Dr. Akin John Column
Whoever you are, except you are a eunuch, you will surely come across the issue of sex, either in your own life or that of others. One way or the other, you will have to deal with it along the journey of life. You will have to handle that fire, desire, passion and lust inside your body, else it will burn beyond control and bring you regrets. Your life here and hereafter will greatly be affected by the way you handle the issue of sex. It is when individuals are sexually pure that the church will be pure too –(I Thes. 4:3-7). Leaders must especially handle sex in a balance and biblical way, both in their lives and that of their people.
Biblical Foundation
“Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” – Proverbs 6:25
“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” – Hebrews 12:12-17
Our sexual organ is created by the Lord, but it can become the instrument of our ruin and destruction if not carefully and maturely handled. Sex is only for legally and biblically married couples. It is not for the unmarried. Sexual laxity, perversion and abuse are on the increase in the world today, even the church is not left out. While sexual sins are ravaging the world, the church has kept quiet from talking and teaching on wholesome sex, and the result has been pollution in the church. The Lord however wants a sexually pure church.
Individuals must be sexually pure; Couples must be sexually whole; Premarital and extra-marital sex is forbidden; Adultery and fornication is forbidden; Rape, sexual harassment and perversion must not be in the church.
The church is the gathering, assembly and congregation of God’s people and it must be holy, pure and undefiled. Sexual laxity must never be condoned there, from leader to the led.
The scripture is clear that God hates sexual perversion;
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” – Matthew 5:28
“Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:” – Nehemiah 13:2-6.
It is a grievous sin against the Lord and yourself –(Prov. 7:21-23).
Sexually Polluted Church
“But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” – Revelations 2:14-15
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” – Revelations 2:18-23.
In these scriptures, God brought fiery judgment upon and among His people when they go into sexual immoralities. They are evidences of God’s hatred for sexual pollution among his own people.
One of the chief weapons of Satan to pollute the church is sex. The devil pollutes the church through immorality.
The devil knows that God hates sexual pervasion among his own people and therefore do all he can to introduce it to them.
“For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.” – Proverbs 7:26
“For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.” – Proverbs 6:26, 32-33.
The devil uses his demons to do the following in local churches: Seduce the pastor into sexual encounters; Destroy the marriages of members with extra-marital sex; Unnecessary closeness of ministers with female staff and members that leads to immoralities; Visiting ministers introducing sexual pervasion to the church; Premarital sex among the youths and intending couples; Agents of Satan to tempt and seduce young men; Unmarried young men doing deliverance and visiting ladies and women, which results in immoralities; Single women and widows sleeping around in church and outside; Lesbianism, masturbation, incest and pornography widespread in the church; Condoning prostitution, gay living and sexual addiction in the church; and Couples living separately apart-resulting in sexual sins.
God has never taken kindly to sexual pollution in His church. He hates it and will judge it – Heb. 13:4.
Why Churches Are Sexually Polluted
The followings are things we do and undo in churches that leads to sexual pollutions: Churches keeping quiet on sex matters; Pastors not talking about it; Bad protocol arrangement; Pre-marital and extra-marital sex among members and workers; Taste and test for virility; Sexually polluted Guest Ministers; and Demonic machinations.
Most Pastors see nothing wrong in casual, pre-marital and extra-marital sex among their members, thereby polluting the church. Abortion among workers and members are subtly encouraged, and God’s power is withdrawn from the church.
Adverse Effect of Sexual Pollution in Church
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” – Revelations 2:18-23
“Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.” – I Corinthians 10:8.
Once the pulpit keeps quiet concerning this area and bad examples are being set by leaders, then the church will be sexually polluted and God’s anger will be kindled. Sexual laxity, perversion, immoralities will result in the following in the church: Fiery judgment of God; Spiritual and physical death; Weakened and anaemic church; Bad image and break away; Closed heaven upon the church; Barrenness of life and ministry; Glory of God lifted and enemy in the sanctuary; Open door to demonic activities; Fire of revival will go out and blessings will cease; and Curses and stagnation will reign supreme.
In the scripture, God judged people and men because of sexual sins – the people of Sheckem, Reuben, Lot, Judah, Israel, Samson, Eli’s children, king David, Absalom, Amnon and king Solomon. In contemporary history, no man, woman or church ever succeeded in ministry whenever they involve in sexual sins. God has judged and is still judging many preachers and churches that became sexually polluted.
How To Build A Sexually Healthy Church
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:” – I Corinthians 5:1-9
Apostle Paul was firm and decisive in dealing with sexual perversion in the church. He judged it squarely and did not condone it. Phinehas stood up for God and executed judgment that stopped the plague of death in the camp. Therefore, every pastor and church leader must take heed to all these: You must fight and conquer sexual sins in your life. Pray and seek help if you have fallen. Don’t keep quiet in the church. Preach it and pray against it. Learn all you could about sexual wholeness; Discipline those who are found in the sin – make thorough investigation first. Don’t be like Prophet Eli; Teach people to stop the look, stare, touch, embrace and kiss that lead to sex; Teach married couples to stay under same roof and to be faithful to each other; Teach singles to remain pure and keep their bodies under. Self-discipline is the key; Teach against pornography, masturbation and incest in the church; Teach the role of proper dressing, seating and comportment to women and men; Pray against the spirit of lust and immorality in the church. Do real warfare.
Don’t ever shy away from sharing, talking and discussing sexually wholesome issues in the church. If you don’t teach the right, people will practice the wrong. A truly transforming church must be a sexually pure church. The church must transform people from sexual perversion to sexual wholeness. That is true transformation.
Read more from my New Book, “SEXUALLY WHOLESOME CHURCH”
Contact: 08056126914
