
By making ourselves ‘eunuchs’ by the Spirit at times in our lives when engaging in sexual activity would be wrong: outside marriage and when your spouse is not available.
Notice it is done by the Spirit; in fact there is a spiritual ‘know-how’ for this as revealed in
1Thessalonians 4:3-4 KJV: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
What is this ‘know-how’?
1. You fill your heart and physical body with the life of God by praying for the divine nature from promises in the Word (2 Pet. 1:4):
2Corinthians 4:10-11 KJV: Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (11) For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2. Pray with all kinds of prayer in the Spirit (Eph.6:18) as a daily and weekly habit to release the power of God in sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9) measure into your will, mind, emotions and circumstances to spiritually ‘anesthetize’ you from negative sexual stimuli through the lust of the eyes and of the flesh (1 Jn. 2:15, Eph. 2:2-3).
3. Avoid reading, listening to or watching sexually suggestive or explicit (especially pornographic) books or programs on TV or the computer; furthermore, do not stay alone with someone of the opposite sex (who is not your spouse) in a secluded location where you could have sex with them:
1Thessalonians 5:22 KJV: Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Proverbs 5:8 AMP: Let your way in life be far from her, and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation], [Prov. 4:15; Rom. 16:17; I Thess. 5:19-22.]
Proverbs 4:15 KJV: Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Genesis 39:10-12 KJV: And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. (11) And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. (12) And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
1Corinthians 6:18 KJV: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
It is instructive to note that if you do not do steps 1 and 2 properly, you will be doing step 3 by the natural human ability and determination alone and may fail in avoiding sexual immorality because of the physical and circumstantial pressure Satan can put you under because you did not neutralize him and his power by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, by using the life, power and wisdom of God by the Holy Spirit, you can and should avoid divorce and overcome adultery and fornication!
