Battling Sexual Sin

[Mike Seaver is a pastor at CrossWay Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina and posts regularly at Role Calling.]

Sex. It is a word that brings an explosion of thoughts to mind once it is read or heard. I remember in Middle School, kids would wear shirts by a brand of surf board wax called "Sex Wax" just because it had the "s" word on it. Now, I lived in Southwest Virginia at the time and the only need for wax was to help the kid's braces not get caught on their cheeks. The fascination with sex and the battle against improper views of sex was at high tide then and it seems like it is now causing flood-like casualties.

On Sunday, my senior pastor, Mickey Connolly, gave a relevant and helpful message from 2 Samuel 11 and 12 speaking of what it looks like to fall into sexual sin and how to battle against this devastating temptation. He gave 16 lessons that can be learned from David and Bathsheba. I am posting them because I found them helpful in reevaluating my own fight against sexual temptation. I hope they help you too.

1. Temptation can come when I least expect it. I must always be on my guard.
2. Sin often happens when I am not positively engaged in godly activities (when I'm not doing what I am supposed to be doing).
3. I usually have a chance to stop myself if I would only take it (1 Cor. 10:12).
4. Sin has a way of finding me out... it will be brought to the light.
5. Trying to cover up my sin only makes things worse.
6. One sin often leads to another.
7. Sin tends to harden my heart.
8. Even if no one else is aware, God is aware.
9. It is easier to be outraged at someone else's sin than my own.
10. To sin is to look for good outside of God's perfect provision.
11. Sin never satisfies.
12. Sin always has consequences.
13. Heartfelt repentance is the only appropriate response to sin.
14. While my sin has many manifestations it has only one root — a heart that craves something more than God.
15. Because of the cross, God does not treat me as my sins deserve.
16. While sin affects my life, it need not ruin my life.